What is Gestalt Language Development?

What does it have to do with echolalia & why does it matter?

If you’ve ever wondered what echolalia means, why some children repeat phrases from communication partners or their favorite media instead of using single words, or why traditional language strategies don’t always seem to help this blog post is for you.

Gestalt language development is a description of the "other" (completely valid) way some individuals develop language. It is simply a description of what happens. It is not a diagnosis and not a prescription. People who develop language this way are called gestalt language processors (GLPs).

Understanding this difference matters because how language develops directly impacts how it should be supported.

Analytic vs. Gestalt Language Development

Most people are familiar with analytic language development. This is the pattern we’re typically taught:

A baby babbles → says first words → combines 2–3 words → and by preschool age, is having short conversations with peers and adults.

Speech-language pathologists are trained primarily through an analytic lens. So when a child’s language doesn’t follow that pattern, it is often labeled as disordered.

But gestalt language processors are not disordered. They are developing language differently.

Language processing exists on a continuum:

• On one end are analytic language processors

• On the other are gestalt language processors

Most of our work at Meaningful Speech focuses on individuals who are "fully gestalt" meaning they're more towards the gestalt language processing end of the language processing continuum. For these children, how we support their language development must look different for those who are more towards the analytic end of the continuum. 

It's also important to know that most autistic individuals are gestalt language processors (though not all), which is why this information is especially important for anyone supporting autistic individuals.

The Role of Echolalia in Gestalt Language Development

Gestalt language processors begin their language development with delayed echolalia.

They do not start with single words in the same way analytic processors do, even though they may use single words at times. Instead, they learn language in chunks or what we call gestalts.

These gestalts can be long (entire songs, movie quotes, or book lines) or short (single words said with intonation and are not flexible) and for early-stage gestalt language processors, the focus is not on the individual words. It is on intonation and meaningful experiences.

The Six Stages of Gestalt Language Development

Gestalt language development follows a predictable sequence, described in the Natural Language Acquisition framework (Blanc, 2012).

Stage 1: Delayed Echolalia

Children use whole gestalts or intonationally defined strings of language from people, media, or books.
Example: “There’s a monster at the end of the book!”

Stage 2: Mix-and-Match or “Trimming Down” (Partial Gestalts)

Long gestalts are shortened and mixed into smaller chunks.
Examples:

• “There’s a monster under there.”

• “There’s a monster.”

Stage 3: Single Words and Two-Word Combinations

Language breaks down into individual word units and new combinations.
Examples:

• “Monster”

• “Scary monster”

• “Monster red”

Stages 4–6: Novel Sentences and Grammar

Children begin producing original phrases and sentences with grammar that becomes increasingly complex.

Examples:

• Stage 4: “The monster goed under.”

• Stage 5: “The monster can’t get out.”

• Stage 6: “Shouldn’t he have come out from under the bed by now?”

Why Traditional Therapy Often Doesn’t Work for Gestalt Language Processors

Some gestalt language processors are delayed in this developmental process and benefit from language support by someone who is knowledgeable about gestalt language development and Natural Language Acquisition. 

The problem is that most SLPs and SLTs are trained primarily in traditional analytic strategies such as:

• Fill-in-the-blank/cloze procedure 

• Question-and-answer

• Labeling

• Increasing mean length of utterance (MLU)

These strategies work well for delayed analytic processors but they often keep gestalt language processors in the early stages "stuck."

Instead of supporting flexible, conversational language, they may increase prompt dependence and may prevent natural language acquisition through the stages.

Gestalt language processors in the early stages don’t need to be taught language, and they do not need a focus on prompting and single words. In stage one, they need support in increasing the amount of gestalts they're using that are easy to mix and match or trim down (mitigate). In stage two, they need support in mitigating these previous gestalts.  

Why This Matters

When we misunderstand gestalt language development, echolalia gets labeled as meaningless and therapy often focuses on compliance and decreasing the use of echolalia. But when we understand echolalia, it is recognized as part of natural development, language is modeled without expectation and all communication is honored. 

Want to Learn More?

We’re here to help change how language is supported.

• You can start with our FREE Masterclass on Echolalia & Child-Led Therapy.
  It’s a one-hour introduction designed for professionals, parents, and anyone who wants to learn.
• If the individual you support is non-speaking or minimally speaking, you’ll also want to start with our FREE AAC & GLP Beginner’s Guide.
• We also have a free Introductory Handout available to those that sign up for our email list. It covers the information in this blog post and the stages of gestalt language development and is great to give the families you support as a professional or anyone supporting your child as a parent.