Gestalt language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition: A Discussion with Marge Blanc, CCC-SLP, and Alex Zachos, CCC-SLP

EPISODE 114
Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition:
A Discussion with Marge Blanc, CCC-SLP, and Alex Zachos, CCC-SLP

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Show Notes

Gestalt language processing and Natural Language Acquisition are topics that have received a great deal of attention in recent years, grounded in research that goes back to the 1970s. These concepts have helped to explain and describe a process, often observed in autistic children and other children who move from the early use of echolalia to the use of self-generated conversational language. Marge and Alex join Barry in a discussion of the history and current status of understanding children who demonstrate these patterns of language acquisition, in order to assist professionals and parents in supporting such children.

Featuring

marge-blanc

MARGE BLANC, M.A., CCC-SLP

Marge has been a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist for 50 years, working in public schools in the US and Canada for 20 years. When Marge was a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she applied the principles of gestalt language development she had learned from the research of Barry Prizant, Ann Peters, and colleagues — and they worked immediately! Her first article detailing the three year journey of her first gestalt language processor was published as “Finding the Words: to Tell the Whole Story”. It was there that the term Natural Language Acquisition was born, chosen to reflect the naturalness of gestalt language development. Her longitudinal research described gestalt language development in a wide variety of children, primarily autistic children, and was published in her book Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum: the Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language in 2012. Since that time, Marge has been actively sharing NLA, consulting with health and education entities, and presenting courses and webinars throughout the world. She meets weekly with SLPs/SLTs in various countries to translate international materials and to support colleagues’ courses, articles, and research internationally. Her revised book will be available in early 2025.

 

Know more about Marge’s work on her website 

Alex Zachos

ALEXANDRIA ZACHOS, MS, CCC-SLPN

Alex is a licensed speech-language pathologist and has been practicing for more than 20 years.  Over the past eighteen years, she has provided therapy for all ages in a variety of clinical settings, including public schools, home therapy, acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, and outpatient clinics. She received her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA in 2003. Alexandria created the on-line community, Meaningfulspeech.com in 2020 to educate SLPs, professionals, and parents on gestalt language processing, echolalia, and the step-by-step approach to helping support a child from delayed echolalia to original language using the Natural Language Acquisition framework developed by Marge Blanc (2012).  Alexandria is an international speaker and often presents on gestalt language processing, echolalia and NLA both virtually and in person.  She has provided trainings, webinars and has spoken to clinics, school districts, speech-language associations, and parent groups. She has an on-demand webinar available for CEUs through ASHA on this topic, and is passionate about educating others on gestalt language processors. Alexandria is also a fluent Greek speaker and has provided several bilingual Greek-English evaluations for many Chicagoland school districts.

Learn more abut Meaningful Speech on their website

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) Marge coined the term natural language acquisition (NLA) to characterize the different developmental path followed by gestalt language processors (GLP). How do Marge and Alex define NLA and GLP, and briefly provide your understanding of the stage model they discussed. Have you observed children who are gestalt language processors. If so, how has this discussion changed your understanding of the language you hear and how to better support these children

2) The clinical and educational focus on NLA and GLP has thrived in recent years, receiving attention from different disciplines as well as nationally and internationally. What do Marge and Alex say about why this has happened? What are the benefits of this increasing awareness?

3) The focus of Marge’s and Alex’s work that has gotten so much attention in recent years is how an understanding of GLP helps us understand individual differences better in child development (neurotypical and neurodivergent). What are their opinions about:

a) How such an understanding lead to more accurate and authentic assessment and measurement of progress.

b) How does such an understanding inform the need to have individualized clinical and educational approaches

c) How does a better understanding lead to changes in family-centered approaches to help caregivers better support their kids?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.