Gestalt Language, delayed echolalia, scripting... these are all terms that all mean very similar things. In psychology, the term gestalt refers to the way we process stimuli and how we can see the big picture rather than the many details that make up the picture. For instance, when shown a photo of a forest, do you perceive the forest, or doo you perceive the trees, or do you perceive the individual leaves and branches?
In contrast, in the context of language learning, the term gestalt refers to the type of progression of a child's utterances. Typically, children begin with single words, adding words as they learn new parts of speech and the nuances to language. Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present with a different path for language learning. Children in with a gestalt pattern of language learning may begin with a phrase or sentence from their favorite TV show, using longer utterances to start, which are applicable to the context, but often does not match the nuance of the context. As these children learn new language, they often add new words or scripts to existing ones as their vocabulary and language comprehension increases.
This infographic by Jennifer Yoshimura, MA, CCC-SLP, is helpful in depicting the different ways a child may learn language:
image: Yoshimura, J. (2022, February 7)
One thing I learned while researching this topic is the importance of avoiding categorization of children into these two boxes of gestalt versus analytic language learners. While in my clinical experience, more autistic children demonstrate these gestalts more frequently, its best to avoid thinking in absolutes, and think of this more as a sliding scale between analytic and gestalt.
Clinically, it is helpful to determine this, as many of our speech and language norms are based on analytic language learning, so measures like mean length utterance (MLU) may not show a childs needs the same way. Additionally, identifying a child's use of gestalts can inform therapy practice, as these are a strength and a launching-off point for more language learning, and can be used in therapy to build more language connections.
If you are interested in learning moire about gestalt language learning, I highly recommend this article, which is provided for free from The Informed SLP.
Sources:
Evans, K. (2022, February 7). Let's give them something to gestalt about [Review of Language acquisition and communicative behaviors in autism: Toward an understanding of the “whole” of it. by Prizant] The Informed SLP. https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/let-s-give-them-something-to-gestalt-about
Yoshimura, J. (2022, February 7). Gestalt Language Processing [Infographic accompanying the review Let's give them something to gestalt about by Karen Evans, C.] The Informed SLP. https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/let-s-give-them-something-to-gestalt-about
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