What is gestalt language development?

Gestalt language development is one of two ways children can develop language. It involves predictable stages that begin with the acquisition of intonationally rich chunks (gestalts) that function as single units and often hold a much larger meaning. Eventually children move towards breaking down these gestalts and begin recombining single words into spontaneous, novel language. Research shows between most Autistic children (estimated 75%) are gestalt language processors (van Senten et al., 2013), but not all gestalt language processors are Autistic. Gestalt language development is a completely normal, natural process. However, some children get stuck in the early stages (delayed echolalia). If a child is continuing to use delayed echolalia past the toddler years (2.5-3 years old) they likely need support from a speech-language pathologist knowledgeable about gestalt language development.

Natural Language Acquisition

Natural Language Acquisition is a framework developed by Marge Blanc that outlines the stages of gestalt language development. It describes the stages of gestalt language development in a systematic way, provides assessment strategies, and offers treatment supports at each level of development. It is based on Dr. Barry Prizant and Dr. Ann Peters work as well as fifteen years of Blanc’s clinical research.

Main Stages of Natural Language Acquisition (Blanc, 2012)

Stage 1: Delayed Echolalia

Use of whole gestalts. Gestalts are chunks of language used verbatim from the original source (communication partners, media, songs, etc.). They typically hold a much larger meaning to the child and are often tied to an emotional/dramatic experience. They are intonationally defined and can be long strings of language, single words and/or unintelligible strings of language. Delayed echolalia has many communicative functions, such as turn-taking, labeling, requesting, affirming, and protesting. When children get stuck in this stage, it is considered a language delay, not a disorder.

Examples:

"Just keep swimming!" A line from the movie Finding Nemo that is used verbatim by the child to communicate a much larger meaning. They use this gestalt every time they are in the water or would like to go in the water (swimming, bathing, playing in the rain, etc.).

"Are you hungry?"

This is a gestalt the child uses to communicate that they are hungry. It is something adults often say to them when they offer them food. They have picked this language up as a way to communicate this message.

Stage 2: Mitigated Echolalia

Gestalts/scripts from Stage 1 are first broken down into smaller chunks (partial gestalts) and mixed and matched with other partial gestalts or the smaller chunks are used on their own to communicate.

Examples:

"Are you" + "swimming?" = "Are you swimming?"

The gestalts above were mitigated down into smaller chunks and then recombined to create a semi-novel utterance in Stage 2. The child is combing these partial gestalts to communicate a new message.

Stage 3: Isolation & Recombination of Single Words

Gestalts are further mitigated from short phrases into isolated single words that are recognized as single units of meaning and are recombined into two-word combinations (noun + noun and noun + adjective combinations).

Note: verbs are not a part of Stage 3 two-word combinations. When a child starts combining with verbs, this is dipping into pre-grammar and is Stage 4.

Examples:

"Dog... big"

"Doll... pink" "Chair ... table"

Stage 4: Beginning Generative Grammar

Now using original sentences with beginning grammar. The hallmark of this stage is experimental grammar and it is an indication of self-generated language!

Examples:

"I goed outside"

"Me get it"

Stage 5-6: More advanced and Complex Grammar

Single words are being used to create original phrases or sentences with more advanced (Stage 5) and complex (Stage 6) grammar.

Example: "We should've left the house by now because we're going to be late!"

Sources:

Blanc, M. (2012). Natural language acquisition on the autism spectrum: The journey from echolalia to self-generated language. Communication Development Center.

Peters, A. 1983, 2002. The Units of Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/faculty/ann

Prizant, B. M. (1982). Gestalt language and gestalt processing in autism. Topics in Language Disorders, 3(1), 16–23.

Prizant, B. M. (1983). Language acquisition and communicative behavior in autism: Toward an understanding of the “whole” of it. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 48(3), 296–307. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.4803.296

Prizant, B. M., & Rydell, P. J. (1984). Analysis of functions of delayed echolalia in autistic children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 27(2), 183–192. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.2702.183

Stiegler, L. N. (2015). Examining the echolalia literature: Where do speech-language pathologists stand? American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 24(4), 750–762. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0166

Zachos, A. (2021). Meaningful Speech Course. https://www.meaningfulspeech.com/course