February 26, 2024
Picture the scene….the sound of an 18-month-old’s sing-song voice, flipping the pages of “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” as he recites each page word for word. I sit puzzled as this is a child who does not use language functionally to request, comment, or share information yet. How can this be?
What I discovered was my little friend did not respond to traditional analytic language strategies. Analytic strategies are progressive, where the child gradually accumulates words picked out from what they hear and learn to imitate the words. If a child is learning language with traditional strategies, when a caregiver says “Let’s go!” or “Let’s eat!” that child will echo back singular words like “go!” or “eat!” Eventually they use the word in combination once they have acquired enough vocabulary (read more here). For some children, though, they don’t process language in single words. Instead, like my little friend, these children process language in chunks of speech called gestalts.
Gestalt language processing is when a child learns language by imitating phrases rather than single words. Often, the child will learn word-for-word language from sources such as books and songs. However, some gestalt language processors imitate the sing-song-like quality of speech but with little or no intelligible words. These phrases often don’t make sense in conversation but are meaningful to the child because of the emotional connection they place on the phrase.
Why is this important? Processing language in gestalts can be confusing for a caregiver as the phrases produced by the child may or may not be used functionally in context. It may feel like the child’s language is developing differently than expected.
Going back to my little friend: what can we do to help build his communication? We can model meaningful chunks, rather than single words, through requesting, commenting, and sharing information based on his special interests. Saying “It’s time to read”, “Let’s go”, and “I love it” help him acquire phrases he can use in later communication. As he builds a library of meaningful chunks, he can substitute words learned from other phrases. For example, “It’s time to read” can change to “It’s time to eat” or “let’s go” changes to “let’s eat”. Eventually, the next step for a gestalt language processor is learning to use single words and then spontaneously combine words to form phrases and sentences.
If you think your child is processing language through gestalts, you can explore different manifestations of gestalt language processing, such as delayed echolalia, with these resources listed below.
To learn more about how your child processes language and if you are concerned about language delays, go to Book Now to schedule a Meet and Greet. If not, here are some additional resources to help build your knowledge to help guide your child’s language learning.
Resources
Marge LeBlanc’s Natural Language Acquisition Framework
Alexandria Zachos at Meaningful Speech
Immediate versus Delayed Echolalia
References
Blanc, M., Blackwell, A., and Elias, P. (2023). Using the natural language acquisition protocol to support gestalt language development. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_PERSP-23-00098.
Meaningful speech (2024). The Meaningful Speech Course ™, https://www.meaningfulspeech.com/
Filipova, S. Jovchevski, V., and Shoster, D. (2023). The role of delayed echolalia produced by children with autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews. 4. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.4.723.49127
