$49.00 USD

93% rating - reviews

0.25  ASHA CEUs

Natural Language Acquisition In Autism: Echolalia To Self-Generated Language (Treatment), Level 2 #e148


Presenter: Marge Blanc, MA, CCC-SLP

NLA Level 2 Course

Treatment Planning For Autistic Children Who Use Echolalia


This course is the second in the 3-course NLA series. It is suggested that learners complete these 3 courses in sequence.


This NLA Level 2 Course serves as a follow up to the NLA Level 1 Course (see course #e82), which is a recommended prerequisite.

Building on the Level 1 course, which provided participants with the foundation to understand the principles of gestalt language processing in both neurotypical children and autistic children, this NLA Level 2 Course begins with a brief review of those principles and continues by presenting treatment considerations depending on the language level of the client.

It includes numerous videos of treatment sessions to describe and illustrate treatment for autistic children who use echolalia or who have used echolalia at an earlier stage in their language development. Treatment contexts, activities, and planning are illustrated through video clips, language transcripts, and discussion. Related language goals are considered, as well as ways of reporting progress.

Offered for 0.25 ASHA CEUs – 2.5 contact hours.

Course Overview – Run Time: 2:30:00

  • Review of Principles
  • Treatment Considerations
  • Treatment Contexts, Activities and Planning
  • Other Language Goals and Reporting Progress

"Everything about this course is exceptionally useful in how I approach treatment plans for my autistic clients. This course was easy to follow, and with videos to see therapy in action."

– S.B., prior course participant

Read more comments about this course!

"This was an Ah-ha moment for me that helped me understand how all language learners fit in! The videos were helpful to see the therapists in action."

– M.K., prior course participant

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The presenter of this course is also the author of the text, "Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum: The Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language" that is mentioned as part of this course. The presenter does not benefit financially from the sale of this book; however, the non-profit center, Communication Development Center (CDC), for which the presenter is founder and director, does receive royalties.

Video PowerPoint presentation with author narration & downloadable handout. Stop and re-start the course at any point. Learners retain access to course content after completion for ongoing reference and review.

Reviews

"Watching the videos and being able to read the transcript and then seeing which stage each utterance falls into. I loved seeing the videos and taking the child's regulations into consideration. I had not considered how important physical movement could be to regulation and communication." C.V. (Mar. 2024)

"The different ways kids learn their language was helpful to discuss. The course kept my interest." K.B. (Mar. 2024)

"The videos and the scripts, as well as the discussion, helped me understand the particular parts of the language acquisition; thank you! The videos are great!" N.L. (Mar. 2024)

"Information about the different stages was useful, as well as watching videos of children in therapy sessions with explanation of stages. I liked that I was able to study at my own pace." A.H. (Mar. 2024)

"Understanding the use of easily mitigated language models and relevance. I liked the videos and the transcriptions." L.Z. (Mar. 2024)

"The therapy techniques and strategies were helpful. I liked the tips and tricks for facilitating play-based intervention." S.B. (Feb. 2024)

"Specific treatment ideas while recognizing each child will have different interests/preferences was beneficial. I liked the fact that the course was self-paced." I.T. (Feb. 2024)

"Recognizing how there is a naturalness to autistic language development even in the presence of echolalia. I liked the specific examples." J.J. (Feb. 2024)

"It was helpful to discuss regulation and motor coordination along with SLP coordinating with OTs." C.W. (Feb. 2024)

"Including sensory regulation was beneficial to discuss. I enjoyed the videos." B.M. (Feb. 2024)

"Thank you for a wonderful course. Truly inspiring to see the love for our practice be creatively applied in such an impactful way!" V.R. (Feb. 2024)

"The assessment of levels and videos were helpful." S.W. (Feb. 2024)

"I really enjoyed all of the content. Course was self-paced and presented in a manner that was easy to understand! Excellent topic." S.P. (Feb. 2024)

"I liked the examples of structured therapy sessions." K.G. (Feb. 2024)

"I liked the scenarios and scaffolding for stages of language learning from echolalia to self-generated learning." A.G. (Jan. 2024)

"Treatment considerations, ways to mitigate to help move students to self-generated grammar, and ways to report progress were beneficial. Videos and written language samples were helpful." C.M. (Jan. 2024)

"Discussing how to apply the NLA treatment in my current practice was helpful." J.L. (Jan. 2024)

"It is so important that our kids are understood and this course gives me greater confidence to more fluidly explain NLA and GLPs. The videos, transcripts, and explanations were priceless. Definitely going to rewatch these sections. There are many students at my school who are GLP, and they are often misunderstood by teachers, especially the older elementary and middle school students. My SLP team is currently providing training for our teaching staff and advocacy for these students." S.P. (Jan. 2024)

"The discussion that Mitigation of Gestalts and GLP is part of NLA and ASD has delayed language not disordered. I liked the videos and transcripts - description of stages and how to mitigate at stages 2-3." G.L. (Jan. 2024)

"The process and stages that a student can go through and still make progress were helpful to discuss. I liked the examples." J.M. (Jan. 2024)

"The videos with accompanying language sample and discussion were beneficial." M.J. (Jan. 2024)

"The assessment portion was useful for helping me identify kids who are moving out of one stage and into another. Also, helping to identify 'where they were and where they are going' helps me provide strategies that provide the appropriate language and sensory motor support. I liked the videos, the clear outline, and the examples that included the parent as my primary services occur in the home with parents and primary caretakers." K.M. (Jan. 2024)

"The examples of different treatments were beneficial. I liked the example videos." J.M. (Jan. 2024)

"The treatment and examples of language samples and how to code were helpful. I liked the presenter's real-world examples." B.M. (Jan. 2024)

"Beneficial review of the stages of Analytic Language Acquisition. I enjoyed the video examples and the handouts provided." C.A. (Jan. 2024)

"Using “it…” Using “let’s..” And just the enforcement of what I am already doing, which is trying to use regulation to activities to help children in combination with play therapy. I enjoyed the speaker." A.M. (Jan. 2024)

"I liked how Marge spoke about giving the child mitigable scripts because I wasn't aware that in NLA, you can do that. I enjoyed the videos and the scripts that explained what was going on." B.S. (Jan. 2024)

"Helping others understand that ASD children who are gestalt language learners are not "language delayed." S.P. (Jan. 2024)

"Treatment considerations. I liked the real-life examples." E.P. (Jan. 2024)

"I liked the self-paced format, the video examples, and the comprehensive handouts." J.R. (Jan. 2024)

"The language samples of the two boys and the discussion of them was beneficial. A new approach to the treatment of children with autism." B.F. (Dec. 2023)

"The consideration of sensory needs in order to bring about the child's best language was a helpful topic." C.L. (Dec. 2023)

"The understanding and use of models for various stages of gestalt was beneficial. I liked the videos of real-time interactions and modeling during therapy." V.C. (Dec. 2023)

"Recommendations for how to build in helpful gestalts for later stages of NLA. I really appreciated the videos and the accompanying analysis." E.C. (Dec. 2023)

"Beneficial description of similarities between stages 2 and 4, and the "know where they came from" concept for figuring out where they are. Broken-down transcriptions of kids' language, and discussion of what they are showing within that language and why." L.M. (Dec. 2023)

"The treatment ideas given were helpful. Easy to follow course with a lot of good information." D.S. (Dec. 2023)

"Beneficial progression of the child in the stages of NLA. I enjoyed the explanations from the videos." L.D. (Dec. 2023)

"The discussion of sensorimotor readiness for language use was beneficial." G.F. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked discussing the difference between Asperger's syndrome and Autism." R.K. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the breakdown of the stages and how to score them." J.R. (Dec. 2023)

"The need to understand sensorimotor needs and regulation was helpful." C.S. (Dec. 2023)

"Understanding that everyone uses gestalt at some time. I liked the examples and videos." C.Z. (Dec. 2023)

"The explanations of delay vs disorder and why were beneficial." E.W. (Dec. 2023)

"The treatment practices reviewed will be beneficial to my daily practice. I liked the convenience of being able to view this course with colleagues and discuss various points of interest." A.B. (Dec. 2023)

"I enjoyed watching the therapy planning/discussion when watching the videos. It helped to bring everything together. I feel as though I will be better able to determine stages for students that I work with in therapy. The videos were helpful!" K.G. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked how this course focused on treatment and used videos to help give practical therapy ideas." K.C. (Dec. 2023)

"Seeing treatment in action was beneficial. I enjoyed the real-time video examples." H.M. (Dec. 2023)

"How to set up treatment for gestalt language processors. I liked the course material, and the case studies presented." S.R. (Dec. 2023)

"The importance of a child’s regulation and to engage in activities meaningful to the child was helpful information. I liked the examples and videos." C.R. (Dec. 2023)

"Information regarding the stages was helpful. I liked that the video clips support the information." R.R. (Dec. 2023)

"This course was a wonderful continuation in learning about gestalt language processors. If you are an SLP treating neuro-divergent clients, this is a must-take course to support their learning style just as much as our traditional analytic language learners." C.W. (Dec. 2023)

"Presenter was quite interesting! It was nice to see videos of her therapy!" D.H. (Dec. 2023)

"Application to practice. I liked the example videos of therapy sessions." M.L. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the treatment contexts and activities. And real life scenarios." N.B. (Dec. 2023)

"Learning how to take a child's utterances and break them down to use in combination (1 - 2 word utterances) appropriately in structured tasks was beneficial." R.H. (Dec. 2023)

"Case study videos were helpful. Beneficial comparison to play-based analytic language learners when it comes to treatment." J.M. (Nov. 2023)

"The section on reporting the progress through both progress reports as well as informal reporting was helpful. I liked the use of videos to model the conversational cohesion." M.R. (Nov. 2023)

"The progression of natural language acquisition in gestalt language processors and developmentally appropriate language targets for different stages were beneficial." J.W. (Nov. 2023)

"Breaking down the stages of NLA and showing specific treatment examples was most helpful! I liked the real-world examples of therapy and the breakdown of the conversations in language samples, and that other goals were addressed." S.J. (Nov. 2023)

"Detailed and relevant examples. The review of the principles was very useful to start the Level 2 course. The usage of videos and related discussions was also very helpful." T.D. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked the video examples and explanations. Meeting regulation needs alongside developing language. It was useful to be able to rewind and listen to explanations again." S.T. (Nov. 2023)

"I enjoyed the videos which helped me further understand the methods for treatment planning/execution." C.C. (Nov. 2023)

"This course provided valuable insights into the effective implementation of strategies for Gestalt Language Processors. The videos accompanying the course were particularly helpful, offering practical demonstrations that illustrated how to seamlessly integrate these strategies into therapy sessions. The focus on treatment was insightful." R.S. (Nov. 2023)

"Review of Natural Language Acquisition stages helped refresh my knowledge before looking at treatment. I liked the treatment videos and discussion on treatment contexts, activities, and planning." C.C. (Nov. 2023)

"I think taking more time to provide a thorough assessment by evaluating different communicative contexts will improve my clinical skills." G.H. (Nov. 2023)

"The explanations about observing more than one stage in a language sample were helpful. I enjoyed the video models with the explanation that followed." D.I. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked all of the videos in this section. I often use sensorimotor aspects in therapy with my kiddos, not just on the spectrum but in general. I feel like a lot of parents like the tabletop approach because "they need to learn for school," but there is so much to be said for learning in a "fun environment" that fits each kiddo. This is good confirmation and reasoning for why I will continue." C.G. (Nov. 2023)

"Both NLA level 1 and 2 are very informative. I like that everything comes from the author herself with lots of evidence." D.J. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked the many examples provided. I found relief in knowing that my play-based, child-centric sessions look as they should look. I often stress now that I work so closely with parents (who are uneducated about NLP) that they want immediate growth and structured activities." D.D. (Nov. 2023)

"The targets for instruction specific to the level were helpful. I liked being able to see the work in progress on video." K.B. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked the visual aides of therapy and child's mitigated gestalts vs just reading about them." A.L. (Nov. 2023)

"Real-life examples and treatment suggestions." J.W. (Nov. 2023)

"I liked the examples of therapy and the thought process behind the interactions. The video examples were beneficial." S.V. (Nov. 2023)

"Using gestalt language processing to understand language development with neurotypical and ASD children. I liked the videos." F.B. (Oct. 2023)

"The explanation of the stages of gestalt language development was beneficial. The discussion that the context can influence the level was helpful." M.A. (Oct. 2023)

"The discussion of how to determine what stage of GLP a child is in was beneficial. I liked being provided with examples of how to model different stages." R.D. (Oct. 2023)

"I found the breakdown of the stages very beneficial and will definitely apply them to the children on my caseload. I learned how to use echolalia to generate better language and to slowly move into the next stage." P.K. (Oct. 2023)

"I really enjoyed the play videos that showed children following the methods and treatments, demonstrating how the concept works. I liked the examples of how to move from contacted words to individual words and liked the advice on using verbs the child produces to engage in more phrases." P.K. (Oct. 2023)

"Learning more about selecting language targets to support mitigation. I always enjoy seeing how theory works in treatment and seeing videos of treatment." E.F. (Oct. 2023)

"Discussing how to move from assessment to treatment was beneficial. I liked how functional and child-centered this course was. As well as the constant reminder that all children are individuals and their language development process and progress will look different." J.W. (Oct. 2023)

"It was beneficial to discuss that gestalt language processors can be neurodivergent or neurotypical. I enjoyed the videos and dialogue between clients and therapists." L.K. (Oct. 2023)

"I will be talking about the importance of regulation for our students to access scripts and language. I liked the videos and info about regulation." R.A. (Oct. 2023)

"It was beneficial to discuss how to expand upon a child's echolalic utterances and promote the development of different combinations, facilitating self-generated language." L.B. (Oct. 2023)

"This course gave a realistic view of how to support GLPs through simple play-based activities. I also appreciated how progress was demonstrated, and examples of different stages were given. The implementation with multiple communication partners was beneficial." G.J. (Oct. 2023)

"I understand better now when to add the NLA approach for students who are clearly using gestalts, and also who have what others view as babbling. I enjoyed all of this course." A.C. (Sep. 2023)

"Examples of integrating interests into language based therapy were beneficial. I liked the video examples." S.M. (Sep. 2023)

"Learning the stages of development and how to choose treatment activities that align." C.S. (Sep. 2023)

"Understanding of NLA will help guide language targets as we implement play based therapy. The importance of regulation!!" K.T. (Sep. 2023)

"The treatment considerations were helpful as I work with a large ASD population in the schools. I appreciated the video examples to supplement the principles we were learning." E.R. (Sep. 2023)

"All of it! I found the assessment section immediately helpful. Individual access and pacing. Ability to view again." K.N. (Sep. 2023)

"Interesting course! Easy to follow and informative. Stages of NLA, video examples, treatment ideas." C.L. (Sep. 2023)

"The video examples and language analysis were beneficial. Explanations were clear and the terms were easily understood." E.J. (Sep. 2023)

"I liked the video modeling of treatment sessions. The treatment considerations and ways to incorporate sensory needs were helpful." V.B. (Aug. 2023)

"Treatment context and planning were beneficial topics. I liked the way of presentation, well-explained strategies, and role of SLP and OT to work together." V.L. (Aug. 2023)

"The incorporation of sensory regulation activities into sessions was beneficial. I liked the videos and the inclusion of two distinctly different gestalt language learners." C.W. (Aug. 2023)

"I enjoyed putting the knowledge to practice with the examples and case studies and given ideas of easily mitigable words and combinations for therapy." K.H. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked the case studies and videos. And that course provided video examples of what was being taught and discussed." E.A. (Aug. 2023)

"A deeper understanding of NLA." N.H. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked all of it. Course repeats the information and explains it very well. This has been very helpful for me." K.A. (Aug. 2023)

"I found having treatment child-centered continues to be most beneficial. When providing an adult model a child centered approach allows the therapist or adult model to provide spontaneous assistance. I liked that this level 2 course went into greater detail in regards to treatment and the videos gave great examples of how a session could possibly go." E.B. (Aug. 2023)

"How to break down a child's gestalts so that they can be mitigated into developing and progressing their language was helpful. I liked the ability to stop and review concepts so that I had a full understanding." J.V. (Aug. 2023)

"A child's regulation is important to interaction and communication at their level. Learning that stage 2 can look like stage 4, and children may sometimes revert back to stage 2 at stage 4." E.I. (Aug. 2023)

"The overall topic was important for me to learn. It's an important topic that was not enough of a focus in my graduate education." S.G. (Aug. 2023)

"Learning that any time, any stage, it's possible to be triggered back to early stage 1/2 gestalts. However, we have to be aware that the use of the early gestalts may have nothing to do with the "original" meaning. It may be simply a place to jump off from into different meaning. So, if we over-analyze those early scripts and gestalts and assume a student is using them for what the media initially conveyed or what they themselves initially used it for, we may miss the current present meaning and usage, and we are not following the student's lead. So interesting!" L.F. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked the treatment ideas, especially using the child's interest and the child's words most used." M.B. (Aug. 2023)

"The videos were helpful to see how you're using the strategies presented. I liked the videos, treatment ideas, suggestions for providing feedback and talking with parents/team." E.D. (Aug. 2023)

"I absolutely appreciated the design and content of this course. Learning about treatment contexts, activities, and planning was most beneficial. Watching a session in action from multiple perspectives clarified the multifaceted nature of the role of an SLP in NLA intervention. Watching the kids express their feelings, state preferences, and lead interactions at a seemingly "pre-mature" linguistic stage makes my heart full." M.K. (Jul. 2023)

"I really enjoyed the whole discussion. This material helped me to gain better insight into some of the children on my caseload. I liked the info regarding moving from echolalia to self-generated grammar. Videos are always useful in showing how techniques are effective in a natural manner." A.R. (Jul. 2023)

"It was helpful to see the videos of play-based therapy and language models used. I liked the videos of the therapy sessions as well as the final assessment which summarized the concepts very well." H.C. (Jul. 2023)

"Topics regarding treatment and goals as well as information on the current research. I liked being able to learn at my own pace." M.R. (Jul. 2023)

"Clear explanations of the different stages and interpretation of real life case studies." J.C. (Jul. 2023)

"Gained a greater understanding of NLA, assessment and treatment. I liked the way the presentation was organized." S.W. (Jul. 2023)

"I appreciated the examples of how to address emotional regulation as part of the therapy process." A.P. (Jul. 2023)

"This course has opened my mind to be more intentional to what the child's leading and inclination is in regards to language sampling than my own agenda. I liked the real life videos and examples." L.W. (Jul. 2023)

"Understanding how to practically implement techniques that support natural language acquisition. Seeing that therapy for natural language acquisition doesn't look very different from the play therapy we already implement, it's just the target words that change." R.M. (Jul. 2023)

"Understanding the stages and the movement between stages was beneficial. I liked the video examples." B.H. (Jul. 2023)

"The idea of meeting the kids where they are and the importance of self regulation was beneficial. I had a student this year who was very similar to the child in the video. She did not like people in her space, and constantly licked items. She would elope away from others. Her lack of regulation was not conducive to accessing her linguistics and language areas. I liked the video examples and their explanations." M.L. (Jun. 2023)

"I enjoyed learning about the other language goals that occur during treatment, such as social interaction. I liked the use of various video examples and inclusion of transcripts from real therapy sessions." G.M. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the explanation of how children go back and forth between stages and how all of the language in a particular sample may not be all in the same stage. It seems obvious now, but I had not thought of it that way when I took the Level 1 Course. The handouts were very helpful to organize and preview the information before I listened to the course." L.K. (Jun. 2023)

"Mitigation of core words and choosing the most salient language was beneficial. I liked the examples and videos." A.T. (Jun. 2023)

"I really liked seeing real examples of therapy sessions. I enjoyed that this course was a mix of evidence-based research and real-life examples." H.G. (Jun. 2023)

"In depth explanation and easy understanding supported by slides." T.M. (Jun. 2023)

"Using sensorimotor activities to collect an authentic language sample. I liked how course was broken into sections." A.B. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the sensorimotor activities in treatment and collaboration with OT. And the video clips and written dialogue." L.K. (Jun. 2023)

"Examples of how to integrate motor and sensory needs into therapy. I loved the video examples." E.P. (Jun. 2023)

"The importance of regulation is crucial in moving forward with kiddos, and this was communicated via lecture and video clips very clearly." J.W. (Jun. 2023)

"I enjoyed the many examples of students to follow through this course, and see them move through the stages. I liked the explanation of the GLP stages." M.R. (Jun. 2023)

"The presenter is great. Very knowledgeable and easy to follow. I liked the video examples!" M.C. (Jun. 2023)

"Discussion of the stages was beneficial. I liked the assessment tool." T.C. (Jun. 2023)

"Learning how to document on what you are seeing. I liked that this was an extension of the first course." J.G. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the videos and transcripts of language samples." M.H. (Jun. 2023)

"Learning how to keep the spontaneous language flowing. I liked the video examples of therapy in action and the technical information provided in reference to each video." R.G. (May 2023)

"Comparison of typical language development and gestalt language was beneficial. I liked how other principles of therapy can be combined for all children regarding their language processing style." J.A. (May 2023)

"I liked the treatment protocols and the discussion about discerning Stage 4 grammar from Stage 2 mitigations. I feel like I now have some tools to help my students with echolalia." A.K. (May 2023)

"Specific examples of language models to help with moving to stage 3." M.H. (May 2023)

"Learning how to approach treatment for Gestalt language learners. This course was direct, to-the-point, and with concrete examples." N.J. (May 2023)

"I appreciated learning more about how to better incorporate NLA into my treatment approach. I liked the concrete examples and videos of how this can be used with clients." C.M. (May 2023)

"This course was very engaging - the videos were great! I enjoyed watching the videos of sessions being conducted. This allowed me to see evaluation and treatment in a first-hand experience." W.F. (May 2023)

"I liked the different examples, videos, and the beautiful, joyful approach to understanding these children." M.D. (May 2023)

"The examples that were shown were very helpful in seeing how the gestalt language can progress to more natural language." L.H. (May 2023)

"Treatment considerations for next steps were beneficial." C.P. (May 2023)

"Appreciating the different levels of language development for gestalt processors." M.P. (May 2023)

"Application and use of treatment techniques with varied student needs was beneficial. I liked the video models." M.K. (May 2023)

"I liked the examples of language stages through videos." S.R. (May 2023)

"This course applies to almost my whole caseload. I liked that I could do it at my own pace." T.G. (Apr. 2023)

"Seeing what a treatment session looks like and what are the goals within the session. I liked the videos and real-time demonstrations/examples." K.M. (Apr. 2023)

"The videos were very helpful, and also the summary of what we observed. The importance of self-regulation and the need to respect what a child needs in terms of sensory processing was beneficial." E.H. (Apr. 2023)

"Very relatable and practical. The videos were helpful and I recognized some characteristics of my own students in the children in the videos." P.N. (Apr. 2023)

"I will start using more sensory activities with my gestalt language learners. I liked the information on where to start (i.e., modeling gestalts with I'm, let's, and it's). I found the transcripts and the videos very helpful." H.D. (Apr. 2023)

"I liked the helpful models to support a child where they are in their language development and taking into account the process of gestalt language processors." E.R. (Apr. 2023)

"The importance of regulation in treatment with children with ASD was beneficial. I liked the video clips and conversation examples." K.G. (Apr. 2023)

"This course changes the perspective in that echolalia is still a normal language development, it just seems delayed because they can articulate, but very young children can't. I like that this course changes that perspective." R.S. (Apr. 2023)

"Analyzing the stages and how to distinguish between the stages was beneficial." D.A. (Apr. 2023)

"Learning how to plan for therapy." T.Y. (Apr. 2023)

"I enjoyed the treatment portion of this course, along with how progress is reported. The presenter was knowledgeable and moved at an adequate pace. I enjoyed the video examples as well." A.K. (Mar. 2023)

"The idea that natural language modeling can be used, not just with our analytic processors but with our kids with echolalia and very little self-generated language as well, with the goal of moving ALL kids to more complex self-generated language." C.S. (Mar. 2023)

"Real-life examples and follow-up analysis. I liked the examples of the language Marge provided for the children and the way it was done." S.R. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning the language to describe what I see in my little clients was beneficial. I liked learning about another way children learn language and how to use that in therapy." B.S. (Mar. 2023)

"Case-based discussion. I liked the reference to individuals who have worked through NLA." L.S. (Mar. 2023)

"I enjoyed the discussion of how regulation can impact language development. The videos and transcripts were helpful." J.D. (Mar. 2023)

"I liked the video examples of the process in action. Learning how to analyze the language sample to pull out meaningful targets." E.A. (Mar. 2023)

"Choosing gestalts that are relevant and incorporating sensory information. I liked the video examples." A.L. (Mar. 2023)

"Reviewing the levels of NLA and how to be aware of where the child is coming from and where he/she is headed." L.V. (Mar. 2023)

"I liked the videos of the treatment sessions and videos showing use of suggestions." B.M. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning how to apply NLA in treatment was beneficial." C.N. (Mar. 2023)

"The videos depicting the way the child was responding to the clinician were very informative." N.S. (Mar. 2023)

"Videos with examples of how clinicians modeled to the child were beneficial. I liked the accessibility of course with ability to rewatch when needed." M.B. (Mar. 2023)

"Real world examples. I liked the videos of therapy." I.S. (Mar. 2023)

"The videos helped with increased understanding of the process for intervention." L.S. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning to analyze the language sample and then utilize that to plan language targets." A.B. (Mar. 2023)

"All content was good. The therapy videos were helpful to see the children's progress." K.S. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning how to help with mitigations was beneficial." A.M. (Mar. 2023)

"I liked the language development principles and play therapy." K.B. (Feb. 2023)

"All of the material is very beneficial for me and my therapy with my children with autism. The videos present real-life examples which are very helpful." W.S. (Feb. 2023)

"I appreciated the presentation of the different children and how treatment eventually facilitates the beginning stages of grammar." L.A. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the breakdown of the language sample and explanation provided. And the interactive videos." S.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Steps to planning therapy to enhance gestalt language development. Marge Blanc's obvious love and respect for the children with whom she works." L.F. (Feb. 2023)

"The video examples of therapy were awesome! It's so helpful to see what therapy should look like (and very validating to see that my sessions are very similar). The parts all about sensory motor considerations were beneficial. I am excited to find new materials to use in my practice that give kids access to sensorimotor experiences to aid their regulation and language development." J.B. (Feb. 2023)

"Seeing that NLA-based therapy is very easy to integrate into play-based therapy that I am already practicing. Marge is a wonderful instructor. She cares about her patients and it really shows in her work." M.H. (Feb. 2023)

"Informative course. I liked the language development info and video examples." K.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Videos of therapy. Liked I could go at my own pace and work it around my busy schedule." R.B. (Feb. 2023)

"The stages of treatment were helpful and also the importance of incorporating sensorimotor, play-based activities in therapy for optimal language input and output. I am taking a DIR Floortime course at the moment and can see how these two approaches overlap and could be implemented simultaneously for a child." G.G. (Feb. 2023)

"Viewing treatment was beneficial. I liked the discussion and analysis of language produced, and how to make language and sensory motor input part of the whole process." S.S. (Feb. 2023)

"The examples of each child's progression and examples of thinking through what each statement might have meant were very beneficial. The examples were good and the PowerPoint was effective." N.V. (Feb. 2023)

"Practical! Analysis of gestalts and recommendations for goal writing." K.M. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the therapy techniques. There was a lot of practical information that I can directly use in my daily practice." J.F. (Jan. 2023)

"Loved the topic of this course; very informative. Videos and first hand experience." L.X. (Jan. 2023)

"It was beneficial thinking about how to determine what we are modeling with the stage the child is at as well as where they have been." T.P. (Jan. 2023)

"Treatment considerations were beneficial. Very informative course. I liked the video clips." H.P. (Jan. 2023)

"The entire course was beneficial for treatment purposes. The videos were great examples of how to choose targeted language gestalt to mitigate in therapy. All of the treatment videos were helpful to see the material put into practice." A.J. (Jan. 2023)

"I loved the video examples! Learning that even if we encounter a GLP who is already at Stages 4-6 it is helpful to acknowledge where that child has come from language-wise and still affirm the occasional gestalts the child uses. And learning how important it is to follow the child's interests and sensorimotor needs to be able to compete with the media that naturally attracts the child." T.T. (Jan. 2023)

"Learning that echolalia is a delay, not a disorder. I liked the video examples." V.R. (Jan. 2023)

"The instructor was enjoyable to listen to and the information is so important to help the autistic community, especially those who can't explain this gestalt way of thinking for themselves." H.D. (Jan. 2023)

"Learning how I could measure progress was beneficial. And that I could take course at my own pace." T.L. (Jan. 2023)

"I assess and provide therapy to many young children who are Gestalt language processors. This course opened my eyes to a better approach to assessing and providing intervention to clients as well as to explain NLA concepts and considerations to parents." N.M. (Dec. 2022)

"The discussion on treatment I found to be interesting. The Level 1 and Level 2 courses were very interesting. I learned a lot and it is so wonderful to see that those kids who are echolalic do not have a language disorder - they are just delayed. It is also good to see and hear that echolalic speech can develop with self-generated speech. I have new insight in moving forward with these kids." S.F. (Dec. 2022)

"Course gave new ideas! Breaking down echolalia and mitigating it was beneficial." N.M. (Dec. 2022)

"The comparison of analytic language processors to Gestalt language processors and how they are not disordered, but delayed, was beneficial information. The examples were helpful in understanding the concepts." M.C. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the stages of development - breaking down the spontaneous utterances of clients." D.G. (Dec. 2022)

"Solidified understanding that models are OK - even if you feel progress is slower." E.H. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the discussion of picking contracted forms to help with both a gestalt as well as development of grammar in higher stages of language development." C.G. (Dec. 2022)

"Videos shown were helpful." V.H. (Dec. 2022)

"Videos of treatment were very helpful as examples, and discussion of the different factors to consider when planning intervention for a specific student (especially one with significant sensory and motor needs)." K.W. (Dec. 2022)

"Picking out the word that they are trying to communicate in the echolalic speech was really helpful in this course. I appreciated the ability to go at my own pace." M.C. (Dec. 2022)

"I loved the videos. I also loved the positivity and focus on making the viewer feel competent and confident in both our original skills and in our new knowledge. I appreciate that concepts were repeated, but in different and new ways that kept me attentive." L.F. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the discussions about how to use effective language models. The integration of sensory-motor abilities in treatment choices was helpful." M.F. (Dec. 2022)

"I appreciated the discussion about the importance of regulation for a child's language skills and practice. I liked that there were real treatment videos included." M.J. (Dec. 2022)

"Great way to see how to take early gestalts and find ways to mitigate and introduce new/forward-thinking content. Videos were helpful." C.I. (Nov. 2022)

"I came away with knowledge on how to treat each child based on their level of language acquisition and their interests." C.C. (Nov. 2022)

"I liked the review of the video scripts prior to the presentation of the video to better watch for steps and needs." C.D. (Nov. 2022)

"I liked the specific examples that were shared through videos of children." M.S. (Nov. 2022)

"I liked the video examples." T.D. (Nov. 2022)

"Learning the language development of gestalt language learners was beneficial to my daily practice." G.C. (Oct. 2022)

"The use of the natural environment, specific speech production, and particular intentions for each child was good. I liked the course content." S.J. (Oct. 2022)

"Functional material and treatment ideas." K.R. (Oct. 2022)

"I just thoroughly love this model of teaching language development to children with ASD. I have often found children that I work with using echolalia functionally. This is wonderful evidence to tie to my practice." D.J. (Oct. 2022)

"The discussed stage and method of development evaluation was beneficial to my daily practice." M.K. (Oct. 2022)

"I liked the information on including sensory-motor experiences in your therapy and that you can do it even in small spaces." A.D. (Oct. 2022)

"Observing treatment sessions was very beneficial to be able to have a better sense of how it could be applied in practice.  It was great to see the video clips of how sessions are conducted in the clinic and were great examples which demonstrated how this could be carried out in the field."  A.H. (Oct. 2022)

"NLA stages and how to take these into account to set linguistic goals will guide my sessions. I will apply the NLA approach to all my kiddos."  M.L. (Oct. 2022)

"The examples from the SLP's real experiences, the video models, and transcripts were good."  E.B. (Oct. 2022)

"The explanations of the stages and how to use the assessment protocol to analyze the stages was beneficial information for me."  S.H. (Oct. 2022)

"I enjoyed learning of the stages of Gestalt language."  A.D. (Oct. 2022)

"I liked Marge's breakdown of the transcripts presented. And determining which stage the child is in."  J.Z. (Oct. 2022)

"Liked learning about gestalt language processors and picking language models."  M.L. (Oct. 2022)

"The sample language exchanges between clinicians and child were good."  K.R. (Oct. 2022)

"All of the information can be implemented into daily practice immediately."  N.P. (Sept. 2022)

"Marge is a wealth of knowledge and truly the expert on this subject. I will definitely be using more sensorimotor activities and play-based routines to build gestalts."  H.D. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked how the videos went along well with the context and topics the speaker was talking about. It was good to see live examples."  M.M. (Sept. 2022)

"This course is confirmation of what I'm doing is best practice. :)"  J.S. (Sept. 2022)

"I enjoy how this course is broken down into multiple sections. The sections are rewarding when you finish each."  J.D. (Sept. 2022)

"The specific treatment approaches to use were good. I liked seeing videos of actual clients and treatment strategies in action."  T.R. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked the examples of gestalt models and practice identifying a child's mitigated gestalts."  M.S. (Sept. 2022)

"I like that I am able to re-watch this training as I begin to implement what I have learned and explore what this looks like with my clients."  C.H. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked all the videos."  W.F. (Sept. 2022)

"It was nice to see assessment and treatment techniques in action. Very straightforward presentation. Enjoyed having video content."  N.G. (Sept. 2022)

"The course helped me understand so many of my students."  K.J. (Aug. 2022)

"I liked that Marge stressed the importance that we have to meet the child where he is and continue to mitigate language and continue to teach to the next level of development, and that we have to consider the 'whole" child in the process---which means that we need to understand what motivates the child, what his sensory needs are and how to facilitate self-regulation and then superimpose linguistic models to match the self-regulation and move forward."  M.D. (Aug. 2022)

"The video examples and written scripts of the child's language made it easy to follow the content."  A.R. (Aug. 2022)

"The video examples were most beneficial as I can get an understanding of what terms were what stages. Easier to identify by seeing it take place than just being told by an instructor."  K.C.-M. (Aug. 2022)

"Use of video examples and discussion was good." J.M. (Aug. 2022)

"I enjoyed learning more about the stages of NLA and where children fall. I really enjoyed Marge's real-life experiences and examples to help illustrate her points."  A.T. (Aug. 2022)

"I liked the videos." K.B. (Aug. 2022)

"The transcripts of the child's speech and interaction with the clinician were helpful."  J.T. (Aug. 2022)

"Reviewing the scripts prior to the videos was helpful - knowing what it meant and what to look for in advance. Lots of repetition of the stages and what they look like. I also sincerely appreciate the acknowledgement that things aren't always easy to parse out." L.F. (Aug. 2022)

"I liked the commentary and case studies." N.S. (July 2022)

"This was an Ah-ha moment for me that helped me understand how all language learners fit in! Break down gestalts into usable mix/match parts – non ASD kids use gestalts that sound like jargon and are usually able to break it down into component phrases or single words by the time they are intelligible, so we see those as “first words." The videos were helpful to see the therapists in action." M.K. (July 2022)

"I liked taking a deeper dive into NLA and how to incorporate it into therapy sessions." M.H. (July 2022)

"I liked the ease at which I can use this information in my daily practice with my students."  T.O. (July 2022)

"The written examples of verbalizations at each stage of development with supporting videos were good."  K.G. (July 2022)

"There were a few interesting "nuggets" surrounding gestalt language processing being considered a delay as opposed to a disorder, which was eye opening."  G.K. (July 2022)

"The videos were cute and good examples." S.J. (July 2022)

"Super applicable right away." K.B. (July 2022)

"Information from previous course was reinforced. The videos showed ideas put into practice." T.H. (July 2022)

"I enjoyed watching videos and reviewing the stages of NLA again. I liked the format as it was easy to follow and the treatment section with examples the best."  T.N. (July 2022)

"I liked the video examples which really allowed me to see the types of gestalts the clients were using in real time, also reinforcing that we need to follow the child lead and interests is key in working with autistic children.  I also liked that I could go at my own pace , take notes, re-watch videos and listen to certain sections more than once."  J.B. (July 2022)

"I learned the importance of self-regulation to set up a child’s readiness for language modeling during play routines.  Easy explanation, the slow pace helped me stay connected to the topic."  A.H. (July 2022)

"The need to cater to student interests and not focusing on compliance-based therapy is beneficial for my daily practice."  A.Y. (July 2022)

"I learned the importance of self-regulation to set up a child’s readiness for language modeling during play routines.  I liked the many examples Marge gave of clients."  J.S. (July 2022)

"I enjoyed all the video examples and transcripts.  Real life examples that were not perfect, but a realistic approach on how NLA can be applied."  L.S. (June 2022)

"This course will help me when working with echolalic children.  I enjoyed learning about the NLA protocol."  M.I. (June 2022)

"The blending of the patient's sensorimotor needs with the language and social goals during treatment sessions were helpful."  T.C. (June 2022)

"Knowing the stages of ALP and GLP (outlined in this course), I will be able to determine which kind of language processor my students are during assessments. If they are GLPs, I will now be able to take language samples and score them according to which stage they are in (most likely), using the 50% rule.  I love the stories and videos Marge shares. It helps to SEE it in action, and then breaking it down afterwards is a HUGE help as well."  S.P. (June 2022)

"The videos and explanations were good."  S.C. (June 2022)

"I enjoyed the videos."  B.G-M (June 2022)

"All of the course was beneficial.  I like the pace and information."  L.U. (June 2022)

"Very informative and real life examples."  D.B. (June 2022)

"The real-life video examples were very helpful." J.W. (June 2022)

"The presenter appeared very knowledgeable about the content. I enjoyed that videos were included throughout the presentation as concrete examples. And stressing that therapy with these children is similar to play-based therapy for other children. It doesn't have to seem scary or overwhelming." M.N. (June 2022)

"I felt this built onto treatment plans introduced in Level 2 and I found the treatment videos helpful. I found it very functional and also I think an important component of working with ASD kids." K.K. (June 2022)

"I liked the overall emphasis on treatment with different children, and seeing therapy in action through videos." A.D. (May 2022)

"The discussion of letting a child have fun and seek what he/she says under the conditions of preferred sensorimotor experiences was good." M.S. (May 2022)

"I liked that it was broken up into sections with titles, has handouts, and audio can be made faster or rewound." R.K. (May 2022)

"The language sample analysis and case scenarios with videos and explanation from Marge were great." M.L. (May 2022)

"I appreciated all of the video examples and explanations of what was happening (and which stages various utterances were considered to be in)." C.R. (Apr. 2022)

"I really love Marge's affection for her students and her passion for the subject." J.V. (Apr. 2022)

"Discussion about stage 2 and stage 4 similarities, differences and considerations was beneficial. I liked the video examples." C.S. (Apr. 2022)

"The video clips provided good examples of sessions." H.Z. (Apr. 2022)

"I liked the review of previous course information prior to starting Level 2, and the insights regarding gestalts and mindfulness needed when choosing language models. I also liked the video examples and thorough handouts." K.L. (Apr. 2022)

"I think the need to take gestalts and analyze them for the purposes of mitigation in order to move into stages 3 and 4 was particularly helpful." C.R. (Apr. 2022)

"The live videos were helpful to gain a greater understanding!" J.E. (Apr. 2022)

"I liked the video examples with discussions." K.P. (Apr. 2022)

"The therapy videos and explanations were helpful. The easy to follow presentation style was my favorite." T.R. (Apr. 2022)

"I loved learning and understanding that the right therapeutic approach can make a huge difference in the child's development of language. I loved the videos and explanations of what is happening from a linguistic perspective." P.D. (Mar. 2022)

"Understanding that delayed echolalia is just a delay and not a disorder is beneficial to my practice. This gave me something to do in therapy for my students who use delayed echolalia."  L.C. (Mar. 2022)

"Videos are very interesting and helpful in describing the language play/modeling." K.T. (Mar. 2022)

"Gestalt learners is very interesting. I need this information in order to treat my students effectively. I liked that I was able to take at my own pace."  D.C. (Mar. 2022)

"This was a great course I love being able to watch these in practice." A.D. (Mar. 2022)

"I enjoyed having the different stages outlined of what therapy might look like. Having the ability to see how therapy works with NLA students was helpful." A.A. (Mar. 2022)

"I will be more likely to work with OT and get my students good and happy before completing a language sample. -good examples of how to score-warm and loving attitude towards children reminds me/shows me how to respond to dysregulated kids". J.B. (Mar. 2022)

"I could listen to Marge speak all day. The information she provides and the detail is exceptional." M.P. (Mar. 2022)

"Lots of examples with explaining how NLA therapy works during play." T.K. (Mar. 2022)

"The detail given in relation to the videos - so informative and makes one think. I love listening to passionate people." M.P. (Mar. 2022)

"Great to learn about a topic not many other providers are covering." A.W. (Mar. 2022)

"Lots of examples explaining how NLA therapy works during play." T.K. (Mar. 2022)

"It was easy to understand while offering new information." L.R. (Mar. 2022)

"The language samples written out and discussed before showing the videos helped me to understand what I should be watching for. There were multiple videos included to support the information."  E.B. (Mar. 2022)

"I liked the treatment and progress report ideas and the real life videos of treatment in action!" J.S. (Mar. 2022)

"I liked the videos to help demonstrate treatment and assessment - Assessing children who are GLP and using intervention strategies paired with the videos." S.M. (Mar. 2022)

"Helpful intro to supporting a child moving from gestalt to self-generated language." J.R. (Feb. 2022)

"The videos are very helpful to see how these utterances are generated vs. just reading the generated utterances. Visual context is helpful." J.S. (Feb. 2022)

"Loved the video samples from sessions and appreciated the commentary, especially when speech productions were inaudible."  L.K-L (Feb. 2022)

"I loved the videos of therapy that Marge included in the training. It is helpful to see what a therapy session looks like with our gestalt language processors."  M.H. (Jan. 2022)

"I found it helpful to watch the videos and go through the transcripts. It was beneficial to see such individual difference between different children.  I liked learning that we just need to adjust our play therapy a bit and just a good reminder that taking data is important so we know what the child is doing and saying and how the child is communicating-what level or levels they may be at developmentally. I also enjoyed seeing the mix of sensorimotor activities while using language/communication." L.C. (Jan. 2022)

"How to mitigate and move through the levels to help my students acquire language naturally." D.T. (Jan. 2022)

"All of the topics were helpful. I feel I am re-learning this process of treatment.  The videos and illustrations with speech bubbles were helpful and kept things interesting. The simple Step charts and explanations were also helpful." R.M. (Dec. 2021)

"I love the instructor's voice and her love of her students."  L.C. (Dec. 2021)

"The idea of gestalt language processing was new to me. I found the sequence of development especially enlightening and useful. The information was a new way of thinking about language development."  S.B. (Nov. 2021)

"I love the instructor. Educated and passionate. The course is motivating."  J.K. (Nov. 2021)

"The importance of sensory regulation and how it builds opportunities for communicative success was beneficial for my daily practice."  J.P. (Nov. 2021)

"The presentation was clear and included repetition which helped with understanding the concepts."  M.M. (Nov. 2021)

"The stages of gestalt processing and how you can sit across multiple stages was beneficial for my daily practice.  I liked watching the videos and reviewing the progress of each child." K.S. (Oct. 2021)

"The importance of self-regulation in order for a child to be able to communicate and/or interact with the others appropriately was beneficial for my daily practice.  I liked the videos along with language samples to see how the child and clinician interacted." C.K. (Sept. 2021)

"Everything about this course is exceptionally useful in how I approach treatment plans for my autistic clients.  The course was easy to follow, videos to see treatments in action." B.S. (Sept. 2021)

"The discussion centered around matching language to the sensorimotor activities in the treatment considerations. The inclusion of videos of a wide variety of treatment sessions were good." M.T. (Aug. 2021)

"Mitigation examples for echolalia language provided by the SLPs were good." C.C. (Aug. 2021)

"How to define and work through NLA was helpful and the organization was good." R.V. (Aug. 2021)

"I appreciated the video examples with transcripts, an opportunity to see this approach in action. I enjoyed the pace and the fact that the course was broken up into segments. I find that in this day of zoom/webinar fatigue (thank you, Covid), some presentations really rush the information in order to make the courses shorter. However, I am finding that I attend better if I can watch short segments instead of racing through an hour chock full of information." D.M. (Aug. 2021)

“It supplemented the book nicely. This has been a somewhat difficult approach for me to wrap my head around with children who are significant scriptures. Where to begin, how to adapt my language to provide a better model, activities and language that break down the scripting and build it into more meaningful language units, etc. Understanding that there is a process to gestalt language development. It was all very helpful.”  W.H. (Aug. 2021)

Course Objectives

  1. Describe the principles of gestalt language processing in relationship to the stages of natural language acquisition (echolalia to self-generated language).
  2. Describe the consideration of treatment parameters in planning therapy sessions for children who are gestalt language processors.
  3. Describe the incorporation of other principles of therapy that are relevant for all children, regardless of language-processing style.
  4. Describe how the stages of natural language acquisition for a gestalt language processor complete the understanding of language development for all children.
  5. Describe how other language goals can be addressed along with gestalt use, mitigation, word isolation, and developing grammar.

Presenter & Disclosures

Marge Blanc, MA, CCC-SLP, is the Director of the Communication Development Center (CDC) in Madison, Wisconsin, the non-profit clinic she founded in 1997. Until two years ago, CDC provided individualized physical and linguistic support for neurotypical and neuro-divergent children and young adults with complex communication profiles. Now CDC is the center of a growing international effort to share research and resources about gestalt language development.

Marge began combining clinical practice and clinical research in 1994 after she met her first autistic client as a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin. Recognizing his ‘delayed echolalia,’ Marge delved into the work of Barry Prizant, Ann Peters, and other qualitative researchers who had documented gestalt language processing (GLP) as a way of processing language naturally — and outlined the stages of gestalt language development. After her client followed the stages in the way predicted by Prizant, Marge decided to follow Prizant’s recommendation to conduct research to describe that process in detail. Founding her clinic in 1997, Marge continued to document how GLPs develop language from ‘delayed echolalia’ to self-generated language. Marge coined the term Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) to describe that process, and to emphasize the fact that ‘echolalia’ is not a pathology and should be recognized as the first stage of gestalt language development.

Marge first used the term ‘NLA’ in 2005 when she published the article, “Finding the Words: to Tell the Whole Story,” based on the case study of her first autistic GLP. Marge continued her clinical research until 2010, and assembled her findings in the book, Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum: the Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language, published in 2012. Endorsed by Prizant as “the most comprehensive consideration of echolalia and language characteristics of persons with autism to date,” the NLA book is known as a “seminal work” that “brings us back to a crucial understanding of language characteristics and language acquisition in ASD…” (Prizant, 2015)

NLA describes the first four stages of gestalt language development identified by Prizant, adds the two additional stages researchers had identified as further grammar development, and quantifies the developmental process. NLA can be used in assessment, measuring progress, and supporting the process of gestalt language development. The NLA book became the sourcebook for the courses, the presentations, and the resources that now have proliferated.

Along with Prizant and two other colleagues, Marge presented NLA at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention in 2014. Lillian Stiegler was in that audience, and recognizing the significance of NLA, this seasoned CSD professor wrote an AJSLP review article bringing NLA to the academic community in 2015. Marge then authored several NLA presentations and workshops on NLA in 2016, and these steps spawned a movement that is now taking NLA into countries in North, South, and Central America, Europe, and Asia. Marge’s pioneering research is helping SLPs, SLTs, and other speech and language professionals understand that echolalia is meaningful communication, and the first stage in the journey towards self-generated language.

Marge is the author of three online continuing education programs offered through Northern Speech Services: Natural Language Acquisition in Autism: From Echolalia to Self-Generated Language (Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3). Her most recent course adds crucial insights to the foundational courses of Levels 1 and 2, and dives deep into the stages of Natural Language Acquisition from Stage 1 (use of gestalts) to Stage 6 (use of complex grammar). Marge also presents regularly to school districts and other educational organizations, and provides networking and education for Speech-Language Pathologists through the CDC website, www.communicationdevelopmentcenter.com 

Presenter Disclosures:

Financial — Marge Blanc is a presenter of online CE courses sponsored by Northern Speech Services; royalties are received by the Communication Development Center.

Financial — Marge Blanc is the author of the book, "Natural Language Acquisition on the Autism Spectrum: The Journey from Echolalia to Self-Generated Language"; she does not receive royalties, however, the non-profit Communication Development Center does.

Nonfinancial — Marge Blanc is the founder and director of the Communication Development Center (CDC) in Madison, WI; she does not receive any compensation in this role.

Intended Audience / Accreditation

asha ce approved provider

This program is offered for 0.25 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level; Professional Area).

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • OT
  • Parent
  • SLPA

ASHA CEUs: NSS online courses are registered with ASHA and are offered for ASHA CEUs. The number of ASHA CEUs is noted above. Note that 0.1 ASHA CEU = 1 contact hour = equals 1 CEE.

ASHA CE Registry: During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.

ASHA CEUs: Attendees must meet at least one of the following conditions in order to be eligible to earn ASHA CEUs:

  • Current ASHA Member.
  • ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) Holder.
  • Licensed by a state or provincial regulatory agency to practice speech-language pathology (SLP) or audiology.
  • Credentialed by a state regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology.
  • Credentialed by a national regulatory agency to practice SLP or audiology.
  • Engaged in a Clinical Fellowship under the supervision of an individual with their ASHA CCC.
  • Currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral program in SLP or audiology.

If an attendee is not an ASHA member or CCC holder but meets any of the above criteria, they may inform the ASHA CE Registry of their eligibility by visiting this site.

Licensing Boards: Most state licensing boards DO accept CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some state boards do, however, place a limit to the number of credits that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any credit limits related to home-study courses prior to registering for this course.

Additional accrediting agencies by which Northern Speech is an approved CE provider:

  • California: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the California Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Board. Provider #PDP4. Online CEU limits may apply; please contact SLPAHADB for current online CEU acceptance policies.
  • Iowa: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Iowa Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology Examiners. Provider #169.
  • Kansas: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Provider #LTS-S0005.
  • Florida: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board. Provider #SPA-026.
  • New Jersey: NSS is approved as a provider of continuing education by the New Jersey Department of Education. Provider #1654.

Frequently Asked Questions



Customer Support: Please phone 888.337.3866 or email info@northernspeech.com.

Course Completion Timeframe:

You have unlimited time to complete our online courses. You may log off and log on as often as you’d like to in order to complete all sections of a course.

However, completion dates are based on Eastern Standard Time. Therefore, if you need your CEUs by a certain date, be sure to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on that date. For example, if you need CEUs before January 1st, you will need to complete the course test before 11:59pm EST on December 31st.

Content Access:

Access to course materials and content does not expire, even after completing the post test. You may continue to review course material by logging into your NSS account, clicking the My Online Courses tab, and then viewing your desired course.

Certificate of Completion:

On successful completion of the post test (80%), a certificate will be immediately available for download and/or printing. This certificate will include your name, date of completion (based on Eastern Time Zone, USA/Canada), and number of contact hours (CEUs / CEEs). Please note that CEUs are awarded on the date of successful test completion, not the date of course enrollment. Please ensure that you successfully complete the post test prior to any licensure renewal dates.

ASHA CE Registry Submission:

During the enrollment process, if you select to receive ASHA credit for this course and if you provide your ASHA number, NSS will automatically submit your CEU information to the ASHA CE Registry after successful course completion (80% on post test). This submission happens once per month, during the first week of the month. For example, if you complete your course on November 7th, NSS will submit all November online course CEUs to ASHA during the first week of December. When ASHA inputs the information into their database, they will mark the course as completed on the last day of the month in which it was completed, so November 30th using this example. The certificate of completion available for you to print immediately, however, will reflect the actual completion date, November 7th in this example. Due to ASHA processing procedures please allow 2-3 weeks, from the submission date, for the course to appear on your ASHA transcript.

Purchase Orders:

Purchase orders are currently not accepted for online orders, if you wish to submit a purchase order please do so at info@northernspeech.com or fax to 888-696-9655.

What is an Online Course?

Our Online Courses consist of video, audio, and/or text content and are offered for ASHA CEUs. Unlike a webinar, which requires participants to be logged on and at a computer at specific times, our Online Courses are available to you at any time, from any device, via your NorthernSpeech.com online account. You may work at your own pace and start and stop your course as you wish. Your course will conclude with a short post test. On successful completion of the post test (>80%), a printable certificate of completion is presented to you.

Receiving CEUs:

Northern Speech is an ASHA CE Provider and our online courses are registered with ASHA and offered for ASHA CEUs. Please note that successful completion of the online post test is required prior to the awarding of CEUs. Please contact your state licensing board for acceptance policies related to CEUs earned online. Please note that courses offered for university students are not applicable for CEUs.

Registering for an online course:

You may browse all online courses by clicking the Continuing Education tab above, then Online Courses. Once you find a course, click Enroll Now, and you will be asked to either log into your existing Northern Speech account or create a new online account. Once you’ve entered your account information and provided your credit card payment, your course will be immediately available to you.

Accessing your purchased course or returning to a purchased course:

You will be able to access your online course by logging into your Northern Speech account and then clicking the My Online Courses tab on your profile screen. Click the course you would like to start or to resume. From there, proceed through the course sections until you are ready to complete the post test. You do not have to complete your course all at once. You may log on and off as you wish.

Testing requirements:

Each online course concludes with a post test consisting of multiple choice or true & false questions. Scores of 80% or greater are required for successful course completion and awarding of CEUs. You may revisit course materials and retest as needed to achieve a passing score.

Number of CEUs offered:

We offer courses from 1 to 21 contact hours. Each course will note the number of CEUs offered. Please note that 0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour = 1 CEE.

State licensing boards and online CEUs:

NSS is an ASHA CE Provider and most state licensing boards DO accept ASHA CEUs earned online (usually classified as home-study credits). Some boards do, however, place a limit to the number of CEUs that can be earned via home study/online courses. For the most current information, we suggest that you contact your licensing board or agency to verify acceptance policies and/or any CEU limits related to home-study courses prior to enrolling in an online course.

Course formats:

Our course formats include: text, audio, video, and PowerPoint with author narration. Each course will note the format on the course description page. Most courses include closed captioning.

Course handouts:

Most of our online courses provide a link to download the accompanying handout as a PDF file. 

Group discounts:

Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a 20% discount on each registration on most of our online courses. To receive this discount, registrations need to be processed together via the "Group Rates" tab on the Online Course of your choice.

Computer requirements:

For our online courses to function best, we recommend that you update your computer to include the newest version of your Internet browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc.) and newest version of your computer's operating system. Also a high-speed Internet connection is recommended (cable or DSL). Speakers or headphones will be required for many of our courses as many contain audio components.

Course Cancellation Policy:

A purchased online course can be exchanged, refunded, or transferred to another individual if contact is made with NSS (via phone or email) within 30 days of purchase and the course materials have not been viewed or downloaded. 

Special Needs:

Please click here for any special needs requests, and we will do our best to accommodate them. 

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