My first job out of grad school was at a specialized school for children with autism. I immediately fell in love with this unique population. While some of the children made quick progress in speech therapy, others did not, and for years I wondered why. It felt as if there was a missing piece in our understanding of how autistic children learn language.

In 2021, I came across research conducted by Dr. Barry Prizant and Marg Blanc, as well as a course developed by Alexandra Zachros, and many of my questions were finally answered. I learned that many children who are diagnosed with autism communicate via echolalia and are gestalt language processors.

Echolalia is immediate or delayed repetition of scripts children have learned from their environment or picked up from media. Echolalia is an indicator that they process language in whole units (i.e. often sentences) as opposed to single words. They go through different stages of language development, moving from echolalia to self-generated language.

While many children can do this on their own, others require speech therapy - using the Natural Language Acquisition therapy framework - to become flexible communicators.

I am trained in Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) for gestalt language processors. I am able to provide services using this approach, as well as consult caregivers on how they can utilize this approach in their daily life to support their child’s language development.

As a therapist, I advocate for neurodiversity-affirming approaches.

*It is critical to note that many non-speaking autistic individuals can be gestalt language processors; some neurotypical students are gestalt language processors, too.

Resources…

The Meaningful Speech™ Course for clinicians and parents

Dr. Barry Prizant’s research on echolalia

Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum by Marg Blanc.

Uniquely Human by Barry Prizant

There are many pediatric diagnoses with which children struggle to communicate verbally, and are non-speaking or minimally speaking. There are also cases where children are late speakers and need a new modality of communication to speed up their progress.

Through my experience of working in different clinical settings and completing additional trainings, I have learned to teach communication skills through AAC - these may be paper-based communication systems or sophisticated iPad applications. I am also able to train caregivers on how to utilize AAC in daily life.

This motor speech disorder affects a child’s ability to sequence articulatory movements needed for continuous and clear speech. To help students with apraxia, I utilize a mix of approaches that focus on improving the child’s motor planning abilities. These approaches include syllable shaping and the use of Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing (DTTC). I am also trained in PROMPT therapy (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets), which can be helpful for students that tolerate tactile cuing.

I strongly believe that children with CAS require an individualized approach and also benefit from AAC in addition to working on verbal speech.

The field of speech-language pathology is broad and unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a clinician trained in specific treatment approaches and frameworks. Depending on where you are located in the world, your options may be limited. Luckily, I find that consultation services can be helpful and there is a lot parents and caregivers can do to facilitate their child’s speech and language skills with the right guidance.

I am able to provide parent and provider consultations in the area of gestalt language processing and the Natural Language Acquisition framework. Using an individualized assessment of the child’s language sample, I can provide strategies and scripts that the caregiver can use in helping students move from echolalia to self-generated language. Parent consultations and coaching can be done in person and I am able to consult remotely with families around the world. These suggestions and scripts can then be used for collaboration and advocacy with the child’s team.

I am also able to provide parent and provider consultations in the area of AAC (augmentative and alternative means of communication), and guide the caregiver in setting up the device and using strategies in modeling of AAC to their child.

I am able to provide speech-language therapy and parent/clinician training in Russian. I also have a working knowledge and comprehension of Ukrainian.

I have resources to share with bilingual parents in both Russian and Ukrainian.