“My kid isn’t talking to me, all she does is repeat back what I say.”
“My kid will sing all day long but isn’t talking.”
“I’d love to communicate better with my kid but they just recite movie scripts and imitate their favorite TV shows.”
If these statements feel familiar, you’re not alone. There’s a possibility that your child is a Gestalt Language Learner!
What does that mean?
When we think of language development, typically we think of it following what’s called the “analytical model” of language learning. Following this model, we expect speech development to look like this:
- “Ball”
- “Red ball”
- “Throw the ball”
- “Throw the ball mommy!”
But! A lot of people don’t know, that’s not the only way language can develop. This is where Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) comes into play.
Our GLP kids are navigating language in an entirely different way from our analytical processors! These kids are learning language in chunks instead of building it up a word at a time.
In the first stage of GLP development, our GLPs are using language exactly as they’ve heard it. This can be anything from TV quotes to things they’ve heard you say, to pieces of songs. Instead of building sentences word by word, they’ll repeat exactly what they heard as one chunk of language with a distinct meaning. In this case, maybe the meaning of “Throw the ball mommy!” to our kid is throwing anything. So when you’re holding a stuffed animal and they want you to throw it to them they’ll yell out “Throw the ball mommy!” To our GLP, that whole chunk of language is just… what you say when you want something to be thrown, because that’s the context where they learned the phrase.
The second stage of GLP development is when they start learning how to break down those chunks of language (also called gestalts). They do this by beginning to mix and match pieces of their gestalts, frequently swapping out one or two words to make their gestalt more appropriate for the current situation. So for our example, “Throw the ball mommy!” might become “Throw the ball daddy!” or even “Throw the toy mommy!”
It’s only after that, in the third stage, that our GLP kids will begin to break down speech into single vocabulary words. (What we expected them to be doing from the start if we were following an analytical model!) These single words are typically nouns which you’ll see being used to label things around them. Also during this stage, we see them start to put two words together (“Ball,” “Big ball,” “Bluey ball”).
Finally, in stage 4, we start to see them building their own unique sentences.
To sum up, here’s what GLP development can look like with a new example:
- Stage 1 (exactly as they’ve heard it in the past): “Gecko is here to save the day!”
- Stage 2 (Starting to mix and match pieces): “Mommy is here to save the day!”
- Stage 3 (Isolating single words): “Gecko” “day”
- Stage 4 (Building independent sentences): “Mommy save the day and get my toy!”
What should I do about it?
You can support your GLP kid at home with some of the following strategies:
- When you talk, use heavy intonation and a sing-song voice, GLP kids will frequently pick up on that the easiest.
- Model language in first person: “I’m going to school” instead of “you’re going to school.” Our gestalt kids are picking up language exactly how they’re hearing it so we want to model it in a way that will make sense when they repeat it
- Limit asking questions. Most gestalt kids have a hard time answering questions because it usually requires a unique sentence, something a GLP before stage 4 is going to have a hard time producing. When we do have to ask questions, providing visuals (like holding up two options for snack) can be helpful.
- Listen to them talk! It’s so important to take the time to listen to your GLP. In order to effectively support language development for our GLPs, we need to know what scripts they’re using and how they’re using them. Listening while they play, eat, get upset, etc. can give you insight into how they’re using their scripts and what that language means to them.
Finally, if you’re noticing this type of repetition and scripting in your kid’s speech, it never hurts to consult with a speech therapist who understands gestalt language processing. While kids can move through these stages on their own, it’s common for kids to need a little extra support as their language develops (just like analytical language learners).
We’re always available to help support you and your child. Call Kid Connections Therapy at 410-274-0041 with any questions you have about language development or to schedule an evaluation for your child!