Gestalt Language Processing Terms and Definitions You Should Know

Gestalt language processing terms you should know about, as well as their definitions.

---

When you first learn about gestalt language processing, you'll encounter a bunch of new-to-you terms like gestalts and mitigation and rich intonation. You might be wondering, what do these terms even mean?!

Trying to read about something new, when you don't even understand the lingo that they're using, can make it really hard to follow along. Tricky, even. We simply need to build that schema or background knowledge first, much like we do with hyperlexic kids and their comprehension. 

So, before you learn more about gestalt language processing, let's go over some of the most common terms or jargon, if you will. After all, these words are used again and again so you might as well learn what they mean, right?

Below you'll find a list of the most common gestalt language processing terms and their definitions. So let's dig in!

Common Gestalt Language Processing Terms & their Definitions

Here are some of the most common terms you'll hear when reading or learning about gestalt language processing. I've included relevant resources for many of the terms below in case you'd like to learn more.

Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt language processing refers to learning language in chunks or phrases with single words appearing at later stages. When someone is a gestalt language processor, their basic units of language are chunks, not single words. Sometimes you might see gestalt language processing abbreviated as GLP. Learn more about gestalt language processing here.

Gestalts

Gestalt language processors learn language in chunks or phrases called gestalts. You might know gestalts as scripting or scripts. So gestalts are those chunks or phrases of language that a child scripts with. 

It's important to note that gestalts - not the individual words - carry meaning so gestalt language processors view phrases or sentences as if it were one word.

Natural Language Acquisition

Natural Language Acquisition, or NLA for short, describes gestalt language development in detail. It recognizes the importance of echolalia and describes the stages through which a child moves, from echolalia to self generated grammar and spontaneous language. 

You can learn more about Natural Language Acquisition in Marge Blanc's book Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum or by taking the Meaningful Speech course.

Media Echolalia or Media Gestalts

These terms refer to long chunks of language that are repeated from media, whether that's a movie, a book, a song, or a YouTube video.

Mitigation

Mitigation refers to the combining of gestalts. Think mixing or matching or even movable. Basically, it's when you take parts of a gestalt or phrase and combine it with other parts of other gestalts or phrases. That process of mixing and matching is called mitigation.

Easily Mitigatable Gestalt

This term refers to phrases or utterances that can be easily broken down and re-combined with other gestalts or phrases and still sound natural. They're phrases that are movable and easy to mix and match with other phrases.

For example, a script from a movie, TV show, or book such as "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom will there be enough room?" or "Chase is on the case!" isn't easy to mix and match. However, a gestalt such as "Let's put on our shoes!" can easily be mixed and matched into phrases such as "Let's go!" or "Let's put on our hats." or "It's time to put on our shoes."

Delayed Echolalia

Delayed echolalia refers to the repetition of words or phrases that occurs some time after hearing them. Learn more about echolalia here.

Intonation

The term intonation refers to how the pitch of your voice goes up and down as you speak. Think of it as how we make speech sound more interesting. 

Rich intonation (think animated and lively language) is a key sign that your child is a gestalt language processor so you'll hear this term a lot when reading about or learning about gestalt language processing.

Declarative Language

Declarative language is simply a comment or a statement that shares what one knows, observes, or thinks. Using it can provide great language models for gestalt language processors. There are lots of other benefits too! Learn more about declarative language here.

Gestalt Cognitive Processing

For gestalt cognitive processors, the whole is greater than all of its parts. They're whole to part thinkers. In other words, they see the whole picture as more important than the individual pieces or components. 

For these types of learners, toys may need to remain as a whole. Think about hyperlexic kids' alphabet play and how distressed they can become if a letter is missing, for instance. Learn more about gestalt learning here.

Pronoun Reversals

Pronoun reversals are when a child mixes up the pronouns they use when speaking. They often end up talking in third person as a result. 

These reversals are quite common in hyperlexic kids and gestalt language processors because these kids pick up entire gestalts, including the pronouns that the original speaker used. In other words, they echo back the gestalts they hear exactly as they first heard them without modifying the pronouns. 

Pronoun reversals are really nothing more than them repeating the gestalts they hear. Regardless, these reversals are a good sign that your child might be a gestalt language processor.

You can learn more about pronoun reversals in hyperlexia here.

Whisper Scripting

When a child whispers or says a script or gestalt at a low volume, it can be referred to as whisper scripting, just like the name suggests. There are many reasons why a child might whisper script. I recommend reading this post from Meaningful Speech for more information.

Want to Learn More About Gestalt Language Processing?

If you'd like to learn more about gestalt language processing and Natural Language Acquisition, I highly recommend checking out the Meaningful Speech courses and their Gestalt Language Processing Handbook. Use coupon code DYAN to save 5% on the handbook or courses.

Learn more about the Gestalt Language Processing Handbook & Courses

Hopefully you found this post about gestalt language processing terms and definitions helpful and are now better able to follow discussions on this topic.

Other Gestalt Language Processing Resources You'll Love

Signs of Gestalt Language Processing

Echolalia Terms You Should Know

Analytic vs Gestalt Language Processors

Analytic vs Gestalt Language Processors

A look at the differences between analytic vs gestalt language processors.

---

Part of learning about hyperlexia is learning all the fancy terminology that comes along with it, such as gestalt language processing and echolalia. 

There's a lot to learn, I know!

But hyperlexic kids are gestalt learners so it's definitely important to learn these things if you want to support your child in the best way possible.

Yet, I know it's easy to get bogged down by fancy jargon you've never heard of and that often seems to be the reality when reading about gestalt processing. 

So I thought it might be helpful to compare gestalt language processing to how language typically develops. Hopefully without using too much jargon. That way you can get a better grasp on how different our hyperlexic kids learn. 

Typically, most kids learn language via analytic processing and start off with single words then move to multiword phrases. And that's probably what you think of when it comes to how language usually develops, right?

Well, hyperlexic kids, on the other hand, don't start with single words. Instead, they learn language using multiword phrases or chunks called gestalts first. Hence, the label of gestalt processing. 

So with that basic understanding under your belt, let's take a closer look at the characteristics of analytic vs gestalt language processors so you can see how else they differ.

Characteristics of an Analytic Language Processor

As I've already mentioned, analytic language processors begin to learn language by using single words, where each of those individual words carries an individual meaning. 

In this method of language acquisition, you eventually move from using single words to using two or three word phrases. 

As a result, language learned in this way is quite flexible and productive. After all, they're learning single words and their meanings and can build larger sentences that reflect what they are wanting to communicate.

Grammar is also a big focus for analytic language processors. However, intonation (the pitch of your voice as you speak) develops later after they shift to longer phrases or utterances.

As noted earlier, analytic language processing is how most people learn language so it's often seen as the default or typical way to acquire and learn language. It's likely the method that you're most familiar with. However, it's not the only way to learn language... 

Characteristics of a Gestalt Language Processor

Hyperlexic kids, as well as most autistic kids, learn language via gestalt processing. They start off learning language in chunks or phrases (remember, these chunks are called gestalts) and use a lot of echolalia to communicate. 

They eventually learn to use single words at later stages in their development, unlike analytic language processors who start off with single words.

Since gestalt language processors learn language in chunks or phrases, they view the phrase or sentence as if it is one word. That means the chunks - not the individual words - carry individual meanings. As a result, language learned in this way ends up being relatively inflexible and situational. 

While they use chunks that might appear to be "grammatically sophisticated" (source), they often aren't picking up on the grammar or meaning. But that's not surprising given that they assign meaning to the entire chunk and don't break the chunks down until later stages of development.

Interestingly though, the language that gestalt language processors use is often rich in intonation. It's animated and lively and somewhat musical.

If you're wondering if your child is a gestalt language processor, you can read more about the signs of gestalt language processing here.

A Recap of the Differences in Analytic vs Gestalt Language Processors 

You can see that there are a few differences between analytic and gestalt language processors. The main difference is that single words are the basic units for analytic processors while chunks or phrases of words serve as the basic units for gestalt processors. Here's a chart that further compares the differences between the two:

If you're looking for a more detailed chart (with much more jargon and technical terms), then you might find this chart from Barry M. Prizant (1983) helpful. I've also included it below for ease of use.

Is Gestalt Language Processing New to You? Here's How You Can Learn More...

If you'd like to learn more about gestalt language processing and Natural Language Acquisition, I highly recommend checking out the Meaningful Speech courses and their Gestalt Language Processing Handbook. Use coupon code DYAN to save 5% on the handbook or courses.

Learn more about the Gestalt Language Processing Handbook & Courses

I hope you found this information about the characteristics of analytic vs gestalt language processors helpful!

Other Gestalt Processing Resources You'll Love

Signs that Your Child is a Gestalt Language Processor

Gestalt Learning & Hyperlexia: What You Need to Know

More Gestalt Language Processing & Echolalia Resources

Signs That Your Child is a Gestalt Language Processor

Wondering what the signs of gestalt language processing are? Well, here are 10+ signs that your child is a gestalt language processor.

---

Back in 2020, and continuing on into 2021, I set myself a goal to learn more about gestalt processing because I knew it was a vital part of understanding hyperlexia. 

And boy did I ever learn a lot!

Seriously, certain things about hyperlexia make so much more sense once you learn about gestalt processing. I promise I'll write a post one day that digs more into this particular topic.

But, in the meantime, let's take a look at some signs that your child is a gestalt language processor.

Signs that Your Child is a Gestalt Language Processor

Please keep in mind that not all of these may apply to your child, but they are still signs of gestalt processing that you should be aware of.

1. Uses echolalia or scripts

One of the key signs that your child is a gestalt language processor is the presence of echolalia and scripting. Gestalt language processors learn language in chunks so it makes sense that they would communicate using those same chunks. 

You can read more about the different types of echolalia here.

2. Speaks in third person

For the longest time, I remember my son would say things like, "J (his full name though) have a turn" whenever he wanted a turn to play with something instead of using first person language. I didn't really understand why back them because I didn't know about hyperlexia or gestalt processing at the time. 

The point is: if your child is speaking in third person, it is a sign that they are likely a gestalt processor. It's part of pronoun reversals, which is the next sign we'll discuss.

3. Pronoun reversals

Mixing up pronouns while speaking (aka pronoun reversals) is a common characteristic in both hyperlexic kids and gestalt language processors. It's because they "repeat these pronouns just as [they] hear them without understanding what they mean." (source) You can read more about pronoun reversals here.

4. Are autistic and/or hyperlexic

It's important to note that gestalt language processing is not exclusive to autistic or hyperlexic kids. However, it is extremely common among these populations. I believe it is something like 75% or higher - can't seem to track down the source.

So if your child is diagnosed with either autism or hyperlexia, then there's a high likelihood that they are learning language via gestalt processing.

5. Studies and/or replays media

Gestalt processors will often script from media like books, TV shows, songs, or movies. In particular, you might notice them repeating specific parts of these media over and over. Examples might include reading the same book over and over or rewinding and rewatching a specific clip in a video.

6. Language use is inflexible early on

They rely on scripts and echolalia, but it usually stays the same each time without it being modified. It's not spontaneous and inflexible. However, as they grow and develop, their language will become more flexible and spontaneous.

7. Language seems delayed

How many times have I heard things like, "My child can read, but he can't carry on a conversation or talk well" (or something similar)? The answer is a lot. 

If your child's language seems delayed, then that could indicate that they might be learning language differently and are a gestalt processor instead.

8. Learns to speak in long scripts before single words

This sign isn't surprising given that gestalt processors learn language in chunks. They view one phrase or script as a single word and have trouble breaking down those chunks into their individual words. So it's not surprising that when they do speak, it's in long scripts instead of individual words.

9. Produces long strings of language that are unintelligible 

You or others might consider these unintelligible strings of language jargon. But, often it's just that their little mouths can't keep up with all the words they're trying to spit out. Either way, it's a sign of gestalt processing.

10. Uses and focuses on rich intonation

Often their language uses lots of rich intonation. Now, if you're not sure what intonation means, it refers to how the pitch of your voice goes up and down as you speak. Basically, think of it as how we make speech sound more interesting.

Gestalt language processors often use animated language that is exciting or lively. 

Sometimes, paying close attention to how certain words are emphasized or not can give you a clue into what the gestalt processor's echolalia is trying to communicate versus the actual words themselves.

11. Musical 

Many gestalt learners are naturally musical. Unsurprisingly then, lyrics from songs are often among the first scripts that they use. Case in point: how hyperlexic toddlers often sing the ABCs on repeat. And as if to prove my point further, I can hear my son singing from his room while I type this...good timing!

Their echolalia might also have a musical intonation (relates to previous point about how they focus on rich intonation). For instance, it's been written that hyperlexic kids "will pay more attention to your note than to your voice." (source) 

Maybe you've even noticed that your child responds better when you sing something instead of saying it. Thank goodness my husband is a creative genius when it comes to making up catchy little jingles on the fly. Seriously, I think he was meant to be a jingle writer despite his obvious lack of musical talents otherwise.

12. Language use is situational

Many of the scripts or gestalts that these kids use are tied to specific experiences or feelings. 

Basically, certain phrases just stick because of the emotion that is attached to them, whether that emotion is positive or negative. 

So whatever emotion the child was feeling at the time they learned or acquired that particular script will be connected to that script going forward.

Remember that hyperlexic kids have strong memory skills (see strengths of a hyperlexic learner for more info) so it's really not that surprising that certain scripts would be linked to specific memories or feelings.

As a result, you can see then how their language use ends up being situational and why their language often won't be adaptable to other situations, at least not for some time.

Want to Learn More About Gestalt Language Processing?

If you'd like to learn more about gestalt language processing and the stages of Natural Language Acquisition, I highly recommend checking out the Meaningful Speech courses and their Gestalt Language Processing Handbook. Use coupon code DYAN to save 5% on the handbook or courses.

Learn more about the Gestalt Language Processing Handbook & Courses

A Summary of the Signs of Gestalt Language Processing

Okay I know that was a lot of information. So as a recap, here are the 12 signs that your child might be a gestalt language processor:

• They use echolalia and scripts

• They frequently speak in third person

• They mix up or reverse pronouns

• They are autistic and/or hyperlexic

• They study and/or replay media

• Their language use is inflexible early on

• There are language delays

• They learn to speak in long scripts before single words

• They produce long strings of language that are unintelligible

• They use and focus on rich intonation

• They are musically inclined 

• Their language use is situational for long periods of time

Other Hyperlexia & Language Related Resources You'll Love

Echolalia in Hyperlexia: Terms You Should Know

40 Language Skills that Hyperlexic Kids Might Need Support With

Gestalt Learning & Hyperlexia: What Does it Mean to be a Gestalt Learner?

Gestalt Learning & Hyperlexia: What Does it Mean to be a Gestalt Learner?

What is a gestalt learner? A look at gestalt learning in hyperlexia and what that means in terms of their language development.

---

You've likely heard that hyperlexic kids learn via gestalt processing before. Which means you've likely also wondered what it means to be a gestalt thinker before. Admit it, I know you have. Why? Because I too once wondered the same thing.

Although I do recall learning gestalt principles and gestalt theory way back in university when I did my psychology degree. Doesn't mean I remember much about it though. I also never studied it in relation to hyperlexia or autism. Amazing the things I revisit years later because of my kids...

Anyway, let's get back on track here. You want to know what gestalt learning is, not read about what I learned 20 years ago, right? 

So let's take a look at what gestalt learning is and what it means in relation to hyperlexia.

What is Gestalt Learning?

When it comes to gestalt learning, the whole is greater than all of its parts. So gestalt thinkers see the whole picture as more important than the individual pieces or components. Instead of learning one part at a time, they learn in chunks called gestalts.

As a result, they also learn language in chunks. Think short phrases or a whole sentence, for instance. In contrast, a non-gestalt learner would learn language one word at a time.

Gestalt learning is pretty common in both autistic and hyperlexic kids, but it isn't exclusive to them. Many neurotypical kids can learn language in gestalts (aka chunks) as well (source). 

What Gestalt Learning Looks Like in Hyperlexia

Interestingly enough, in the article "Finding the Words" Marge Blanc mentions that one common example of gestalt learning is an "early interest in the entire alphabet." Sound like anyone you know? Well, it should because it basically sums up hyperlexic kids.

I mean if you're familiar with hyperlexia at all (which you probably are if you're reading this, right?), then you know that for many of these kids, one of the first signs parents notice is the intense interest in letters. An interest that starts to appear before age two. See the hyperlexia milestones post for more information.

Another key sign that a child is a gestalt processor is echolalia. Well, guess what is common in hyperlexia? You guessed it - echolalic speech! 

Many hyperlexic children, just like gestalt learners, start talking by repeating entire sentences instead of individual words. They learn to talk in chunks. It's why teaching them scripts can be so helpful.

And speaking of learning in chunks...Gestalt theory can also explain how a hyperlexic reader can just see a word and know how to read it, without sounding it out like a traditional reader would. But why is that? Well, remember, the whole is greater than the components that make up that whole. So for a hyperlexic child, they see the whole word and not necessarily the individual components (aka sounds) that make up that word.

Going further, to hyperlexic learners, one phrase or sentence is essentially one word to them because they literally store and retrieve language in chunks. So a phrase like "my cat is white" is stored just like that. They have trouble breaking that chunk down into the four individual words my, cat, is, and white.

You can maybe start to see why comprehension issues are common in hyperlexia then, right? By learning language in these chunks or gestalts, they're not focusing on the meaning of the individual words that make up that chunk. So they end up assigning little to no meaning to the individual words. And they can end up missing key details as a result.

As Wee Speech says about gestalt learners, "Just because a child uses longer sentences does not mean they understand all the words."

It can also lead to issues with expressive language too. The whole "my kid can read, but not carry on a conversation thing." A common issue that parents of hyperlexic children mention.

Well, the reason is simple. Gestalt language processors can find it hard "to break down the sentences they are using into individualized words, which means language is less flexible and [less] spontaneous." (source) They struggle to break the whole picture down "into a sequence of words in order to express what [they] see." (source)

That can mean difficulties communicating their thoughts and ideas. Unless of course they can retrieve a relevant chunk. That's why it's so important to pay attention to your hyperlexic child's echolalic phrases and scripts. The chunk they are scripting could very well be related in some way. For example, if you talk about a car, they might respond with a line from the movie Cars.

Another thing that I found fascinating about gestalt thinkers is related to questions. If you rephrase a question, then it can look like an entirely different question to them. The chunk or gestalt of language that they receive is different because the whole question is worded differently. So when you ask a question in a new way, your hyperlexic child might interpret that as a completely different question than the original one you asked. Interesting, right?

There are plenty of other hyperlexic characteristics that just make more sense when you have a better understanding of gestalt processing of language. I mean reading through this list of characteristics of a gestalt learner felt like I was reading bullet points about my hyperlexic child. Although heads up, there are blue puzzle pieces slathered everywhere on that website. Despite that, there's lots of great information about gestalt processing there.

And speaking of great information about gestalt processing, I highly recommend this article on gestalt learning and hyperlexia from CHAT. It does a good job of covering the use of scripts to support hyperlexic kids. It's worth checking out.

Ready to Learn More About Gestalt Language Processing?

If you'd like to learn more about gestalt language processing and Natural Language Acquisition, I highly recommend checking out the Meaningful Speech courses and their Gestalt Language Processing Handbook. The course also includes a fantastic Lunch and Learn video on hyperlexia. Use coupon code DYAN to save 5% on the handbook or courses.

Learn more about the Gestalt Language Processing Handbook & Courses

Getting a deeper understanding of gestalt learning and hyperlexia is so important. It can explain the why behind so many behaviors and traits.