What is: Gestalt Language Processing?

Many people on the autism spectrum are Gestalt learners. This different learning style is most evident in their speech. If you have spent any time with an autistic child, you have probably noticed this difference, but may not know what it is called. I find this different learning style very interesting, so today I’m sharing what I know.

For many people, the way that they learn language is from bottom to top, or from little to big. What I mean by that is, many people will learn the smallest components of language first, then continuously build and expand their knowledge. This style of learning is called Analytic Language Processing, and it is what we consider the “normal” or “typical” style of language learning.

When learning to speak, an Analytic Language Processor will learn to talk little by little, gradually building up their language skills. It looks something like this:

• A baby begins imitating certain sounds that they hear. They will make little grunts, screeches, or vowel sounds.

• Then, they will move on to putting more than one sound together in an attempt to make a word. Most of the “baby’s firsts words” that we are familiar with are simply repeated sounds. “Ma-ma,” “da-da,” “pa-pa” and so on.

• After some practice, baby will begin to say single words more clearly. They will use one-word sentences to ask for what they want. “Mom.” “More.” “Up.”

• In no time at all they will move to two-word sentences. “Me up.” “Want milk.” Then three-word, four-word, and so on.

• After becoming comfortable with complete sentences, a child will develop the ability to talk in paragraphs. They will typically do this when they are telling a story, or telling you about their day at school. Several sentences on the same topic, all put together.

Since Analytic Language Processing is the typical way that a great number of people learn how to speak, we have a tendency to believe that this is the “right” way. However, there is another form of language processing that is just as valid called Gestalt Language Processing.

Gestalt Language Processors learn language, top-down, or from big to little. Gestalt processors learn the meaning of whole chunks of language first, then slowly learn how to dissect these large pieces into its smaller components.

A child that is a Gestalt Processor will typically be flagged as having delayed speech. Their brains are wired to understand large sections of language easier than small sections. For this reason, Gestalt Processors may be able to understand speech, and follow verbal directions long before their physical ability to speak catches up to what they are already processing in their minds. A Gestalt processor will often say nothing at all, and miss many of the typical speech milestones, but when their bodies finally catch up to their minds, they will start talking in complete sentences almost immediately!

A style of communication that many Gestalt processors use, particularly when they are first starting to speak, is called “echolalia.” Echolalia is “echoing” or repeating verbatim, an entire script of language. It can look something like this:

• A non-verbal or pre-verbal child may be on a walk with their father one day and overhear him say, “Wow, look at that yellow lab over there.” The next time that child sees a dog, (any dog) they may blurt out, “Wow, look at that yellow lab over there.” much to the shock and delight of anyone near enough to hear those precious, long-awaited first words.

• Once they are on a roll, a Gestalt Processor will use echolalia to repeat whole sentences that they know have some meaning. The child above may repeat their one and only sentence about yellow labs every time they speak! “Do you want milk, sweetie?” “Yellow lab.” “Did you have fun at the park?” “Yellow lab.” “Mommy loves you!” You guessed it: “yellow lab.”
  
  Because this type of learning is top-down, the child knows that the entire sentence they are saying has meaning, but they don’t yet understand the meaning of each individual word in that sentence. Nor can they isolate a single word in a sentence and use it correctly anywhere else.
  
• In time, a Gestalt processor will start using shorter and shorter phrases. They may even combine parts of previous echoes to create their own phrases.
  
• It may be many years before a Gestalt language processor is able to isolate individual words and create truly unique sentences. Or, they may never create their own sentences, but their repertoire of memorized sentences, phrases, and expressions will become so large, and their ability to mix-and-match so quick, that very few people will notice.

Just as we are patient with an Analytic Language Processor, and praise each additional word they learn, or each additional word they add to a sentence, it’s important to praise and encourage a Gestalt Language Processor for each new phrase they learn, or for each time they shorten a sentence to just essential words. Just because they are going from big to little, doesn’t mean that they aren’t developing their language skills.

If you have a Gestalt learner in your life, don’t give up hope! When those words finally come, you may discover, just as I did with my own son, that those words were absolutely worth the wait.

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