Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt language processing (GLP) is a different way that some children process and develop their language. Rather than starting with single words and building up to phrases and sentences from there, gestalt language processors will usually start by storing and using whole phrases or single words that they have picked up from their surroundings (either from adults, other children or media such as songs or video clips they have heard).

GLPs are often drawn to the phrase due to the melodic intonation (what it sounds like) and any emotion they felt at the time of hearing the phrase. The child will then use this stored phrase to carry its own meaning. Sometimes this will fit with the context of the situation and sometimes a phrase will carry a different meaning for the child than the literal words used.

As children store and use more and more phrases (or scripts), they gradually start to unpick these phrases and piece them together with other language to form more flexible, independent language of their own.

Some children move through the GLP stages independently in line with their peers and do not require extra support whereas some children need additional support to help them progress through the stages to enable them to develop more flexible, spontaneous language.

Read more about the stages of language development for Gestalt Language Processors >

How can I help?

If your child’s therapist has identified that your child may be developing language as a Gestalt Language Processor you can support your child’s language development through the following simple strategies at home, at school or at nursery:

• Spend time observing your child to see what activities they enjoy. Remember that play looks different for every child. If the child is enjoying an activity for the sake of the activity itself, this is defined as play. Whether it is playing with a toy, flicking paper, rolling around on the floor, lining up toys, pouring water, watching items fall or taking something apart and putting it back together etc.
• Give your child access to movement during play to support their overall sensory regulation. Read more about sensory processing here >
• Engage in child led play activities and follow your child’s lead. Provide lots of opportunities and access to activities that they might like and if they show interest in these activities, engage in these alongside them. Remember it’s all about connection and having fun!
• Be curious about things your child is interested in and show interest, pleasure and excitement about activities that they enjoy. If they are not enjoying an activity, model phrases/scripts to help them express this e.g. ‘I don’t like this one’, ‘let’s do something different’
• When engaging in play activities with your child, aim to model a range of phrases/scripts for the child that link with what is happening. It is important that language is linked to lived experiences for them so they can link the language to the meaning in real life. This will help them understand, store and use these phrases again in the future if/when they need to.
• When modelling language, think about different functions of language to make sure you are providing varied models/phrases that will be motivating/useful to them in the future. Match the length of your phrases to be similar to phrases the child naturally uses:
  • Expressing wants/needs – ‘let’s eat snack’
  • Joint action routines – ‘wanna jump’
  • Surprises – ‘that’s a surprise’, ‘wow, look at that’
  • Transitions – ‘what’s next’
  • Protesting – ‘I don’t like that’, ‘stop doing that’
  • Sensory-motor experiences – ‘that’s too loud’, ‘turn it up/down’
  • Shared joy – ‘play dough is the best’
  • Help – ‘need some help’
  • Commenting – ‘that’s silly’
  • Self advocacy – ‘stop now’, ‘I need space’
• Try and avoid asking lots of questions during activities – instead comment on what you are doing e.g. instead of ‘do you want a drink?’ try modelling ‘I’m thirsty’.
• When modelling language during activities or in real life, try and do so from the child’s perspective or from a joint perspective e.g. start sentences with ‘I…’ (from the child’s perspective) or ‘We…, ‘Let’s…, ‘It’s…’ etc (from a joint perspective). If the child was to store the phrase modelled and use it in the future, we want to try and avoid them storing a phrase that starts with ‘you…’ as this will be confusing for others if they are talking about themself.
• When modelling new and novel phrases, try and use varied intonation and pitch changes as this will make it easier for the child to pick up on the phrases and store/use them in the future.
• If your child uses a set phrase or ‘script’ in their talking, acknowledge what they have said even if you are not yet completely sure of the meaning. You can do this by either repeating the phrase back to them or responding with a simple acknowledgement such as ‘yes’, ‘OK’ etc. If the phrase appears out of context, try and work out where this phrase might have come from and what the meaning might be to the child (as this may not be the literal meaning of the words used). Watch out for phrases that might come from special interests e.g. Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Avengers, Barbies, favourite songs or stories.
• If your child does have special interests in a particular topic, toy or TV show, try including these interests in your play using visuals, toys or even clips from their favourite video to see if they use more scripts from these interests to enable you to work out the meaning of the phrases to them.
• You can also try reading and writing preferred phrases or scripts to increase engagement in these tasks. Creating words with magnet letters, in messy play or other sensory activities can also be incorporated into play activities.
• Remember the power of silence. You don’t need to model language all of the time. Incorporating silence into play can also help your child process what’s happening and figure out what they want to say
• It’s OK to use ‘your voice’ too and to take time to stop, listen and wait to see what/how the child is engaging in an activity or what they might want to communicate before deciding how it would be helpful for you to respond.

What next?

If you think your child might be processing and learning language in this way, try keeping a record of the phrases you hear and when they use them to help you work out where these phrases might have come from and what they mean to your child.

If your child is open to the speech and language therapy service, sharing this information with your child’s therapist at future assessments and reviews will help the therapist gather additional information to support your child’s needs.

Download the GLP script record sheet in the ‘Further information and advice’ section on this page to help you record the scripts your child is using.

How can I learn more about Gestalt Language Processing?

You can access a free online Masterclass about GLP, by registering for free on the meaningful speech website: Meaningful Speech – Echolalia Education – Gestalt Language Processing