What is Gestalt Language Processing?

What is Gestalt Language Processing (GLP)? What is Natural Language Acquisition (NLA)? These are probably the most common questions I get from SLPs when talking about neurodiversity-affirming practices.

Talking about goals for GLP/NLA without an understanding of the stages is putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. Let's cover a quick summary of what GLP is and is not...then dive into GOALS!

Here I will use the general term GLP to include both gestalt language processing and natural language acquisition concepts, just to make things easier. Be sure to read all the way to end and grab this freebie to make your life easier and to support your students!

What Gestalt Language Processing IS:

1. Gestalt Language Processing is a Whole-to-Part way of processing and also called "Natural Language Acquisition (NLA)". Children who are Autistic or neurodiverse may learn in chunks primarily, but in reality all kids learn this way to some extent.

   For example, when kids repeat "Howyadoin?" or "/L-m-n-o-p/" as one unit of meaning, that is called a gestalt. Gestalts are meaningful, so help children use them!

2. Gestalt Language Processing is a form of typical language development. Another more common path to language is "analytic language processing," which means learning individual words, then pairing those into larger chunks, and refining grammar.

   Gestalt Language Processing and Analytic Language Processing are two sides of the same continuum, because in reality most children use aspects of processing from both.

3. GLP follows predictable stages of development. They include Stage 1: Gestalts/ Echolalia, Stage 2: Mitigations, Stage 3: Isolated Single Words, Stage 4: Original Phrases, Stage 5: Original Sentences, and Stage 6: Complete and spontaneous grammatical sentences. Stages 5 & 6 are usually bundled together. These are described below!

What GLP is NOT:

1. Gestalt Language is NOT a new concept. Dr. Barry Prizant and others have been researching echolalia since the 1980's and has viewed it as a functional way of communicating.

   What has changed is the view that this is another, typical way of developing language with systematic stages of development. This is the "neurodiversity affirming" piece of the pie, for professionals and parents.

2. It does NOT require specialized training to work with GLP learners or neurodivergent kids. In my full-time job at a University clinic, parents often ask if we have "Gestalt Specialists" who can work with their children. As speech-language pathologists, we are fully trained specialists in language who are able to work with neurodivergent clients.

   However continuing education is a great idea if the idea of GLP or neurodiversity-affirming therapy is brand new for you.

3. Being a gestalt processor a does NOT mean a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GLP and ASD are not the same thing. Yes, a lot of kids who are Autistic do present as gestalt language processors.

   All kids may use echolalia, or speak in chunks from favorite movies or songs. Lots of kids do this! Using gestalts by itself does not mean a child has autism. Asking whether a child "repeats others" as a screening question in assessment is problematic because all kids do this (and should!).

Stages of GLP Development

Proponents maintain that GLP follows stages of development. Here is a quick summary of those stages. These stages or levels of development can be the foundation for writing IEP or therapy goals. Most of the GLP work you find today comes from the researcher Marge Blanc. Read a recent article here: Using the natural language acquisition protocol to support gestalt language development (Blanc et al., 2023).

Stage 1: Language Gestalts

This stage occurs when the child repeats chunks of language in an effort to communicate. Stage 1 can include immediate or delayed echolalia. It can be individual words, phrases, songs, or movie quotes. Kids who are in this stage are just beginning to speak, regardless of their age.

Sample Stage 1 Goal: The student will use at least three familiar gestalts functionally with new social partners by the end of the quarter using their preferred modality (e.g., words, signs, or AAC).

Stage 2: Mitigations

Stage 2 of GLP/NLA is when children start to combine the familiar chunks into new combinations or "mitigations." This is a promising development as a communicator because it means the child is playing around with language to better meet their needs.

An example might be if a student had two phrases "in car" and "go to bed" but then combined that to say "In bed."

Sample Stage 2 Goal: Within 8 weeks, using multimodal communication, the child will use combinations of familiar words or phrases to complete at least 3 conversational turns with a familiar partner given moderate cues.

Stage 3: Isolated Words (1-2 word combos)

As children learn to be more flexible with language, they move towards stage 3: isolated words. Here those familiar scripts or mitigations get broken down further into isolated words. These are also "referential," meaning they are specific and directed.

Keep in mind that these are not lock step goals. A child is not all in one stage or the next but it is more fluid and may vary depending on sensory, social, and emotional demands. Even adults who are neurodivergent report having less language when they are overwhelmed so the same is true for our students.

Sample Stage 3 Goal: Given 8 weeks of regular attendance, the learner will use individual words or word pairs to request help or assistance of their personal aide using a preferred modality (words, signs, or AAC), during whole group learning at least 3 times in a single day.

Stage 4: Original Phrases & Emerging Grammar

By stage 4, a speaker is starting to create spontaneous phrases and combining words grammatically. Rather than just saying "go bed," the child might say "I go to bed."

While these phrases may not be long complex or complete sentences, the key is they are more spontaneous and situation specific. Rather than using a familiar phrase or song across most contexts, the speaker is learning to change up their wording to meet their needs.

Sample Stage 4 Goal: Within 12 sessions, given sentence strips, the student will use two phrases to describe a shared story to a peer in 8 out of 10 opportunities (80% accuracy).

Stage 5/6: Original Sentences and Grammar

Stages 5 & 6 are often described together. At this stage the speaker is combing words to full sentences with complex and complete grammar. This development allows the learner to communicate more complex and creative ideas.

At this point, the child has gone from a bedtime song, to "bed" to "go bed" to "I got to bed" to "I'm tired and want to go to bed now." At this stage, SLPs and teachers should be supporting writing and literacy as well as speaking, even if the student uses AAC.

Sample Stage 5/6 Goal: Given visual supports, by the end of the IEP year, the learner will use at least 10 grammatically complete, spontaneous sentences to discuss a favorite topic of interest in 3 out of 5 small group sessions.

Writing Goals for Autistic Learners

The biggest challenge I have as an SLP is writing goals. I think there is so hard because professional fields (speech-language pathology, special education, and occupational therapy) were built from a deficit model. The shift towards neurodiversity-affirming practice has been substantial, but the whole idea of writing goals from a strengths perspective can be hard to conceptualize.

Since I dove into both research and the internet looking for resources, and could not find them, I created resources for you! If you want a comprehensive packet of sample goals for Autistic students with 100+ mix & match elements to create the perfect goal, check it out here!

Autism IEP Goal Packet

Sample Goals for neurodiversity-affirming SLPs with 100+ Mix & Match elements to create the perfect goal for your learner!

Free Download to Get Started

If you are looking for a great start, check out this FREEBIE that is just for you. This contains a 4-page PDF download with a summary neurodiversity and sample goals for neurodiversity-affirming therapy. It is perfect for parents & teachers. Hand them out at your next IEP meeting!

Ultimately goals should be affirming and support your student's individual progress. There is not an age limit on development, so try to shift away from developmental expectations based on age.

You might have a middle school student who is communicating using AAC and gestures. They can still progress using multiple modalities to more complex and spontaneous communication.

Critiques of Gestalt Language Processing

Updated: May 25, 2025

Since first writing this post, I have continued to read, review and debate with colleagues I respect about the merits of gestalt language processing. To say it is hotly contested is an understatement.

You may notice I target "neurodiversity-affirming" goals and approaches more often than rigid "GLP/NLA." If you would like a critical analysis of GLP to better inform yourself (which I highly recommend), please read this article: Natural language acquisition and gestalt language processing: A critical analysis of their application to autism and speech language therapy (Hutchins, Know, & Fletcher, 2024).

If you don't have time to read the full article, here is a quick summary. The authors note pros and cons of the gestalt language processing movement. On the one hand, they acknowledge that GLP/NLA theories are popular, emphasize respect for Autistic clients, and support family involvement.

On the other, Hutchins et al. list these critiques of the GLP/NLA movement.

1. Suspicious Stats. Social media posts about the percentage of gestalt processors have little to no evidence. Rates of echolalia do not automatically translate to rates of gestalt processing, but these concepts have been collapsed together and used interchangeably.

2. Gestalt Processing as a learning style. Research from different disciplines suggests that all children learn some language in chunks and some individual words. Context seems to play the biggest factor in whether a child uses a word or memorized gestalt chunk.

3. Delayed echolalia is not the same as gestalt processing. Hutchins et al. note that early researchers who are often cited by GLP proponents more often researched echolalia rather than gestalts. Researchers like Peters (1977) and Prizant (1983) used very small samples. Peters' participants were neurotypical.

4. First hand accounts. Reports from Autistics themselves (e.g., Schaber, 2014) reveal that they feel cognitive differences when using memorized language. Schaber contrasts "echolalial scripting" from "social scripting."

5. Episodic memory. Blanc et al. (2023) rely on an assumption that gestalt processors have strong episodic memories. This is not a claim grounded in science or research, according to critics.

6. Using theory as evidence. Finally, a major critique of the GLP movement is that it has "embraced and over-credited" theories about language without sufficient evidence. Blanc in particular cites Dr. Prizant, who described his own work as speculative and needing longitudinal research (which still does not exist).

Ultimately, as speech-language pathologists, we should all be willing to question popular ideas and review existing evidence with a critical lens. I will continue to promote neurodiversity-affirming practice, following the client's interests, supporting families, and child-directed play.

I treat echolalia as functional and meaningful. However, I agree there is not a strong evidence base for thinking of gestalt development as lock-step stages.

I would love to connect with you and learn your perspective. DM me on Instagram @DDVSpeech or email info@ddvspeech.com.

References

Blanc M., Blackwell A., Elias P. (2023). Using the natural language acquisition protocol to support gestalt language development. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interests Groups, 8(6), 1279–1286. 10.1044/2023_PERSP-23-00098

Hutchins, T. L., Knox, S. E., & Fletcher, E. C. (2024). Natural language acquisition and gestalt language processing: A critical analysis of their application to autism and speech language therapy. Autism & developmental language impairments, 9, 23969415241249944. https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941524124994

Peters A. M. (1977). Language learning strategies: Does the whole equal the sum of the parts? Language, 53(3), 560–573. 10.2307/413177

Prizant B. (1983). Language acquisition and communicative behavior in autism: Toward an understanding of the ‘whole’ of it. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 48, 296–307. 10.1044/jshd.4803.296

Schaber A. (2014, August 14). Ask an Autistic: What is echolalia? What is scripting? [video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ome-95iHtB0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtbbmeyh5rk