As speech pathologists, we know that tailoring our intervention is essential for supporting the individual language development of our clients. When it comes to gestalt language processors (GLPs), using the right approach is crucial. If we apply an analytic approach—like teaching single words before a GLP is ready, asking wh-questions or teaching specific sentence structures such as “I want…”—their language can get “stuck,” preventing the child from developing spontaneous, flexible communication. Consequently, in order to provide the correct intervention, we need to be able to identify which children are GLPs.
Alex Zachos (www.meaningfulspeech.com) identifies four main indicators that a child may be a GLP. Let’s explore these signs in more detail and how to spot them in your clinical practice.
Long Scripts
Children who use long scripts are the easiest to identify as GLPs. These children often repeat entire phrases or chunks of language they’ve heard from videos, movies, books, or people around them. The scripts are usually repeated in the same way each time and may be used in or out of context. However, these scripts often convey a specific meaning for the child.
For example, a child might say “Spot hurt his knee” every time she feels pain. This phrase, taken from her favourite storybook, has become her way of communicating discomfort. Recognising these long scripts is a key step in identifying gestalt language processing, as these chunks represent the child’s initial stage of language development.
Single Words
GLPs who use single words can be a little trickier to identify. While they might label objects or respond to prompts and questions with single words, these words are often “stuck.” The child may struggle to combine these words with other words to form more complex, flexible language.
For instance, a child might consistently use the word “car” to refer to their family car or to indicate that they want to go home, but they won’t combine it with other words, like “white car” or “daddy’s car.” This limited flexibility in word use is a strong indicator of gestalt language processing. To learn more about the difference between single words used by GLPs versus analytic language processors, read here.
Strings of Unintelligible Speech
Some GLPs are harder to identify because their speech may sound unintelligible. However, what seems like random babbling may be gestalts that the child is copying from their surroundings, such as songs, TV shows, or conversations. These children are copying gestalts but don’t have the motor speec h skills to produce the string of language. Their words merge together, resulting in unintelligible speech.
To understand whether these strings are gestalts, pay attention to what the child listens to or watches regularly. Listen for intonation and sound patterns and you may be able to identify the unintelligible string as a gestalt.
Rich Intonation
GLPs are highly attuned to the emotion and intonation of certain utterances. They will often use a phrase that was said with a specific emotion in a different scenario.
For example, a child might say “I can fly!” with the same excitement and intonation as a movie character when they’re playing or feeling excited. The words should not be taken literally, as it’s the emotion that the child is often conveying. This attraction to intonation can be a helpful clue in identifying GLPs.
Additional Indicators of GLPs:
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- Sings without speaking: Some parents report that their GLPs started singing songs before saying any words.
- Starts sentences with contractions: GLPs often begin sentences with contractions like “Let’s” or “It’s,” reflecting the chunks of language they’ve heard around them. This grammatical structure will only develop later with analytic language processors.
- Drawn to foreign languages or accents: As GLPs are drawn to the way language sounds, rather than the meaning of words, they are often drawn to language that sounds different. They may prefer to listen to shows in different languages or listen more intently when they hear an accent.
- Plays in the same way every time or seems to re-enact scenes: GLPs often develop gestalts or scripts around their play as well and will play with items in exactly the same way each time. They may also re-enact scenes from movies, shows or books.
- Doesn’t answer questions: In the early stages GLPs have difficulty answering questions. They are not focused on the word meanings but rather the emotion or situation. This is why they will often use questions to request (e.g. “Do you want juice?”) as this is the language they associate with getting a desired item.
- Responds ‘off-topic‘ or slightly ‘off-topic‘: As GLPs focus on the emotion and intonation of the language rather than the words, their language may sound ‘off-topic’ to us. For example, the child who says ‘Spot hurt his knee’ when she tripped at the park may sound off topic when we focus on the words in the phrase.
- Doesn’t follow typical instructions: GLPs often don’t follow instructions in the early stages. This may be because they are not motivated to complete the instruction, the direction does not fit in with their already formed gestalt or for a number of other reasons.
- Gets upset when hearing music that is slightly ‘off-key’: GLPs focus on the intonation and prosody of language and consequently when we sing off-key it doesn’t fit their gestalt and is ‘wrong’.
- Language seems inflexible and context specific: This is a key indicator as GLPs use language in a specific way each time in the early stages. Later on, they move to more flexible language.
- Not responding well to ‘traditional‘ strategies of expanding utterance length: If you notice that a child is not making progress in therapy using traditional strategies to expand their sentences, you may be working with a GLP. Look out for, and ask the parents, if they notice any of the other signs mentioned.
Why This Matters
Understanding if your client is a GLP is essential for providing effective therapy. If you mistakenly use an analytic approach, focusing on teaching isolated words or structured sentences, the child may become stuck and struggle to develop spontaneous, flexible communication. Instead, by acknowledging their natural way of processing language, you can help them move through the stages of breaking down gestalts into smaller components, eventually leading to independent and creative language use.
By recognising these signs and adjusting your therapeutic approach, you can better support GLPs on their unique language journey.
Source: www.speechandlanguagekids.com; www.meaningfulspeech.com
