06/16/2026
⭐️ 5️⃣ Signs your Child is a Gestalt Language Processor (GLP) ⭐️
1️⃣ They use echolalia or scripts. What does this look like? A classic example is your child repeating “To infinity and beyond!” While watching their favorite movie “Toy Story”. Echolalia and scripts can be imitated from movies, shows, books, people and toys. A child might use immediate echolalia (repeating the script immediately following the source) or delayed echolalia (repeating the script after a delayed period of time).
2️⃣ A lot of their speech is unintelligible. We’ve heard plenty of times when meeting parents, “my child talks a lot but doesn’t use any real words.” That’s because the child’s speech is currently unintelligible (unable to understand). Our SLPs are experts at doing the detective work to figure out what your child is saying. The message is there! You just need a little help to help you unmask it!
3️⃣ They use rich intonation when speaking. GLPs usually repeat their scripts and gestalts exactly how they heard it. They focus on the intonation of a phrase or song and sometimes can sound pretty musical. This can come in handy when doing the detective work in speech. Sometimes intonation can be the 🔑 giveaway when deciphering unintelligible speech.
4️⃣ They have difficulty answering questions. GLPs follow the natural language acquisition as laid out by Marge Blanc. While some analytical language processors are ready to answer questions at an early age, a gestalt language processor isn’t ready to answer questions until Stage 4-6 of the natural language acquisition.
5️⃣ They have been diagnosed with autism. Having autism does not mean a child automatically is a gestalt language processor, but the majority of children with autism are.
Reminder that Gestalt Language Processing is just another way to process language and not a disorder or problem that needs to be fixed. Knowledge is power when discovering how a child processes language in order to best help them unlock their voice and full potential in speech therapy!
