Does your child repeat language from movies, TV shows? Do they repeat what you say when you ask a question? Have you heard this described as “echolalia” or “scripting”? Do they hum, sing or vocalize with rich intonation? Do they communicate with long strings of jargon like language?
Then your child might be a gestalt language processor!
What is gestalt language processing:
GLP is a form of language development that begins with using “chunks” of language, called gestalts. These chunks of language often come from things the child has heard others say, or from movies, even books! The language the child uses is often intonation rich and stems from an emotional experience.
Stages of Development
The stages of gestalt language processing were described by Marge Blanc and are known as the stages of Natural Language Acquisition.
Stage 1: Delayed Echolalia: During this stage, the child primarily uses gestalts or chunks of language they have heard. It is important to remember that GLP’s hold on to language that is tied to an emotional experience to them, and often that language is also intonation rich.
Examples include:
“Hop in!” -The child says this each time they get in the car, because their mother said it once. Now this language is associated with the experience of getting in the car.
“Car”-A single word gestalt that a child uses to express “I’m stressed, I want to go home”.
“To infinity and beyond”-A gestalt from a favorite movie, a child may use this every time they want to transition to a different space.
Stage 1 can also sound like “long strings of jargon like language”. If your child doesn't speak yet, but you are hearing jargon that is intonation rich, and *almost* sounds like language-then they might be attempting to use delayed echolalia without the spoken words.
Stage 2: Mitigated Gestalts
This stage is all about mixing and matching stage 1 gestalts. Before an individual can get to this stage, we need to make sure they have plenty of *flexible* stage 1 gestalts that communicate a variety of functions.
Stage 3: Isolated single words
In this stage, the individual can isolate single words from their gestalts. This is the stage where they understand that each single word is a single unit of meaning. This stage is critical for self-generated language. At this stage, it seems like the individual might be regressing because they went from full sentences to 1-2 word phrases. It is important we don’t expand their language.
Stage 4-6:
At stage 4 , the individual is producing unique sentences and playing with beginning grammar skills. Stages 5-6 demonstrate more complex grammar. This is the stage where questions can be targeted.
Speech Therapy for Gestalt language processors:
Some gestalt language processors naturally move through the stages of development into self-generating language. Others need more support to move through the stages. The purpose of speech therapy is to support the GLP through the stages, and produce self-generated language. Depending on which stage the GLP is in, the strategies may look different. For example, if they are in stage 1 the goal might be acquiring more gestalts that communicate a variety of functions, and are easily mitigable in order to support language development.
No matter what stage the child is in, speech therapy should be play-based and child-led.
We could talk about gestalt language processing all day! If you want to learn more or just chat with us, feel free to call or email us!
586-209-3826
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