What's Good About Echolalia?

It's Language Development!

Workshop Description

Unless we know echolalia is part of gestalt language development, echolalic students are misunderstood and ignored, or even ridiculed. And they are stuck with dead-end gestalts that don’t easily lead them to the next steps. That’s where we can help. Just by knowing the truth about echolalia, we take gestalt language processors seriously, and partner with them to:

• honor their gestalt communication
• acquire more gestalts that lead to more flexible communication
• move through the stages of gestalt language development
• eventually self-generate their own unique language

This workshop will bridge the research of the past to the realities facing our students today, and give you the tools you need to understand gestalt language processing, differentiate it from the more familiar style we think of as typical (called ‘analytic’), and the ways you can support all gestalt language processors such as:

• refraining from applying ‘analytic’ strategies that have not worked for gestalt processors
• not allowing anyone to teach them rote language’ that interferes with true language development
• supporting these students to move through the stages of gestalt language development and reach their potential of generating their own unique, spontaneous, grammatical language.

This workshop will give you:

1. an understanding of the research that discovered gestalt language   processing

2. knowledge of the language development stages including echolalia

3. strategies for supporting the gestalt language processors in your home, school, or clinic.

Workshop Learning Outcomes

1. an ability to describe gestalt language development and how it is different from analytic language development.
2. ability to describe the six stages of language development for gestalt language processors.
3. ability to describe supports for young gestalt language processors at each stage of language development
4. ability to describe ways of approaching older students who have not made progress in language development and may be gestalt language processors.

Webinar Details

This 2-part webinar series is presented as a package learning opportunity.

Your registration gives you access to both webinar recordings, which are 2.5 hours each, for a total of 5 hours content.

Webinars were recorded with a live audience on the 22nd and 29th July, 2022.

Webinar 1 include foundational concepts, applicable to all students, with emphasis on pre-school and early primary age.

Webinar 2 builds on learning from Webinar 1 applicable to all age groups, more details on scoring, and will include discussion re later primary age and older students. 

We recommend watching both workshops to receive the full learning experience.

Our Presenter

Marge Blanc, M.A., CCC-SLP

Marge Blanc is the director of the Communication Development Center in Madison, Wisconsin, USA —  and author of Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum: the Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language (2012). A Speech-Language Pathologist for 45 years, Marge met her first autistic gestalt language processor when she was a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Marge subsequently founded the CDC clinic in Madison, to serve autistic clients and others who benefit from sensorimotor supports.

Marge conducted clinical research as part of her practice, detailing gestalt language development in a wide variety of children and young adults. Her longitudinal findings described and quantified the stages of gestalt language development outlined by Barry Prizant, and supported by the research findings of Ann Peters. Now in its sixth printing, the book was endorsed by Barry Prizant as “…the most comprehensive consideration of echolalia and language characteristics of persons with autism to date…(which) brings us back to a crucial understanding of language characteristics and language acquisition in ASD…” Her book has been the foundation for Marge’s NLA presentations, including three courses with Northern Speech Services. The heart of those courses will be presented to you in this two-part webinar series.

Refunds and Cancellations

Due to the on-demand nature of this event, Agosci is not offering refunds unless in exceptional circumstances. Please contact Agosci directly to discuss options if you need support.

Disclosure and Sponsorship

AGOSCI is excited to host Marge Blanc to present this information to our Australian audience. 

AGOSCI is an independent body and does not endorse individual products or brands.

AGOSCI acknowledges the presence and contributions of all suppliers and resources available in the Australian and International AAC marketplace.