Using Digital Resources to Support Literacy for Gestalt Language Processors

Literacy is important and there are so many creative ways we can support literacy development for gestalt language processors (GLPs). One option we love is incorporating digital resources into literacy support in ways that feel meaningful, individualized, and connected to the learner’s interests.

Digital tools can make it easier to create personalized books, visual scenes, song-based activities, and resources using photos from a learner’s own life. Programs like Canva, Google Slides, PowerPoint, and other design tools can all be used for this purpose. You don’t need to be a graphic designer, and the resources certainly don’t need to look perfect. The goal is simply to create what is relevant and engaging for the individual learner.

Start With What Is Meaningful to the Learner

One of the best places to begin is with their interests. Maybe they love a particular character, animals, transportation, music, certain places, or looking at photos from their own experiences. These interests can provide a natural starting point.

Instead of using a generic worksheet or predetermined activity, we can think about what the learner already enjoys and look for ways to incorporate literacy support into that experience. For example, a learner who loves a particular character might enjoy creating a digital scene featuring that character, while a learner who loves visiting different places might enjoy making a book using photos from those outings.

Create Personalized Books

Digital tools can be especially helpful for creating personalized books. For earlier-stage GLPs, you might create a simple book using photos from their own life, familiar routines, favorite places, or preferred interests. Written language can be added alongside the images to create opportunities for the learner to interact with print while engaging with something familiar and meaningful.

For example, the child may love visiting churches, so photos from different trips could be used to create a book about those experiences. Another child may love leaves, animals, trains, or a specific character, and those interests can become the foundation of a personalized book.

For gestalt language processors in later stages, these books can also provide opportunities to support broader language and literacy goals. Photos from a recent experience might be used to create a story together while exploring narrative language, sequencing, grammar, or describing what happened.

The important part is that it is individualized to them. A book created from their own photos and interests may offer a very different experience than a generic resource that has no connection to their life.

Use Digital Visuals to Create and Explore Language

Another way to incorporate digital resources is by creating custom visual scenes. This can be as simple as choosing a background and adding photos, characters, objects, or other elements based on the learner’s interests.

For example, if a learner has a strong interest in Pokémon, you might create different scenes together using favorite characters and environments. The learner can choose which elements to add, move things around, and help determine what happens in the scene. A similar activity could be created around animals, vehicles, a playground, a favorite television character, or virtually any other preferred interest.

These activities can provide opportunities to explore language and literacy at the same time because visual information, written words, and shared interaction can all be incorporated into the experience. Although we may have certain language or literacy goals in mind, we still want to follow their lead and remain responsive to their communication, including AAC.

Build Literacy Around Familiar Songs

Songs can also be a fun and meaningful way to incorporate literacy. Many gestalt language processors are drawn to music, rhythm, and familiar songs, so we can sometimes use those interests as a starting point for literacy-based activities.

For example, you might create a digital song book that pairs familiar lines from a song with pictures and written text. You can also play around with the song and create new versions together. If a learner loves “Five Little Monkeys,” perhaps the monkeys are no longer jumping on the bed. Maybe they’re jumping on a trampoline, a couch, a giant pizza, or something completely silly.

The goal isn’t to turn every favorite song into a lesson. Instead, we can recognize something they enjoy and look for natural opportunities to incorporate shared literacy experiences.

Incorporate Real Photos and Experiences

Some of the most meaningful digital resources are also the simplest. Photos from a learner’s own life can be used to create books and other literacy materials without needing elaborate graphics or designs.

You might use photos from a trip to the park, a family event, a favorite restaurant, a school activity, or an everyday routine. Those pictures can then be sequenced, paired with written language, discussed together, or turned into a short digital book that the learner can revisit.

Using real-life experiences can help make literacy more personally relevant. Instead of asking a learner to engage with an unfamiliar story or scenario, we can sometimes build literacy opportunities around experiences they already know, remember, and care about.

Digital Resources Are Just One Part of Literacy Support

Digital tools are not a specific literacy approach, and they certainly aren’t necessary in order to support literacy development. They are simply one tool we can use to individualize activities, incorporate learner interests, and create meaningful opportunities to engage with language and print.

When supporting literacy for gestalt language processors, there is much more to consider than the type of resource we use. We also need to think about the learner’s individual strengths and needs, their communication system, their sensory and regulation needs, their existing literacy skills, etc.

That’s exactly why we’re so excited about the new bonus module on Literacy Support inside the Meaningful Speech course.

In this new module, autism teacher Sam Stein, M.A.Ed., walks through important considerations for supporting literacy development in gestalt language processors and shares practical strategies that can be incorporated into your work with learners.

The module is available now for current Meaningful Speech course members.

Want to learn more about digital resources and supporting literacy for gestalt language processors?

• Visit www.meaningfulspeech.com/course to learn more about the Meaningful Speech course. We have a course for SLPs/SLPAs and a course for Parents & Other Professionals. Both include the new literacy bonus module (and SO much more!). 
• Check out our mini-course taught by Meaningful Speech team member, Jess Teixeira M.S., CCC-SLP on Using Digital Resources to Support Gestalt Language Processors. The course is worth 2.0 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and will inspire you to make digital resources a meaningful tool in therapy sessions, at home, in school... anywhere!