More on NLA Stage 1

This is an exciting stage where your gestalt language processor may have accumulated lots of gestalt phrases or scripts or just a few from their environment, you, and media sources like songs or shows. However they are picking up language, it is important to know how to support them at this stage. The first tip I tell parents or anyone working with a child in this stage is to ACKNOWLEDGE all their communication. How do you do this? By saying “yes!” and repeating it back to them. For example, your child is playing with the little people school bus and says : “the door on the bus goes open and shut!” your response would be “Yes! The door on the bus goes open and shut!” Just acknowledge what they say and repeat it. It is also common for children’s utterances to be difficult to understand at this stage or not very intelligible. If you recognize what they are saying then model it back to them as it should sound. If you only understand a word or two you can acknowledge by saying, “Yes" and repeating what you do understand or modeling what you think they might be trying to say. So, if I was working with a child that made an unintelligible utterance to me but I understood one word say “car” I would model back, “yes, that’s a car!” Another way to acknowledge your child’s communication is by honoring all forms of communication not just oral words. In this instance, if a child handed me their sippy cup, I would model “I’m thirsty!” or “Let’s drink!” We never want to force oral words only on a child. Always honor ALL their attempts at communicating whether it be gestures, hand leading, facial expressions, or vocalizations. Always remember: Regulation, Connection, Communication, Instruction in that order! A child’s sensory system needs to be regulated before they can learn and process, and connection is so important! Allow them to be just who they are and connect using their interests making it fun! Authentic connection sets the stage for meaningful communication which then they are ready for learning and instruction. A child who is dysregulated is not ready to connect or communicate, sensory regulation trumps everything!