Annabelle is a vibrant, tech-savvy 14-year-old who brings big energy to everything she does—cheering, dancing, lifting weights, and spending time with friends. Diagnosed with bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria (PMG) and cerebral palsy, Annabelle has limited verbal speech, but that hasn’t stopped her from finding her voice.
Her AAC journey began at age three with printed picture cards and progressed through several systems. While she could navigate those systems, she often relied on stored phrases and needed up to seven button hits to say a single message. This led to frustration—for Annabelle and her peers.
Everything changed when her longtime speech therapist, Irina Hofstetter, attended a LAMP training and introduced LAMP Words for Life®. Annabelle’s mom, Mandy, decided to give it a try—and the impact was immediate.
“It was the first time we had that communication connection verbally,” Mandy said. “She is very physically expressive and uses signs, but to hear her say ‘You funny’ out loud just overwhelmed me with joy.”
With LAMP Words for Life, Annabelle began creating her own messages, answering questions, and making spontaneous comments. She’s now learning to break common expressions into individual words—understanding that “how are you” is three words, not one. One unforgettable moment came when Annabelle used her device to tell her parents about a fire drill at school—just hours after Irina had modeled the phrase during a session.
“That moment—bringing a message home—was something we had always hoped for,” Irina said. “Seeing it happen was incredible.”
Annabelle’s communication has become more expressive and personal. A few days after Halloween, she used her device to tell her principal she didn’t like his costume—a spontaneous moment that made everyone smile.
“It was such a clear, spontaneous moment of communication,” Irina shared with a laugh.
Annabelle uses a PRC-Saltillo Via Mini and quickly learns word locations.
“If you show her the pattern once, she typically has it memorized and can use it days later,” Mandy said.
She even helps a classmate find words on his device when he’s unsure. Peer relationships are especially meaningful to Annabelle. Two girls next door have become like sisters, encouraging her to use her device and spending hours with her during summer break.
“They’ll say, ‘Don’t forget your words!’ and then she will use it,” Mandy shared.
Annabelle is involved in unified cheerleading, dance, basketball, strength training, STEM, cooking classes, and more—expanding her communication needs and opportunities. Initially, it was hard for her to part with her previous AAC system, which had familiar phrases. But her team, including two dedicated assistive technology professionals, played an important role in supporting that transition. Their collaboration helped Annabelle learn how to say familiar phrases using single words and store custom expressions like “slay” for quick social exchanges.
“Annabelle has only been using LAMP Words for Life for four months, and the progress we’ve seen is amazing,” Mandy said. “She has amazed everyone, including Brian (Annabelle’s dad) and myself, beyond our expectations.”
Mandy’s advice for other families is practical and encouraging:
“Install it on your phone, watch the YouTube videos, print pages, and learn it along with your child. We also use a shared Google Sheet with our AT and SLP to track new words, symbol choices, and dates added. It keeps us all on the same page.”
Irina also reflected on the journey from a professional perspective:
“I had attended LAMP trainings before, but the way Stefanie presented the material truly gave me the knowledge, confidence, and motivation,” she said. “Thank you for that!”
Looking ahead, Mandy describes the experience as life-changing.
“We’re optimistic and excited for what’s ahead,” she said. “Annabelle has amazed us beyond our expectations.”