What is Gestalt Language Processing?
Gestalt Language processing is a type of language development with predictable stages.
Children who are gestalt language processors begin by learning chunks of language or
'gestalts' rather than individual words which are then put together.
These gestalts are often learned from TV shows, songs or events. They can link to a whole
experience which may be tied to big emotions and children might echo these back at a later
time, sometimes out of context (delayed echolalia).
Gestalt language processors often pick up on rich intonation patterns (the musical up and
down tones that form part of our talking) so sometimes it is the intonation which is repeated
and it may sound like babble or strings of sounds that don’t make sense to others.
It can also be the whole phrase, song or a word that is repeated (e.g happybirthdaytoyou)
Whilst these early gestalts should usually not be taken literally, children often use this
echolalia to communicate a feeling or intention and it is our job to acknowledge and respond
to this and to play 'detective' where we can to work out what they are communicating.
As children start to learn the rules of language and syntax, they begin to break these learned
‘chunks’ into smaller pieces and individual words which they then learn to recombine. With
time and support children then learn to recombine words into longer utterances, with
grammatical structures and use these creatively and spontaneously as part of communication.
The Natural Language Acquisition Guide (Marge Blanc) The Natural Language Acquisition Guide - Communication
Development Center
Delayed Echolalia and Gestalt Language Processors (Alex Zachos) meaningfulspeech.com
Echolalia and its role in Gestalt Language Acquisition (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
Echolalia and Its Role in Gestalt Language Acquisition (asha.org)
1 Updated August 2023
What is Gestalt Language Processing?
Analytical Language Processor Gestalt Language Processor
Word Babies Intonation Babies
A lot of children are analytical language processors who learn words as units,
starting with single words and building on these to create longer phrases and sentences.
However, children who are gestalt language processors start by processing language as whole chunks
linked to a situation and then learn to break these down
Children who are analytical language processors are sometimes described as ‘word babies’ who are
drawn to words as units of communication.
Children who are gestalt language processors are sometimes described as ‘intonation babies’ because
they are drawn to the musical rhythms of language
2 Updated August 2023
Signs that your child could be a
Gestalt Language Processor
They may sing songs but not
use words to communicate
They use strings of
unintelligible language with
rich intonation
Keen interest in music or
audio/ songs/ video clips
which they replay
May use long scripts e.g. a
whole book/ song
Language used in context
may be fixed and limited to
the same content
May be stuck at single words
and not progressing
May not respond well to
‘traditional’ therapy
approaches such as modelling
single words / expanding
3 Updated August 2023
Stages of Gestalt Language Processing
Stage 1: gestalts in their original form echoing rich intonation —
can sound like babble — echoing words or learned phrases/ songs
often said out of context
Stage 2 mitigation of gestalts — beginning to 'mix and
match' different gestalts e.g. "let's go" + "eat pizza"
Stage 3: isolation of single words and 2 word combinations -
beginning to process words as units — starting to take
individual words from scripts e.g. 'pizza' 'got dinosaur'
Stage 4: beginning grammar—self-generated language
- building up phrases by putting words together
- grammar still developing e.g. ‘him like pizza’
Stage 5: more advanced grammar - self-generated sentences us-
ing more complex grammar e.g. 'he likes cheese and tomato
pizza at school'
The Natural Language Acquisition Guide (Marge Blanc)
The Natural Language Acquisition Guide - Communication Development Center
Delayed Echolalia and Gestalt Language Processors (Alex Zachos)
meaningfulspeech.com
4 Updated August 2023
How to Support Gestalt Language Processors
Be Led By the Child
Reduce Questions, instead use Natural
Use play opportunities and include their hobbies/
Language to Comment during Play
interests to create natural opportunities for
communication and language. E.g. “That’s so tricky” “That’s so noisy”
Spend time tuning into your child to understand This creates natural opportunities for language
their communication and communication at your child’s pace
Questions are not appropriate before stage 4
Acknowledge, Respect and Respond
to their Language Learning Style Model Functional, Flexible and Easily
Mitigable Gestalts
Recognise and embrace their gestalts as a means
of communication. For children at earlier stages of Gestalt Language
Acknowledge and respond to them as such Processing this is preferable to simply naming and
labelling
Stop Prompting Language
Be ok with Silence
Interaction and communication needs to be
natural, authentic and meaningful to the child. It gives them time to process and initiate
Prompting and ’taught’ language can limit this and
Reduced sounds can help some children to
stop them from learning how to communicate
regulate
spontaneously.
It gives you opportunity to observe your child
Teamwork
Spend time building trust with your child acknowledging and interpreting
their gestalts where you can
Teamwork between home and school/ nursery is important to help
understand and interpret the meaning behind new gestalts
5 Updated August 2023
Supporting Gestalt Language Processors:
Stage 1
Acknowledge the Gestalts
Recognise these as communication and respond:
Be a Gestalt Detective
Smile/ nod your head/ take a turn
Child: 'you can count on us' A lot of gestalts are used out of context and have
a whole experience attached to them which the
Adult: 'yeah, you can count on us!'
listener may not understand
E.g. “oh my goodness, you ok?”
Teamwork could mean I’ve hurt myself and need your help
Don’t take the words literally but acknowledge
If you are unsure about how to interpret the
the gestalt and spend time observing and playing
child's gestalts -work together with their family to
detective to work out what it might mean
see if they can shed light on where the gestalt has
come from and what they might be
communicating
Give your child more gestalts
What does the child want/ need to
Model functional, flexible and easily mitigable
communicate? gestalts for your child such as “It’s…”, “lets…”,
Spend time getting to know and understand the “that’s…” phrases e.g. let's go to the park/ it's a
child's communication and interests to work out bear!
what they might want to communicate and what Model these exciting new gestalts in natural
gestalts they would need to achieve this. contexts such as during play
Make it Exciting and Memorable
Use rich intonation and make it natural and
relevant to the situation when modelling these
new scripts.
6 Updated August 2023
Supporting Gestalt Language Processors:
Stage 2
Help your Child to Mix and Match
At this stage your child may be starting to mix and
match their gestalts -taking a bit from one and
sticking it to another (e.g. Let's go ..+..eat pizza) Model Small Changes
Model small changes to your child's gestalts within
context
e.g. Child: 'to infinity and beyond'
Make these small changes meaningful Adult: 'to infinity and the playground'
whilst valuing the original gestalt
This honours this child's original attempt at
communication and supports the meaning
behind it. E.g. Child: “Yay, we did it!” Keep it Child Led
Adult: “We did it! We built it” Look for opportunities to play and communicate
together around your child's interest
Follow your child's lead and find opportunities
when they are using their gestalts naturally
Continue to tune into what it is that your child
Don’t make too many changes to the
wants to communicate
gestalt
Be patient. It can take time to build up trust and
confidence. Don't be tempted to rush through the
stages or move on too quickly
7 Updated August 2023
Supporting Gestalt Language Processors:
Stage 3
Your child will be starting to process
words as units:
breaking gestalts into single words
and beginning to re-combine them. Helping your child to pull single
You can support this by: words from their scripts
Listen for your child using single words during play
Model single words from their scripts within
context to help add meaning (e.g. 'pizza')
Model and play around with recombining Use single words with pointing, eye gaze to
words by adding a word to what your child reference items
has said
E.g. Child: Pizza
Adult: pizza...cheese Model 2 word turns
Big ...pizza Play around with 2 word combinations to
reference objects, adjectives etc. e.g. red...block,
block...here, cheese...pizza. Model during
motivating play activities and through natural
interactions during the day where it feels
Don’t worry about grammar comfortable .
At this stage your child is beginning to generate
more of their own language so grammar is not the
focus
Avoid modelling grammar in stage 3
8 Updated August 2023
Supporting Gestalt Language Processors:
Stage 4
At Stage 4 your child may be ready
Your child will be starting to self-
to work on questions!
generate sentences using the words
they built up at stage 3 and
experimenting with grammar.
You can support this by:
Adding to what your child can
already say by modelling different
sentence combinations with words
Modelling 2-3 word sentence they are using
combinations that your child is ready for
Speak to your speech and language
therapist if you are not sure where to
begin
Gradually introducing early
grammatical features
Start with a couple of target areas e.g. verbs,
Gots pizza plurals, verb endings, tenses and monitor pro-
gress. Ask your Speech and Language Therapist if
Mummy go park
you are unsure where to begin.
I’m going to school
I'm eating ice-cream and cake
9 Updated August 2023
