Triveni Goswami Vernal
Registered Special Educator (CRR A64010)

Individuals on the Autism Spectrum often have challenges with language as well as communication. Some individuals may be considered completely verbal but still struggle with communication. While some others may have minimal speech and there may still be others, who are considered non-speaking and have no speech.

It is important to keep in mind that all these categories are not always permanent. With time, consistency , efforts and of course the unique neurobiology of the individual, they may change. But what is even more important than acquisition of speech, is Communication. Providing access to various tools of communication is often a game changer, for individuals who may experience challenges expressing themselves through words alone.

NON-SPEAKING VS MINIMALLY SPEAKING
The term Non-Speaking refers to individuals who do not use spoken language to express their thoughts, needs, feelings etc. They may use Gestures/Signs, Vocalizations, Spelling, and AAC devices to communicate, instead. Whereas, the term Minimally Speaking refers to individuals who use limited vocabulary or phrases, to communicate. Individuals who are termed minimally speaking may use single words, phrases or gestalts instead of spontaneous sentences.

Various kinds of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) are often used by non-speaking and minimally speaking individuals to communicate.

NON-SPEAKING AND MINIMALLY SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS AND GESTALT LANGUAGE PROCESSING
There are two ways of Language Acquisition—Analytical Language Processing and Gestalt Language Processing. Analytical Language Processing also called Bottom-Up approach involves acquiring speech through babbling, then single words, then phrases and then sentences. Whereas, Gestalt Language Processing, also called Top-Down approach is a natural process of language acquisition, where individuals acquire speech as long “chunks” or scripts instead of single words.
It is believed that individuals who are Non-Speaking or Minimally Speaking can also be Gestalt Language Processors.

According to an article, “Could my non-speaking or minimally speaking child be a gestalt language processor? (Accessed from the website https://www.meaningfulspeech.com/blog/non-speaking-or-minimally-speaking-GLP), some signs of Gestalt Language Development that can be seen in non-speaking and minimally speaking individuals, are as follows:

1. “The child can sing songs but doesn’t have any “words.”  Gestalt language processors are often very musical. They pick up on intonation first so song melodies can naturally become first gestalts!
2. “The minimal amount of speech the child has is single words that have been taught and “jargon.” Children in Stage 1 of gestalt language development may communicate using a mix of unintelligible strings of language and many single words. These single words are “stuck”, meaning they are unable to combine these single words with other words to expand their utterances.
3. The child is not easily understood but their “sounds” or “jargon” have rich intonation if you listen closely. Many gestalt language processors are trying to communicate long strings of language which can be difficult for young children and/or children have not yet developed the muscle coordination required for these long strings of language.
4. If using AAC the child is not making progress despite intensive modeling of a robust system with authentic exchanges. Unfortunately, AAC systems are not yet developed with gestalt language processors in mind. Although, there are ways you can customize current systems to grow with gestalt language processors through the stages. 
5. The child studies and replays media clips (videos, songs, TV shows, movies). For example, they may replay the theme song or intro of a TV show repeatedly instead of watching the show. They may be more drawn to the melody and intonation of this part of the video and not as interested in watching the show.

Having a child who is a Gestalt Language Processor, requires a fair bit of detective work on the part of the parents, caregivers, therapists etc, who work with the child, to truly understand the source of the gestalt/phrase and figure out where it has been acquired from. But when one is able to connect the dots, one can clearly see how intelligently the phrase has been transferred from its original source and used in a relevant context, in his or her life.

The next blog will look at Gestalt Language Processing in a more in-depth way and also explore how AACs can be used with Gestalt Language Processors.

REFERENCES:
https://www.meaningfulspeech.com/blog/non-speaking-or-minimally-speaking-GLP
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2021_PERSP-20-00227
https://find.asha.org/asha/#q=Minimally%20speaking%20Non%20speaking&sort=relevancy
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7377965/
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Dr.Triveni Goswami Vernal is a Registered Special Educator (CRR: A64010), a Psychologist and an Expressive Arts Therapy Practitioner (UNESCO-CID). She is an Avaz Certified Educator and Certified in Dyslexia Teacher Training. She is also an art educator for children with additional needs. She has a 14 year old on the Autism spectrum. She is presently working as a Consultant Special Educator at Oyster CDC, Begumpet, Hyderabad.

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