How to Choose Potential Gestalts to Model for Gestalt Language Processors in Stage 1

stage 1 Sep 09, 2026

When supporting gestalt language processors in Stage 1, we often talk about increasing the number of gestalts a child is using spontaneously but the variety of those gestalts matters, too.

A child may have many gestalts and still have limited variety in communicative functions. For example, they may have several ways to request something they want, but few or no gestalts for protesting, commenting, asking for help, sharing joy, transitioning, or advocating for themselves.

That’s why our goal isn’t simply to help a child acquire more gestalts. We want to support an increasing amount and variety of meaningful, mitigable gestalts through intentional language modeling.

The language we model should be individualized to the child, meaningful within the context, supportive of their current stage of gestalt language development, and varied in the communicative functions it represents.

So, how do we decide what potential gestalts to model? Here are six things to consider.

1. Is the Gestalt Easily Mitigable?

Mitigable gestalts are those that can be broken down into smaller chunks or combined with other partial gestalts in Stage 2. These phrases lay the groundwork for more flexible communication in later stages.

Examples of Mitigable Potential Gestalts:

Let’s get a snack.
How ‘bout we go home.
That’s so silly!
Need some help.
We’re jumping.
Wanna jump on the trampoline.

These could later transform into:

Need some + snack
Let’s + jump
We’re + home

Avoid gestalts that are harder to break down or mix, such as:

“Peas and carrots, carrots and peas.”
“Pop goes the weasel!”
Single words like “Fish.”
Fixed phrases like “To infinity and beyond!”

2. Is It Individualized and Meaningful to the Child?

There’s no one-size-fits-all list of potential gestalts we should offer a gestalt language processor. The language you model should reflect what’s relevant and meaningful to the child.

Ask yourself:

What does the child want to express?
What are they communicating through their current gestalts?
What are their interests and daily experiences?

For example, a child who has a special interest in trains might connect with phrases like, “Wanna play trains?!” or “Let’s go on the tracks!”

3. Does It Reflect the Child’s Perspective or a Joint Perspective?

We want to model language that is either from the child's perspective (how they would say it themselves) or from a joint perspective (you and the child). We want to avoid using language that uses the pronouns "you" and "you're". This is because the child will repeat the language you model verbatim. For example:

From the child’s perspective: “I’m hungry!”
From a joint perspective: “Let’s get a snack.”

Avoid using “you” or “you’re,” as these phrases might be repeated verbatim and may make it seem like the child has pronoun reversal when they don't. This often results in them having inappropriate grammar goals to correct pronoun reversals from clinicians who do not understand gestalt language development and natural language acquisition.

4. Are You Expanding a Single-Word Gestalt? (You Shouldn’t Be!)

If a child has a single-word gestalt, such as “dog” (used as a catch-all for all animals), resist the urge to expand on it. Acknowledge it, but model something completely novel instead.

For example:

Child says: “Dog!”
Avoid: “It’s a dog!”
Model instead: “It’s so big!”

5. Are You Covering a Variety of Communicative Intents?

Communication serves many purposes, so it’s essential to model potential gestalts that span a range of intents. Aim for at least one gestalt per category before moving onto supporting Stage 2. These categories include:

Expressing wants/needs: “Let’s eat snack.”
Joint action routines: “Wanna jump!”
Surprises: “That’s a surprise!”
Transitions: “What’s next?”
Protesting: “Don’t like it.”
Sensory-motor experiences: “That’s too loud.”
Shared joy: “Jumping is the best!”
Help: “Need some help.”
Commenting: “That’s silly!”
Self-advocacy: “Stop now.”

6. Have You Considered the Length of the Gestalts?

Keep the length of modeled potential gestalts age-appropriate and manageable, especially for children with motor planning challenges. For younger children or those with difficulties, stick to shorter phrases (2-3 words).