How Do I Know If My Child is a Gestalt Language Processor?
Is my child a Gestalt Language Processor?
Gestalt language processing is a hot topic right now….and rightfully so! We are learning that SO many autistic kids are learning language using delayed echolalia.
What does it mean to use delayed echolalia to communicate?
It means that your child hears language and then uses language in the exact way that they heard it. This language can be from movies, TVs, familiar communication partners, peers, songs…really anywhere they hear language.
So, your child might be a gestalt language processor if….
They use many single words: There are so many children that I’ve worked with who have such a big vocabulary, but they have a really difficult time with using those words more flexibly and expanding on those words.
They are musically inclined: Gestalt language processors, or children who use delayed echolalia to communicate, absolutely love music! They are drawn to the rich intonation of language and you will often notice that they love to hum, sing, or repeat language that is very dramatic! Some parents have even told me that they feel their child hasn’t yet started communicating with them using “functional” language, but are able to fully sing or hum songs!
They have pronoun “errors”: Because these children repeat language in the exact way they heard it, you will often notice pronoun “errors” that are not really mistakes! What do I mean by that? For example, a child may often here “Wow! You did it!” when they were successful in doing something and then at a later point in time when they are playing and do something successfully, they might say “Wow! You did it!” instead of “I did it!” That’s because they are taking the language they heard someone else say in a similar situation and are repeating it the same way they heard it.
They have difficulties answering questions: Many kids who are using delayed echolalia to communicate have trouble with answering questions and you might notice that they will repeat the questions back to you!
They have speech that is highly unintelligible: Some kids may have really long strings of speech that are really difficult to understand, but they are often rich in intonation!
They use scripts from media: Kids who use delayed echolalia to communicate will repeat things that they have heard and may love scripting their favorite lines from movies, TVs, or songs.
Wow! This sounds like my child or client! How Can I Learn More?
I have a created a free resource that can be used for both families and professionals describing basics of gestalt language processing. You can get it here: https://bit.ly/thescriptkeeper
You can contact me for a free consultation at 201-468-0629 or at info@speechtherapyconnectionsllc.com
You can learn more at the Communication Development Center: https://communicationdevelopmentcenter.com/
