Stages 4-6 of Gestalt Language Processing

Hello everybody! Thanks for following along with the GLP series. You’ve made it to the last stages. For a final review:

• Stage 1 consists of “delayed echolalia.” Delayed echolalia, also known as scripting or using gestalts, is the repetition of a message that was previously heard either from a song, movie, or another person. These gestalts are exact repetitions of the original messages
• Stage 2 consists of mitigating or combining existing gestalts.
• Stage 3 consists of using single words isolated from mitigations and a whole gestalt.

This stage consists primarily of nouns and adjectives, and it is when we typically first see a child referencing objects in his/her immediate environment.

What are stages 4-6 of Gestalt Language Processing?

Stage 4 of GLP is sometimes referred to as the stage with poor grammar. As SLPs and parents we might want to provide corrections, but for GLPs, incorrect grammar is actually a sign that the child is using his/her own language rather than imitated language. A child is experimenting with how to build novel phrases or sentences with beginning grammar. In stage 4 there is an emphasis on verbs and grammatical markers, and we build in models to natural play and the child’s day-to-day experiences. Stage 3 is mostly about nouns, and stage 4 focuses more on bringing in other aspects of grammar (e.g. verbs, verb elaborations) to expand sentences. We also start to see pretend play during stage 4. This occurs at this stage because the child is using self-generated utterances related to play schemes. In past stages, the child primarily uses gestalts he/she heard from other sources.

Stages 5 and 6 of GLP are a continuation of stage 4 with the development of grammar into natural language. In these stages of GLP the child is beginning to use more advanced and complex grammar.

If my child is communicating in Stage 4-6 how can I best support him/her?

• Take a language sample to determine what grammatical markers the child is missing. It is helpful to use the Developmental Sentence Types or Developmental Sentence Analysis chart to decide which aspects to target first.
• As with all stages for GLPs, it is important for us to model language in the child’s natural environment rather than explicitly teach language. For expanding verbs and grammar, this means picking a target (e.g. 1st and 2nd person pronouns, I, me, mine, you, your) and modeling correct use within a routine rather than explicitly correcting the child and asking him/her to directly imitate.
• It is best to support a child in stages 5 and 6 in the same way as stage 4. Stages 5 and 6 just involve more complex grammar.

 That’s a wrap on this series! We hope you enjoyed it and that it was helpful for you and your little one! Until next time 🙂

-Melissa-