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$69.00 USD

94% rating - reviews

0.3  ASHA CEUs

Natural Language Acquisition In Autism: Echolalia To Self-Generated Language, Level 1 #e82


Presenter: Marge Blanc, MA, CCC-SLP

NLA Level 1 Course

Linguistics of Echolalia in Language Development


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


This NLA Level 1 Course describes the linguistics of echolalia in language development, starting with the use of large units of meaning known as language gestalts. It compares the gestalt language processing of neurotypical children with that of autistic children. It reviews research on the communicative use of echolalia, and addresses the differences between autistic echolalia in the past and in the present.

This course discusses the natural stages of language development from Stage 1 (communicative echolalia) to Stages 4-6 (self-generated grammar) in individuals who are gestalt language processors, and focuses on supporting autistic children as they move through the stages. Described will be a protocol for assessing spontaneous language in autistic children, determining the stages of language development, and deriving appropriate language development goals.

Offered for 0.3 ASHA CEUs – 3 contact hours.

Course Overview – Run Time: 3:06:44

  • Overview
  • Relevance
  • Linguistic Foundation In Neurotypical Language Development
  • Research In Language Development In Autism
  • Process of Language Development
  • Assessment
  • Treatment, Older Students and Summary

"I absolutely loved every aspect of this course. It has opened my eyes to the whole world of natural language acquisition, Gestalt language processing. A must for all SLPs. Thank you so much!"

– A.H., prior course participant

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"This course sets the clinician up for success to be able to start ax & tx right away with gestalt processors. Very practical information with precise examples to refer back to as you start working with a new client."

– J.D., 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

"The discussion of the NLA stages will be beneficial on how I would assess and treat my gestalt processing patients. I like how the information emphasized on the importance of understanding every child's intention to communicate and not merely focusing on the level of language grammar." G.S. (Oct. 2024)

"Explanation and examples of the stages of gestalt language development AND examples of types of language/phrases that are most beneficial in treatment in each of the stages!!! I could change the video speed and watch at my own pace. I also loved that there were various real-life examples of clients and their language rather than only theoretical examples." S.S. (Oct. 2024)

"I really enjoyed how to assess the client's expressive language and determine what stage the child is at." C.G. (Oct. 2024)

"The acceptance of NLA as being not a disorder but a different way of communicating that should be shaped rather than changed. I liked the way the course was organized. The explanation of NLA started at the beginning for a novice and built on that." M.H. (Sep. 2024)

"The Six stages of language development for neurotypical gestalt language processors and for gestalt language processors with ASD. I liked the pace the speaker went with the material as well as her slides." C.V. (Sep. 2024)

"For me, it was most beneficial to understand how to assess and subsequently treat students who are gestalt language processors. Specifically, the structure that is layered on top of the concepts. It is wonderful to be able to take a course on my own time so I don't have to worry about taking off work or missing time with my children." L.S. (Sep. 2024)

"I especially liked the topic discussing the stages of Gestalt Processing. It was very relevant to the children I handle. I was able to relate their experiences/progression to the topic and had deeper understanding and clearer expectations on GLP progression. The course is easy to access, and there is no time pressure in completing the course. Most of all, it is very relevant to the current cases I handle, especially post-pandemic and with the rise of gadget-use." M.T. (Sep. 2024)

"The assessment section was particularly helpful. I enjoyed the neurodiversity affirming framework and the relevance of the information." M.M. (Sep. 2024)

"All of the information in this course was incredibly helpful. The assessment portion was incredibly helpful. I liked how it gave a solid foundation on the language development, and discussed evaluation and treatment. The personal examples provided by the presenter were fabulous." M.J. (Sep. 2024)

"It was helpful discussing how to collect language and analyze samples. Having a scoring system to write goals and monitor progress. So clear, informative & encouraging." S.L. (Sep. 2024)

"The examples given which break down how to assess and treat NLA were beneficial. I appreciated how Marge Blanc went into the data and research from the past that was so relevant to this topic and which underscored and paved the way for current assessment and treatment." S.K. (Sep. 2024)

"The presentation was very thorough and provided practical information that I can apply to my therapy immediately." N.P. (Sep. 2024)

"It was beneficial discussing the difference between analytic and gestalt language processors; examples on how to mitigate long chunks of echoed language transitioning to 1-2 words. I liked the course convenience and availability." A.O. (Aug. 2024)

"Older children - I have a few 10-12 year olds who have just started with me and I believe are GLPs. I've watched a lot of the free webinars on the NLA website so this was great to consolidate, and hearing that my 10-12 year olds may or may not reach grammar, and it's still valuable to get to mitigations if that's as far as they get because it can increase the flexibility of what they can say and when was really helpful in knowing what to aim for and how to discuss likely prognosis with parents. The course was self-paced and clear to understand." B.W. (Aug. 2024)

"As an SLP who works with many autistic students, I find it beneficial to understand how they may better process language so I can help foster a healthy environment for learning for them and to encourage language development. I enjoyed the downloadable handouts and packets that were provided for us." L.H. (Aug. 2024)

"The relevance and research regarding gestalt language processors was beneficial. I liked that I could use closed captions and change the audio speed." I.J. (Aug. 2024)

"Being able to better support the kids I work with with ASD in the early learning program as they move through gestalt language stages. I liked being able to work through the sections at my pace/schedule." B.D. (Aug. 2024)

"The assessment because it can be applied in my daily setting and I have something functional to use and show caregivers. The sections made the course flow nicely." D.E. (Aug. 2024)

"Examples of language sample scoring were helpful. I liked that I could learn at my own pace (pause and stop as needed)." L.B. (Aug. 2024)

"All new info for me. Enjoyed it all. Especially learning what gestalts are and how language can grow from that." L.M. (Aug. 2024)

"A new way of looking at the development of language will help me reframe my therapy and targets within therapy with this type of language learner." A.S. (Aug. 2024)

"The discussion of how GLP can be across neurotypical or neurodivergent individuals was beneficial. I appreciated the ability to resume course when able." S.B. (Aug. 2024)

"I found all the discussions on the developmental framework to be beneficial. I enjoyed the assessment section with language sample analysis examples." D.B. (Aug. 2024)

"A deeper understanding of the importance of increasing emotional regulation. A deeper understanding of the stages of NLA and the strategies at each stage to model. Broken up for breaks and talking out what I have learned." S.D. (Aug. 2024)

"Gestalt language and mitigating were beneficial to discuss. Also breaking it down to single words because I would think that as regression. I liked the pace and how it was broken down into sections." M.T. (Aug. 2024)

"I liked the practicality and the examples." L.C. (Aug. 2024)

"Stages of language development; explanation of each stage. The instructor was very thorough and knowledgeable. She spoke throughout the entire course in a very soft but firm voice; very evenly paced. The material was much more understandable due to this." A.G. (Jul. 2024)

"This course is extremely well organized and detailed. I appreciated the overview and the discussions comparing analytic language development and Gestalt Language development. There were many visual supports and references to therapeutic intervention in the clinical setting. I also appreciated the practical aspects of the course as it relates to assessment of the child's language development and the outline and examples of therapeutic techniques in the clinical setting." A.B. (Jul. 2024)

"I liked Marge's explanations and examples." L.C. (Jul. 2024)

"I enjoyed the video examples and charts of development." C.F. (Jul. 2024)

"The benefits of understanding NLA in AU." J.M. (Jul. 2024)

"The stages of gestalt language processors and how to provide appropriate models. Very clear in providing information. Good handouts." S.C. (Jul. 2024)

"The connection with NLA and "typical" or analytic language processors. I enjoyed this flexible (digital) course." S.P. (Jul. 2024)

"Redefinition of a child who is nonverbal was beneficial. I liked the pace of the presentation." P.H. (Jul. 2024)

"The NLA Scoring procedure was particularly helpful to use as a jump off for many of my current clients who are at a mixture of stages. The course was very thorough and provided a lot of real-life examples that help explain the technical concepts." A.B. (Jul. 2024)

"I liked the examples of how to mitigate echolalia and examples of how to score language samples." K.W. (Jul. 2024)

"Understanding the NLA stages was the most beneficial for my daily practice. I really enjoyed understanding the history of the approach." Y.G. (Jul. 2024)

"The course was not time-consuming, well organized, and beneficial as an SLP who treats many ASD children." J.H. (Jul. 2024)

"It was beneficial understanding ALD v GLD Assessment, using the DSS. Having better language to use when I'm explaining a child's language to parents and when writing reports to describe a child's language." T.E. (Jul. 2024)

"It was beneficial to discuss how to model a variety of combinations from their echoed utterances. I liked that the course was self-paced." M.D. (Jul. 2024)

"Analysis and treatment sections were very helpful. It is going to change my practice immediately for the better with my autism patients." E.S. (Jul. 2024)

"Understanding Gestalt language and how it relates to communication was beneficial. I liked that the course was broken down into smaller sections and the use of specific examples." P.T. (Jul. 2024)

"All of the information was helpful. I'm incredibly grateful for the NLA framework to guide my practice as I support language development with many remarkable individuals. I love that I can play and replay each lesson." N.G. (Jul. 2024)

"Very fascinating to learn of the different stages and how we can complete more accurate assessment to help transition these kiddos into the next language development stage. Easy to follow, able to go at my pace." A.S. (Jul. 2024)

"The entire course was beneficial. I think it's helpful to understand the research behind NLA and understanding the 6 stages is most beneficial to understanding gestalt language development." A.W. (Jul. 2024)

"Assessment of GLPs was helpful. I liked the anecdotes from clinical experience." M.W. (Jun. 2024)

"I love the examples - it's always nice to get "real life" perspective and practice." K.E. (Jun. 2024)

"I learned a lot about the specific stages of NLA and how to analyze a language sample to figure out where a child is at and how to help them move from one stage to the next." A.G. (Jun. 2024)

"Assessing Gestalt Language processors was helpful. I liked being able to stop and start as I needed." J.S. (Jun. 2024)

"Treatment and assessment tips for gestalt processors- I felt that assessment review and materials were very straightforward and easy to understand. I liked that this course covered gestalt in both ASD and NT students." A.S. (Jun. 2024)

"The assessment was beneficial, especially the examples. Easy to follow; handout to refer back after the course is completed." B.R. (Jun. 2024)

"I related to meeting the child where they are at and what they are interested in and involving the families. Also that there was encouragement to not recreate or make more gestalts by giving an abundant use of examples of their single word. I benefited from hearing about the history and data that indicates that there is NLA for these students, and I was glad to hear the information about best not to script." P.N. (Jun. 2024)

"Examples of the stages are useful for a newish practitioner to NLA. Also, appreciated the comparisons between NLA and analytic development. Marge Blanc is amazing." J.M. (Jun. 2024)

"All of the information was helpful! I liked that the course was easily accessible in Australia." N.R. (Jun. 2024)

"Confirmed that my therapy approach is beneficial. I liked the presenter's knowledge and examples." M.A. (Jun. 2024)

"The entire topic was extremely pertinent to my job and easy to follow." R.T. (Jun. 2024)

"I really appreciated the presentation as a whole and how clearly the stages were outlined. I appreciated the examples of how to complete the assessment." E.L. (Jun. 2024)

"Learning about the stages of echolalia can help me better understand what my patient is presenting." V.B. (Jun. 2024)

"I will be able to collect a language sample from my autistic students who use echolalia and apply that information to determine the functions of their echolalic utterances. I did not know that echolalia had functional communicative value and could be used to help children with ASD develop language." J.V. (Jun. 2024)

"I enjoyed learning about the different stages of language development and guidance on where to start teaching these little ones. I enjoyed the specific examples of how specific Gestalts were mitigated in therapy to promote movement through the stages of development. I liked the way the stages were outlined with specific examples of phrases the children used and how it shifted over time with therapy." A.P. (May. 2024)

"This course explained how you can take gestalts and expand them into more utterances and move to longer grammar sentences. I like that it clearly explained what a gestalt was and how to pull words from one to make another." S.Z. (May. 2024)

"Learning about the stages and the evaluation process was helpful. The course was very informative." J.O. (May. 2024)

"All is relatively new for me, so everything said was beneficial. I liked the organization of how the information was presented." C.G. (May. 2024)

"I felt I really learned a lot about recognizing how it is a language delay, not a disorder. I learned about how gestalt language processors develop differently but have a lot of similarities." K.J. (May. 2024)

"It was beneficial to discuss the process of natural language acquisition or the 6 stages. I liked the examples of gestalt language given with real students." D.D. (May. 2024)

"The entire course is relevant to my caseload and I liked the ability to take it self-paced between other obligations." C.L. (May. 2024)

"This is a new area of learning for me and I really think all the information will be relative to my daily practice. Very well presented." L.T. (May. 2024)

"Examples of stage 1 were helpful. A lot of information was covered. The course provided practical information to apply to practice." M.L. (May. 2024)

"Beneficial introduction to the topic and assessment. Illustrated with a lot of examples." S.G. (May. 2024)

"It was helpful to discuss the stages of language development in Echolalia. I liked the pace the course went through the material." J.G. (May. 2024)

"This course significantly increased my understanding of Gestalt Language Learning. I have a much better understanding now of the stages of development in the Gestalt Language learning style. I can now view the clients that my students provide speech therapy to in the College Clinic through that lens. It will greatly improve my ability to provide appropriate clinical education to my graduate students. The examples of the children and their "real" speech patterns were very helpful." M.K. (May. 2024)

"I learned a lot about the gestalt processors with practical information. The handouts were helpful and useful for my job." B.T. (Apr. 2024)

"It was beneficial understanding that ASD kiddos who are GLPs are learning language legitimately and that I do have the ability to better assist them." S.J. (Apr. 2024)

"All the information was beneficial to help me understand my 5-yr-old grandson's issues. Clear, logical, informative." R.S. (Apr. 2024)

"I treat many children who either have a diagnosis of ASD or present with many characteristics consistent with ASD. I enjoyed learning about the stages of language development because it helped me understand what I am seeing in the children I am treating. I love how Marge Blanc presents. She speaks as though she is having a conversation with the learner, and she makes it very engaging." B.S. (Apr. 2024)

"Learning the functions of echolalia and how to use learned phrases to support more flexible/expand communication." M.R. (Apr. 2024)

"The assessment part was beneficial. I liked that I could take the course at my own pace." D.M. (Apr. 2024)

"I enjoyed learning to identify each stage of Gestalt language development and the examples of each of the stages." R.O. (Apr. 2024)

"All of the course was beneficial. I enjoyed the case studies, examples reference to research and relating it to current day." K.P. (Apr. 2024)

"I liked that there are personal stories about the speaker and her patients who are gestalt processors." M.G. (Apr. 2024)

"The assessment process and the resources were beneficial. I enjoyed the real-life examples." M.F. (Apr. 2024)

"Knowing each stage of development is so helpful, as I can provide language models that are actually appropriate for a GLP. This course was thorough, and I loved the real-life examples." S.P. (Apr. 2024)

"Everything was new, useful information I will use daily working with children with ASD. Very informative, research based, practical." G.R. (Apr. 2024)

"I enjoyed learning about natural language acquisition and stages of development for language. I enjoyed the real-world examples and references." K.B. (Apr. 2024)

"The entire presentation was beneficial. This is still new to me and it was so great to hear directly from Marge! I took another extensive course on GLP, however Marge's presentation filled in the missing information and was provided in a very cohesive way. I appreciate the thoroughness of the topic presented." J.K. (Apr. 2024)

"Echolalia can serve many communicative functions. I liked that I could take the course on my own schedule when I had time." S.P. (Apr. 2024)

"The course provided the slides, times for each video and was easy to navigate." E.K. (Apr. 2024)

"Examples of utterances from each stage were helpful. Very detailed and lots of examples." L.H. (Apr. 2024)

"All of this course was beneficial. I am new to gestalt language. The handouts were helpful and I liked that I could listen and process without having to try to take notes like a crazy person." L.T. (Apr. 2024)

"I love the comparison of natural language acquisition to analytic language acquisition. I liked that the course was self-paced." M.M. (Apr. 2024)

"I can definitely use every topic covered in this course. Lots of examples. Very clear and repeated ideas, so that they sunk in!" R.M. (Apr. 2024)

"The parts that discuss what we can do in treatment were helpful." J.Q. (Apr. 2024)

"It is a whole new way of thinking about autistic and even language-delayed children. The course was very informative and supplied a lot of resources to go back to." S.B. (Apr. 2024)

"I liked the information about the stages of gestalt language processing and how typically developing and autistic children progress through these stages." C.E. (Apr. 2024)

"This was the first time that I have had any continuing education on NLA and the information fits in with a few clients I currently have that I now know are gestalt learners. I enjoyed the breakdown of all the stages and how to do a language sampling to determine their language level." S.H. (Apr. 2024)

"Nice overview of all of the levels. I liked the acknowledgment that movies do not provide the best gestalt models. Therapists and parents need to engage with children at their level during meaningful shared activities and model functional easily mitigable gestalts." M.V. (Mar. 2024)

"Honestly all of the course was beneficial; I was never taught this in graduate school when I attended 2014-2016! Gave lots of nice examples and was at my own pace." J.L. (Mar. 2024)

"I enjoyed the assessment and treatment ideas for students. So easy to follow and understand. The instructor is so clearly passionate about what she’s teaching." E.H. (Mar. 2024)

"The use of this with my EI population is helpful. I enjoyed the explanations." C.C. (Mar. 2024)

"The real-life examples provided throughout helped to make connections with the information taught and my previous experiences with NLA children I have worked with. I liked the examples provided and the information given to help explain this to others on my student's team." R.S. (Mar. 2024)

"I work mostly with students on the autism spectrum and it was beneficial understanding their gestalt processes and development impacts assessment and intervention. Self-paced. Access to both handouts and questions in advance." C.M. (Mar. 2024)

"All of it was beneficial! The stages, examples, assessment and treatment are imperative to provide best practices to our clients and families! It's brilliant! I've tried with my students and the results speak for themselves. The students are developing language." K.C. (Mar. 2024)

"The assessment, scoring language samples, and identifying what Stage children are at were all helpful to discuss. This course was informative and packed a lot of information in a short amount of time." K.H. (Mar. 2024)

"I liked the systematic way the information was presented to give you a fuller picture of history and foundations of the approach." J.J. (Mar. 2024)

"The stages of NLA were very helpful to break down. I enjoyed the examples of development of lang of specific patients." S.W. (Mar. 2024)

"The general review and assessment portions were the most helpful. This course gave breadth and depth about a popular topic that is not often discussed enough." K.O. (Mar. 2024)

"Learning about the specific stages and how to progress was beneficial. I liked the specific examples of gestalts and recombining." C.S. (Mar. 2024)

"I will apply this material toward working with children who are gestalt language processors." A.C. (Mar. 2024)

"All of the course was beneficial: introduction to the stages of NLA, assessment, and treatment tips/ideas. Easy access; functional (easy to address the needs of patients/families that I see on my caseload." N.L. (Mar. 2024)

"I enjoyed the history and research that has been conducted for NLA. I found the assessment topic was the most beneficial for my daily practice." J.L. (Mar. 2024)

"I found the specifics about assessment to be most helpful." K.V. (Mar. 2024)

"NLA development and the six stages were beneficial. I loved the story of Ben at the end and how he made up his own poem." S.H. (Feb. 2024)

"All information regarding the stages of echolalia development and assessment was beneficial. Good detail and useable information." R.M. (Feb. 2024)

"All of the course was very helpful. I liked that I could complete and review at my own pace." M.W. (Feb. 2024)

"Understanding that assessment/scoring is not as cut and dried and heavily depends on (knowing) the child. I liked everything!! Marge’s presentation style was so helpful- just the right speed, and all the examples and explanations made sense." P.H. (Feb. 2024)

"It was beneficial looking at gestalt & echolalia as a step in the process to possibly get to grammar instead of as "nonfunctional" communication." J.S. (Feb. 2024)

"I appreciated the many examples for each of the stages. It helped deepen my understanding of the topic. I liked the organization and summary following each section." I.N. (Feb. 2024)

"The recognition that echolalia is still communicative and more of a delay than a disorder. I enjoyed the practical facts I can use immediately." J.J. (Feb. 2024)

"I really loved the assessment section, with NLA language sampling analysis. I think it was awesome and sounded like the latest research, very relevant to many students I know, and using understandings that I have gained in working with children through experience (that have been effective), that I was not previously taught about." S.E. (Feb. 2024)

"Mix and match and mitigating were beneficial. I liked the examples of children the speaker worked with and testimonials from parents." K.G. (Feb. 2024)

"I enjoyed the real-life examples from Marge's work with children." S.F. (Feb. 2024)

"Stages of GLP, assessment, and treatment were helpful. I liked all of this course!" C.B. (Feb. 2024)

"Beneficial assessment of NLA, and each stage. I liked that I could listen and refer back to slides as often as I needed to." G.C. (Feb. 2024)

"Discussing the 6 stages was helpful. I liked the language samples and assessment." A.R. (Feb. 2024)

"The treatment section for gestalt processors was beneficial. Marge was a great presenter, and the course flew by!" M.A. (Feb. 2024)

"I liked the personal examples paired with the information about gestalt language processing and the visuals." B.S. (Feb. 2024)

"This course was a good overview of GLP. I learned a few more bits of information even after taking other courses." D.T. (Feb. 2024)

"I liked the explanation to parents of how GLPs follow the same course as neurotypical children but with two extra steps. Assessment- Language sampling for the children." P.S. (Feb. 2024)

"Everything was beneficial. I liked how much I can apply to my current practice." A.L. (Feb. 2024)

"Discussing how to use NLA strategies in therapy was helpful." C.S. (Jan. 2024)

"Learning about the stages of gestalt language acquisition was most helpful, as well as the discussion about how to mitigate echolalia and work through the stages of Natural Language Acquisition with children. Well organized course and easy to use." C.M. (Jan. 2024)

"Discussing the stages of language development for neurodiverse population was beneficial. I liked the examples from children in various stages." C.B. (Jan. 2024)

"This course will be hugely helpful for working with young children in my private practice. The presenter was excellent - a very good teacher!" K.M. (Jan. 2024)

"The language development of a child with ASD, because I can inform the parents, especially when they are worried about a child's use of echolalia. Great, clear slides and Marge has an engaging way of communicating/speaking. I also like that you give examples of how to support autistic children." H.N. (Jan. 2024)

"Discussing how to assess children who might be gestalt processors was helpful. I enjoyed the examples from her practice." C.R. (Jan. 2024)

"The description of the 6 stages was helpful. I enjoyed the calming presentation." T.S. (Jan. 2024)

"Discussing the process of Language Development was beneficial. I liked the examples given after the explanations." D.S. (Jan. 2024)

"The background was helpful, good examples of how to analyze and think about language samples." S.B. (Jan. 2024)

"Assessment was beneficial. The course was to the point." E.B. (Jan. 2024)

"The course was a good review of how echolalia works in ASD and NT kids. It was a concise, succinct, and still informative introduction." A.B. (Jan. 2024)

"It was helpful breaking down of stages and how to score within the assessment. I liked the ability to re-watch, re-listen to certain parts so it could sink in better." A.E. (Jan. 2024)

"The whole course was VERY beneficial!" L.B. (Jan. 2024)

"The majority of my caseload, as well as the caseloads of those I supervise, are children with ASD, so all of this information is applicable and beneficial. I have completed many courses on NLA, so the assessment portion of this webinar was the most beneficial for me. I look forward to taking more of a deep dive into the next level of the NLA course to learn more. Excellent handouts and a good pace. Love all the extra resources. Marge Blanc is a gem!" S.P. (Jan. 2024)

"Framework for assessment and intervention was helpful. I liked that the course was self-paced and accessible." J.C. (Jan. 2024)

"The assessment was helpful. I enjoyed the organization of materials." E.E. (Jan. 2024)

"I think breaking down the stages of GLP was most beneficial for me. I liked that the course was go at your own pace." A.M. (Jan. 2024)

"A different way that language can and does develop, something to always keep in mind with any student, ASD or neurotypical, I may work with. Very insightful information that helped me better understand a less common, but no less "right" way of developing language." J.C. (Dec. 2023)

"The difference between gestalt language processors and analytic language processors. I enjoyed the examples and handouts." S.G. (Dec. 2023)

"The assessment section will help me figure out where to start with my clients. This course gave me a new perspective I haven't heard before." S.F. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the use of language scripts in language development and helping a child with ASD mitigate his language and go through the stages. The concepts were explained well." S.G. (Dec. 2023)

"Opened up a whole new mindset for me for working with gestalt language learners. Various examples were beneficial to get started with the children I am currently working with." A.G. (Dec. 2023)

"When Marge went through each stage it was very helpful. I also liked the examples of the language sample of both the student and the clinician. I liked how Marge showed the language samples and how the therapist helped to mitigate and mix and match them." B.S. (Dec. 2023)

"This was a new treatment approach for children with ASD." B.F. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the descriptions of NLA stages, specific examples of mitigated language chunk and word/unit combinations, sideways hourglass analogy. Very applicable material." L.M. (Dec. 2023)

"I have more of a general understanding of NLA and how to use scripts to support and develop functional language at the appropriate stage. Recapped - clear to follow and build understanding." C.C. (Dec. 2023)

"The topic and content were comprehensive. Learned how to classify and define Gestalt Language Processing." M.B. (Dec. 2023)

"Beneficial assessment of NLA and how grammar can be integrated into scripts for the child. I like that I could go at my own pace, and go back and listen to sections multiple times if I wanted to better understand things." A.R. (Dec. 2023)

"Rich information with lots of examples. I liked the discussion of avoiding jumping into grammar work too early." G.F. (Dec. 2023)

"Learning how the gestalt processing works and how to work with what they are able to say to get them to communicate with others. The mitigation of the chunks is so interesting. I love how the presenter explained how the process works over and over to get it into our heads and her use of examples." M.C. (Dec. 2023)

"The stages of language development of NLA, how to assess it, and how to work best with these types of students. There was so much helpful information that will be helpful to use with my caseload." S.S. (Dec. 2023)

"Learning the stages of NLA I found to be most beneficial. The presenter's examples of previous clients that she spoke about helped to make more sense of this topic." K.G. (Dec. 2023)

"Stages of gestalt development; assessment; I really liked Marge's style, and I can recognize myself in it. It gave me confidence in my own style, and now I have more knowledge to base my skills on." L.D. (Dec. 2023)

"Better understanding of the use of echolalia and neurodivergent affirming principles." M.H. (Dec. 2023)

"The NLA assessment protocol will inform my future evaluations with Gestalt language learners." A.C. (Dec. 2023)

"Thinking in terms of gestalt language processing is so interesting. I will model more language that can be generative, and I will use more open language. If they are going to the trampoline, I’ll say let’s go jump, instead of just requesting or trying to get them to answer with their own gestalt, like if I use something from a song that they say next line. The voice of the presenter was very pleasant and easy to understand." A.M. (Dec. 2023)

"It was beneficial reviewing the steps of language acquisition for children with ASD and the language sample. I liked breakdown of each stage and real-life examples." J.M. (Dec. 2023)

"Discussing how to level students who are gestalt language learners using the 50% rule was helpful. I like that the course was relevant to working in schools with the high caseload numbers of students on the spectrum." J.W. (Dec. 2023)

"All of the course was beneficial! Easy to do in parts and fit into my busy schedule." V.C. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the real-world examples. I found the assessment and treatment examples/strategies most beneficial." J.W. (Dec. 2023)

"Presenter was quite knowledgeable and interesting! She had awesome examples!" D.H. (Dec. 2023)

"The acknowledgment of NLA in neurotypical children as well as ASD children. I liked the speaker's calm and steady teaching style." A.B. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the examples of language - language samples and descriptions/explanations." K.C. (Dec. 2023)

"Learning about assessing to identify which stage a child is currently functioning was helpful." R.R. (Dec. 2023)

"I liked the whole concept of gestalt language processing representing a form of language development." E.B. (Dec. 2023)

"Great course! I liked how applicable this course is to my everyday practice. The overview of language development for GLP was helpful." M.R. (Nov. 2023)

"How to obtain a language sample, how to apply NLA stages to goal writing, and how to target in therapy. I liked the short and very informative videos and illustrations." K.S. (Nov. 2023)

"Discussing how to provide new gestalts based on a child's spontaneous language was beneficial. I liked the NLA assessment guidelines." N.D. (Nov. 2023)

"This was a completely different way for me to view and understand my older ASD clients. I did not know how to use their echolalia as a jumping-off point to mitigate language. I liked the additional resources that were provided and how simple assessment and treatment are to begin." S.J. (Nov. 2023)

"In depth look at gestalt language processing and evaluation methods. I liked the discussion of history and research base of NLA." C.C. (Nov. 2023)

"The personal examples that Marge shared were incredible." F.A. (Nov. 2023)

"I loved the easy-to-understand slides and information. The most beneficial topic for me in my daily practice is that both neurotypical and neurodiverse students and clients can be gestalt language processors." A.J. (Nov. 2023)

"This was a clear description and explanation of NLA in neurotypical and ASD children. I now feel like I understand and can explain NLA for students with ASD." A.Z. (Nov. 2023)

"Assessing the stage of NLA and ideas for ways to mitigate into smaller chunks was helpful. This course gave lots of detail to make the material easy to understand and follow." A.P. (Nov. 2023)

"Understanding the gestalt language development itself was beneficial. I have many ASD students who I now can understand so much better! I enjoyed hearing about real-life clients and their successes." J.W. (Nov. 2023)

"Ways to tie the levels of language development to treatment. And showing how to use it with real language samples." M.R. (Nov. 2023)

"The discussion on differentiating between neurotypical echolalic children and echolalic children with ASD was helpful." J.W. (Oct. 2023)

"I enjoyed all the examples Marge gave from her real-life practice. This course provided me with a better understanding of my NLA students and how to support their language development." E.M. (Oct. 2023)

"I enjoyed it all. The presentation, set up, and examples were perfect! I liked the outlines of language samples as well as assessment/treatment examples." C.Y. (Oct. 2023)

"Reviewing that gestalt language processing is a typical form of language development was beneficial. Also, learning about spending lots of time in stage 3. I liked the way this course was broken up into on-demand sections." E.F. (Oct. 2023)

"The entire topic of NLA and the stages will be very beneficial as I now know how to approach early GLP patients and how to move through development with their treatment. I liked the combination of information provided orally and via the presentation slides." M.Z. (Oct. 2023)

"Understanding that we need to proceed through the language development levels instead of jumping to grammar. I really enjoyed the examples." C.S. (Oct. 2023)

"Very functional and had a great number of examples. The assessment of the language stage through language samples and scoring various stages of NLA was beneficial." J.W. (Oct. 2023)

"Research, assessment, and treatment portions were beneficial. I liked the conversation examples between patient and clinician. I liked that there were sections. Being a 3 hour course, it was nice to easily be able to stop and start the course where you left off." K.B. (Oct. 2023)

"Describing the different stages and how to use a language sample to help analyze a child’s utterances and language development was beneficial. I liked the examples of presenter working with her clients." C.R. (Oct. 2023)

"This is a new concept for me, and I am thrilled to come across it! This course will definitely impact my practice and approach when working with children. It was a good overview - I am looking forward to diving in more deeply." D.A. (Oct. 2023)

"New information that I can use in my practice." A.E. (Oct. 2023)

"Course was comprehensive and gave real life examples." A.W. (Oct. 2023)

"Good presentation style, and informative practical information. I liked discussion of the stages of NLA and assessment." T.D. (Oct. 2023)

"I liked the stages of language acquisition and how to support my clients. And the ease of taking course from home." D.P. (Oct. 2023)

"Breaking down analytical vs gestalt language. I liked the examples and all of the resources." C.G. (Oct. 2023)

"I will rethink now the way I work with children using gestalt language. I always appreciate real examples." J.N. (Sep. 2023)

"This course gave me a new understanding of the process of teaching language through the stages of language development." D.I. (Sep. 2023)

"I liked the breakdown of stages. This approach is a new way to understand echolalia and how to mitigate language to increase meaningful communication." M.C. (Sep. 2023)

"Practical examples. I enjoyed learning about the NLA assessment and stages of language development." M.M. (Sep. 2023)

"This course had great anecdotal examples to understand and dissect each stage of NLA." H.V. (Sep. 2023)

"The assessment/language sampling recommendations were helpful. This course is relevant to many clients, and will have immediate impact on my practice." J.C. (Sep. 2023)

"I liked the assessment and writing goals. Informative and helpful course with great examples and application to practice." S.F. (Sep. 2023)

"Very informative course and from the NLA author herself. Identifying gestalts and understanding how we can understand our children." D.J. (Sep. 2023)

"This course provided new insight on best practices for children with echolalic language. I liked learning the stages of gestalt language and how important it is to provide opportunities in therapy sessions and with daily activities that allow the child to hear different meanings and combinations of the gestalt so they too can isolate and combine them in different ways." E.H. (Sep. 2023)

"Treatment for echolalia and gestalt language users. This information was fantastic and the progression was logical." S.E. (Sep. 2023)

"The implications/application for assessing and treating gestalt language processors, particularly with my ASD population was beneficial. I liked that I could go back and re-listen to a concept, to really understand the examples and key points." T.M. (Sep. 2023)

"Detailed information about echolalia and practical navigation on how to approach echolalia in children with ASD." A.K. (Sep. 2023)

"All of the information presented is applicable to my practice. I liked the case studies." K.B. (Sep. 2023)

"I found the stages of Natural Language Acquisition very useful. I liked the written examples of language produced by a child going through the stages of NLA." A.L. (Sep. 2023)

"Learning how the process of natural language acquisition is acquired for children who are demonstrating echolalia was helpful. I love that this course was self paced and so informational." M.B. (Sep. 2023)

"I liked learning from Marge Blanc herself." J.A. (Sep. 2023)

"Course was interesting and straightforward. I liked all of it!" S.T. (Sep. 2023)

"Knowing that we can "plant" useful gestalts to mitigate is very helpful given that many, many gestalts that kids get from the media are not easily mitigated. This course is an excellent background and basis for how to start." A.C. (Aug. 2023)

"All of the information was beneficial. I really liked the assessment discussion. Very beneficial course - a fresh way to look at language acquisition." G.S. (Aug. 2023)

"I enjoyed learning the stages of language development in ASD children, how to assess them and develop treatment plans that will make a difference. I have not been previously exposed to this type of treatment and am looking forward to level 2 and 3 for even better understanding of ASD. This course was easy to follow and very educational for a new comer to ASD treatments." P.K. (Aug. 2023)

"I enjoyed all of the examples of the kids that were seen in the clinic and how to apply what was taught. This helped me think about my clients on my caseload and how I can best serve them and advance their language to their best ability." L.K. (Aug. 2023)

"This entire course was enlightening, and I can't wait to take the next sections! Marge is an engaging and enthusiastic presenter who helped to re-light the fire of passion I have for speech." J.A. (Aug. 2023)

"I can use this information in my practice." K.G. (Aug. 2023)

"All very useful and especially the information about how to treat at each level. Course was interesting and went at a good pace. Liked that I could stop or rewind if I wanted to listen to something again." S.T. (Aug. 2023)

"I found this entire level 1 presentation relevant to my daily practice with my clientele with autism. This course was very enlightening and applicable from assessment to treatment. I liked the breakdown of the material. The history shared was not something taught in graduate school in regards to natural language acquisition in autism. Most importantly I have to highlight the assessment portion." E.B. (Aug. 2023)

"Description of gestalt language processing development, and assessment and intervention strategies to use with gestalt language processors were beneficial topics. The information was presented in an organized manner with many real life examples and useful strategies for assessment and intervention." A.G. (Aug. 2023)

"I work with neurodivergent children and families. This information is new. I found it very important to share NLA and identify gestalt language. I liked the examples and the pictures were very educational." C.S. (Aug. 2023)

"All of it was eye opening." B.F. (Aug. 2023)

"Everything! Very clear with good examples." C.I. (Aug. 2023)

"I thought discussing the stages and its research was very interesting. I liked the pace of the speaker. She was very well articulated and had a great rate of speech (for us slower processors lol)." A.L. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked the novelty of this course and the research that backs NLA. And learning how to assess what stage a child is in and how to model mitigations with a child." M.B. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked everything discussed!! Love this approach!" M.B. (Aug. 2023)

"Clear explanations of how to rethink language acquisition in children." A.B. (Aug. 2023)

"This whole course was informative as to NLA overall, and the specifics were good in terms of how to use it. Very clearly presented in an easy-to-understand way. The presenter, Marge, was excellent and had a lovely, warm vibe - and she obviously knows what she's talking about! Very relatable and lots of good stories from her practice that were very touching and lent credibility to her course." S.G. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked everything! Looking forward to using these methods and learning more from Marge's 2nd and 3rd presentations!" E.D. (Aug. 2023)

"I liked the information, personal stories, and application of methods in case studies." K.H. (Aug. 2023)

"The presenter is fabulous! Learning about the stages of gestalt language processors was beneficial." R.R. (Aug. 2023)

"Learning how to complete assessment. Real exemples of each stage, talking through how to identify each stage." D.B. (Aug. 2023)

"Helpful for assessments. Learning that neurotypical children can also be GLPs." O.P. (Aug. 2023)

"I believe that learning about the stages of language development in our patients with autism is crucial. I have observed that sometimes people are unaware that echolalia is part of their language development, and they should not avoid it, and instead use it as a bridge to improve their language and communication. I love having the opportunity to study this information alongside the author of the book. Thanks for this online course. I'm grateful." M.G. (Jul. 2023)

"This course was very thorough and interesting. The whole topic of gestalt language processing is not something I've been exposed to over my years of practice in a school setting. Especially now, during a time of inundation of students with ASD who exhibit this type of language development, this information will be very useful in trying to help them meet their language needs." E.T. (Jul. 2023)

"New way of thinking about ASD language development. Learning that ASD has a typical language development and it can be targeted at its level and work towards improved language skills." M.S. (Jul. 2023)

"Very clear. Loved the examples with the children." G.C. (Jul. 2023)

"The case study examples were most beneficial as they helped me relate to my experiences and observations in daily practice. I love that this course combines the basics of GLP in theory and practice. This makes me more confident about advocating for my client's needs from an evidence-based background." M.K. (Jul. 2023)

"Learning the six stages of development and how to work within those stages. The examples were very helpful." A.B. (Jul. 2023)

"Clear examples of NLA stages and assessment of NLA stages." V.R. (Jul. 2023)

"Gaining an understanding of gestalt language processing will change how I approach students and therapy for gestalt processors. It will also change my conversations with parents and teachers. I liked that the sections were labeled and broken down." A.R. (Jul. 2023)

"Course is structured, highly informative, new information, and it is self paced." M.S. (Jul. 2023)

"I liked the assessment and helping parents understand the stages of NLA. Real life examples." J.S. (Jul. 2023)

"Course was clearly presented with multiple research supports." K.M. (Jul. 2023)

"Real-life scoring exposure and practice was beneficial. Different information than other courses I've taken." P.G. (Jul. 2023)

"The language sample scoring process for NLA will be very helpful for determining appropriate goal targets AND explaining progress to parents and colleagues (particularly during the process of breaking down / mitigating gestalts, using individual words, and appreciating less grammatical self-generated sentences). I appreciated the information and examples provided." A.P. (Jul. 2023)

"I found the stages of NLA beneficial as it relates to quite a few of my students. I like how course is self-guided." A.K. (Jul. 2023)

"How to identify and assess Gestalt Language Processors. I liked the application to real life cases." M.A. (Jul. 2023)

"ALL of this course will be helpful with treating my gestalt language learners. I liked that it covered everything from the stages, to assessment to intervention." L.S. (Jul. 2023)

"This course helped me give words to things I have been doing and observing for years. That helps me feel like the way I am communicating with parents is sounding professional and rings true." J.R. (Jul. 2023)

"ALL OF IT!  I evaluate and work primarily with autistic students, many of whom are GLPs. Marge has such a passion, and you can feel it. This course was well laid out and easy to navigate." J.H. (Jul. 2023)

"Practical application of how to plan assessment and treatment." R.M. (Jul. 2023)

"The stages described in GLP and how to assess these children was beneficial. I liked the examples and descriptions of the stages and the assessment portion." K.H. (Jul. 2023)

"Learning to mitigate echolalia was beneficial. And applying the content to students on my caseload. Examples were helpful." A.H. (Jun. 2023)

"The materials are excellent, and this course was very enjoyable. Developing an understanding of what NLA is and the stages and understanding how assessment is carried out was beneficial. I found the recorded tutorials a really beneficial way of learning." C.M. (Jun. 2023)

"This course provided a new way to look at Echolalia. Learning the stages from Echolalia to generated grammar and the treatment examples were beneficial." B.H. (Jun. 2023)

"Changes the way I think about my clients who are GLPs. I want to share this information with families and teachers. I want to change the way we listen to these children and make sure that they are being heard! I liked the repetition, breaking down the topic." K.M. (Jun. 2023)

"The discussion that natural language acquisition does not “max out” at any certain age was beneficial." L.A. (Jun. 2023)

"Understanding how language develops in gestalt language processors versus analytic language processors was beneficial. I liked the repetition of material in order to allow it all to sink into my brain." A.T. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked learning about the predictable stages of language development, and the specific examples of how to choose good gestalt phrases that are easily mitigable." H.G. (Jun. 2023)

"This course made me think about specific students and think about where the gestalt came from and the idea of focusing on a single word or part of the gestalt to model language for the student." L.H. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the description of the 6 stages of NLA. Course moved along quickly and hit the main points." K.N. (Jun. 2023)

"The background history, the assessment component, and understanding the NLA stages were beneficial. Great flow, plenty of real examples, and concrete learning points." H.P. (Jun. 2023)

"Learning the stages of NLA and how to collect and score a language sample. I liked the personal accounts and examples mixed into the course content." E.A. (Jun. 2023)

"Different way in looking at assessment and tx in this population. I liked the use of examples of actual children." J.G. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the stages and assessment, interventions ideas, and discussion around older children, and observation around non-speaking autistic children and young people." R.M. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the concept that the language is still going through a normal process, it's just delayed." K.M. (Jun. 2023)

"How to evaluate and implement treatment for children, especially older children that are gestalt language processors was beneficial. I liked the amount of applicable information and examples." S.G. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked the clear, direct explanation with examples and the Natural Language Acquisition assessment." M.A. (Jun. 2023)

"Looking at the client where they are now and what strengths they have now rather than where they are expected to be was beneficial. I liked the personal stories and examples." R.P. (Jun. 2023)

"Understanding that gestalts/delayed echolalia has communicative intent. Course was practical, easy to understand, and meaningful to my work." Y.P. (Jun. 2023)

"I liked all of it! I will definitely be watching the next two levels." J.F. (May 2023)

"Stages of Gestalt language processing and description of treatment were beneficial. Clear information with examples." E.H. (May 2023)

"Concepts presented in a logical, easy to understand manner. Learning the progression of gestalt language development was beneficial." M.L. (May 2023)

"Learning the relationship between gestalt language processing in typically developing children (such a high portion of kids!) and NLA in autistic children. I loved the stories told, and found the handouts very helpful and thorough!" M.F. (May 2023)

"The two types of language development. We often talk only about analytic language development as being the only way to develop language. I liked the idea of using gestalt chunks to aid in mitigation, and the idea that grammar can still be targeted but also to be realistic that the window will eventually slowly close. And even when this does happen, there is still much to work on. I liked the course content overall and the examples." Y.K. (May 2023)

"The progression of NLA as well as basic treatment strategies were beneficial. I also liked how the stages were repeated over the course so I had a strong knowledge by the end." J.G. (May 2023)

"Stages and assessment were beneficial. I liked the examples of children and their language samples." L.B. (May 2023)

"It was beneficial having treatment ideas for each level of stage. The detailed way of assessing (and describing) a child's stage of gestalt language development was very helpful!" H.C. (May 2023)

"All of it was beneficial - starting peds OP again after 8 years with adults/acute. Very informative course. I enjoyed the slides that went along for visual learning." H.C. (May 2023)

"Learning ways to isolate and recombine words in a child who is in stage 2 was beneficial. I liked the NLA stages and the assessment tool." T.C. (May 2023)

"Learning how to analyze language samples of gestalt language processors was beneficial. I liked all of the examples! Explained at a good pace." T.R. (May 2023)

"The details of what to look for in each stage and separating out the expectations of younger elementary versus older students was beneficial. I liked the directness and applicability to my therapy sessions." N.J. (May 2023)

"I enjoyed learning about the presenter's experiences with real children in therapy. It helps you to better understand the path she took to improve her students overall language. I enjoyed learning about children with ASD and the path to developing language and how to look at it in a different light to build on their language." W.F. (May 2023)

"I now have a better understanding of what Natural Language Acquisition is. The use of all the examples was helpful." L.H. (May 2023)

"Practical and functional course. The explanation of the functionality of echolalia was beneficial." P.A. (May 2023)

"Data collection, examples of gestalt through the developmental stages, and examples of conversations with the clinician/parent input and opinions were beneficial. I liked the focus on language learned, the window to learn grammar, and breaking down the myths and misconceptions about delayed gestalt language processors." M.D. (May 2023)

"Ideas of how to use a variety of language, figuring out the meaning of echolalia, and remembering to not focus on grammar right away was beneficial. I liked the ease of doing course on my own time and the variety of information provided." R.M. (May 2023)

"I liked the assessment portion of the discussion and the examples provided." A.B. (May 2023)

"Learning developmental stages of GLP and assessment examples were beneficial." M.K. (May 2023)

"Understanding the stages of NLA and knowing how to assess a child who has gestalt language processing was beneficial. I liked the many examples and case studies." E.J. (May 2023)

"The clear description of NLA stages with specific examples was beneficial. I liked the ability to complete the course in my own time." S.R. (May 2023)

"The general concept of gestalt language processing was new to me so that alone was beneficial. This makes so much sense. I liked that the overall framework was continually referenced." B.V. (May 2023)

"This entire course is helpful while working with this population. I liked presenter's calm voice and demeanor, as well as examples while having visual slides up to keep me on track. I also liked that this course was broken down and I could come back later on to the next "chapter" to jump back in." B.D. (May. 2023)

"I liked all of it. There was so much information. I liked that I could stop and start when it was convenient for me." A.M. (Apr. 2023)

"I found the discussion of how to take language assessments for GLP students and analyzing them beneficial. I found the real-life example videos to be really helpful as well." E.O. (Apr. 2023)

"Learning what occurs during each stage of language development was beneficial, and this course clearly explained the different stages of language development." K.B. (Apr. 2023)

"The discussion on moving from gestalts to mitigated was beneficial." J.B. (Apr. 2023)

"I liked how detailed the assessment portion was." S.C. (Apr. 2023)

"Discussion about how echolalia can develop was beneficial. I liked the descriptions and links to research." R.R. (Apr. 2023)

"The explanation of the NLA assessment protocol was beneficial. I liked the examples and the research." C.T. (Apr. 2023)

"I liked the specific examples of real children! The examples of gestalts vs. self-generated phrases and the knowledge that it will appear that speech goes 'backwards' as it develops was beneficial." R.D. (Apr. 2023)

"All of it was very beneficial. I'm just beginning to learn more about this topic. Great introduction! I liked the topic and research behind it." K.N. (Apr. 2023)

"I have a better understanding now of the stages and what to do in each one. I liked the ability to move at my own pace." B.P. (Apr. 2023)

"I appreciated this course as a review of language acquisition of typical and nontypical development kids. I also appreciated the references to research to back up what I was already intuitively doing in therapy sessions." L.P. (Apr. 2023)

"I liked that the presenter gave examples of how to score language samples as I often have a hard time figuring out which stage of language development a lot of my kids are in. I liked that real-life examples were provided and that she gave examples of how to score language samples." E.W. (Apr. 2023)

"The assessment section was beneficial. I conducted research for a project regarding early communicative intent and used articles from Amy Wetherby and Barry Prizant. It helped to have a working knowledge of their research in language/play development." C.S. (Apr. 2023)

"I liked the discussion of breaking down the stages and highlighting when to start building back up like we are more used to doing. The course was easy to follow along." C.K. (Apr. 2023)

"The assessment was beneficial. The topic of NLA stages was most interesting. I can only imagine how the families of my students will find the information I learned super interesting. I liked the handouts and the ease with which I could navigate through the course." M.B. (Apr. 2023)

"It was so helpful to learn the different stages of language development and to learn that all children move through a stage of echolalia. I am looking forward to using the tips from the treatment section, and using the assessment protocol to guide my practice. This course was so compassionate towards the children that Marge Blanc works with and affirms their value as human beings. Thank you, Marge, for providing such a thorough and resourceful course while maintaining the human connection." L.Z. (Mar. 2023)

"I really learned a lot about the stages and what is NLA or GLP. I will also be better able to do an assessment to determine what stage/s the child is using. I liked the examples and the information." J.B. (Mar. 2023)

"All of it was beneficial!! The speaker obviously has a wealth of knowledge and experience. In addition, she is able to communicate the material very well. The examples and resources provided were excellent. I will be able to go back and study particular sections again because they are presented in a good progression." K.M. (Mar. 2023)

"Explanation of the stages and how to do the assessment. The language samples and explanation of how to determine which stage an utterance is in was helpful." L.K. (Mar. 2023)

"Good content and suggestions for making language therapy more appropriate for the gestalt language learners on my caseload. I will think about my language modeling while referencing what I learned and change my approach as I learn more about each student, breaking down their scripts (if they have them) and exploring how to apply these new techniques." E.R. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning how to create goals and decide which gestalts to model. I liked the case study examples." E.S. (Mar. 2023)

"I will apply this to my gestalt language learners. It was helpful to know the research and rationale behind tx as well as the developmental stages of NLA. Examples were helpful." M.Y. (Mar. 2023)

"The stages of Natural Language Acquisition and Assessment were beneficial. I liked the depth of information provided and the fact that some information was repeated in order to aid in recalling the information." J.D. (Mar. 2023)

"Understanding NLA and the different stages. Lots of examples and Marge used simple terms to explain the concept clearly." P.Y. (Mar. 2023)

"Very informative. Lot of information and examples provided. Understanding the different stages of Natural language acquisition, assessment, and treatment." B.R. (Mar. 2023)

"Real life examples. All of the information regarding the development of NLA was beneficial." J.B. (Mar. 2023)

"Learning the 6 stages of language acquisition. I liked the examples of pts and levels they were at, how they learned." R.F. (Mar. 2023)

"The content was presented clearly and the presenter was interesting. I liked the NLA Assessment tool." J.L. (Mar. 2023)

"Mitigating language. Interesting, well presented." J.B. (Mar. 2023)

"I liked everything....it was fascinating." M.L. (Feb. 2023)

"I found this course incredibly helpful in learning how to connect and communicate with my ASD patients. I am so excited to use my knowledge from this course and apply it to my daily practice to support NLA by encouraging language use at all stages. Marge Blanc's passion for her work and clients shines through her educational matter. Marge is truly knowledgeable about this topic and it is obvious that she loves her clients and their families." M.H. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked Marge's vast knowledge of this topic. And specific examples and case studies." S.P. (Feb. 2023)

"All of the information was applicable to my current caseload of children. All of it was helpful, especially the language samples." W.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Breaking down the developmental stages for gestalt language processors and how to determine which stage they are at most of the time to model language at their stage of language development is beneficial. I liked the examples and stories of how NLA is used in Marge's practice." G.L. (Feb. 2023)

"Very informative course. Assessment of NLA and how to identify and explain to colleagues and families about gestalt language processing is beneficial." R.B. (Feb. 2023)

"The scoring protocol and clear, distinct stages will help me tease out where some of my clients are in developing their language skills. I appreciated the extensive references, it gives me additional information to look up!" S.C. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the review and examples of the different stages. I also liked that the stages were discussed in the overview and then revisited throughout." J.D. (Feb. 2023)

"Stages broken down. Easy to follow, practical course." A.D. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the assessment portion. The presenter was easy to follow." K.L. (Feb. 2023)

"Practical application for clinicians. NLA stages of language development, assessment, treatment." A.Y. (Feb. 2023)

"Learning about Gestalt language processing in neurotypical and ASD populations. I liked the examples." M.W. (Feb. 2023)

"Learning the stages of gestalt language processing was beneficial." L.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Looking at it as stages instead of delays was good information." L.R. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the examples of utterances from different stages of NLA." C.M. (Feb. 2023)

"The Assessment and Treatment Principles were beneficial to learn. I liked the mitigation and development of grammar." L.A. (Feb. 2023)

"I liked the treatment section with examples of how to provide language models based on a child's gestalts." A.H. (Feb. 2023)

"Treatment ideas for NLA learners. I liked the examples." I.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Learning the difference between normal (analytic kids) and ASD kids was beneficial for my practice." S.A. (Feb. 2023)

"Learning the language to explain to families why I get excited when their kids start developing poor grammar. I liked the assessment tool - I get frustrated when I inherit goals that try to up the MLU when the kids are mostly echolalia." B.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Understanding how to assess and then treat according to NLA steps/progression. I liked all of the real-life examples (e.g., language sampling). I liked that course was broken up into sections that I completed at my convenience." L.V. (Feb. 2023)

"This was my first introduction to gestalt language processing and the stages of natural language development, so really, the entire presentation was fascinating! I liked the real-world examples of real children she had worked with during her practice." J.K. (Feb. 2023)

"The stages of language development were beneficial. Liked having the powerpoint in front of me for notes." K.B. (Feb. 2023)

"Awareness of echolalia as having more communication intent. I liked the knowledge and research used by presenter." S.L. (Feb. 2023)

"All of it was beneficial. This topic needs to be much more widely known in the medical field." K.S. (Feb. 2023)

"Just understanding the progression of development is extremely helpful. I liked the content." L.H. (Feb. 2023)

"Course was a good introduction to NLA. I liked the description of the stages of NLA." A.B. (Feb. 2023)

"I work with autistic students so the echolalia being a step toward language acquisition was interesting. I liked the background and the relevance." K.E. (Feb. 2023)

"I appreciate thinking about each stage of NLA and to acknowledge the very positive language abilities in children with the ASD diagnosis. Marge Blanc shares her knowledge and insights clearly, and supportively and inspires further interest in the topic." S.S. (Jan. 2023)

"Everything about it! The assessment portion is very helpful. Marge Blanc is a great presenter and explained everything very well." B.M. (Jan. 2023)

"Assessment of NLA and how to determine at which level a child is communicating. I've been reading more and more about Gestalt language and NLA so I loved how this course explained it. It will be very useful and I look forward to starting the next two courses." V.H. (Jan. 2023)

"Knowing the steps of language acquisition for gestalt language processors and steps to take in assessment (collecting a language sample, determining the sources and meaning of gestalts, and identifying the stages of language acquisition for each utterance) will be beneficial in my daily practice as an SLP. And I appreciate that I can review the presentation as needed." G.G. (Jan. 2023)

"Love the stages and how they are all related. Great source of information and it is so true!" L.X. (Jan. 2023)

"I will be better equipped to explain gestalt language processors." H.C. (Jan. 2023)

"The idea of echolalia as intentional communication is a valuable insight and premise. I liked the subject matter and the personal approach of the presenter." E.H. (Jan. 2023)

"Learning the stages of gestalt language processors and the assessment and treatment approaches were beneficial. I enjoyed the examples of actual children's language samples and progression through developing language. I also liked the resources that can be used when talking to parents and colleagues for training." K.R. (Jan. 2023)

"I purchased the book and enjoyed solidifying my understand of NLA through taking the course. Watching this course, one can tell that Marge is passionate about the course, and extremely knowledgeable. It makes watching and listening so much easier." H.D. (Jan. 2023)

"I work with several kids who are GLPs. I was never taught in grad school how I was supposed to work with these types of language learners. I now have a solid framework to base my treatment and understanding of what I've been seeing all along." J.B. (Jan. 2023)

"The case studies and explanation of stages were beneficial. I liked the slides to support online learning." S.M. (Jan. 2023)

"The information about assessment and treatment as well as the information regarding the stages was beneficial." R.F. (Jan. 2023)

"This is a thorough introduction to Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition. I was empowered to know that if a child who is a GLP did not get early intervention in NLA, it's not too late for him/her to make progress through the stages, even if not all the way to self-generated grammar." T.T. (Jan. 2023)

"Every section of this presentation is useful to me in my clinical practice. I have a new lens to view the language of my clients through; both ASD and neurotypical kids. This course was well organized and easy to follow." H.P. (Jan. 2023)

"Content was relevant to my clinical practice." A.M. (Jan. 2023)

"I appreciated the outline of the stages of gestalt language development, and the section about assessment. Marge is an excellent speaker. She speaks at a good rate and is easy to follow. The course was well-organized." A.S. (Jan. 2023)

"The functional therapy examples were great." C.A. (Jan. 2023)

"The chart and stages were helpful for future reference." E.A. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked that I was provided with many visuals and case studies." M.G. (Dec. 2022)

"Handouts were great." A.C. (Dec. 2022)

"The entire course was very informative, and each topic was explained in a way to make application easy in treatment sessions." J.C. (Dec. 2022)

"The course was very informative, and I did the research that supports this movement. This course gives me a better way to view the kids that I am working with." S.F. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked how course is self-paced, so I can adequately focus on the content." M.M. (Dec. 2022)

"Language development and gaining a better understanding of NLA. I liked the course format and content." K.S. (Dec. 2022)

"How to identify stages of NLA and then assess/treat them. Self-paced and easy to follow with great resources." R.M. (Dec. 2022)

"Speaker went through the stages of gestalt processors, assessment, and tx. Practical for everyday use, can get started right away. I liked the expertise of the speaker." K.L. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the treatment portion for working with kids on the autism spectrum. Course was easy to follow and the instructor explained complex topics in a way I could understand." A.M. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked all of it and especially the assessment and treatment sections. Easy to understand and use." C.S. (Dec. 2022)

"I really enjoyed learning about assessment and listening to the break down. Course is helpful paired with the book. It is really eye-opening that there is another lens in which to look at language development." S.S. (Dec. 2022)

"The stages, examples of scripts, treatment ideas, and language samples were beneficial. The visual support and reviewing at the end of each section was great." M.B. (Dec. 2022)

"The stages of development for Gestalt Language Processors and how to apply this to treatment was really helpful." A.E. (Dec. 2022)

"The assessment process was most beneficial at this point in my learning. I liked the way the information was presented along with real-life examples and quotes." H.C. (Dec. 2022)

"Assessment and treatment - how to determine what stage a child is at and from there what to focus on teaching and which direction to take the treatment plan. Real life examples and demonstrations of actual students and treatment plans done with them." K.M. (Dec. 2022)

"The stages of NLA were detailed, and so were the language sample examples." M.K. (Dec. 2022)

"This course showed what NLA is and how it works. The segmentation of the sessions were clearly organized." M.A. (Dec. 2022)

"I'd never heard of this before, which is wild because I went to a school that boasted its ASD program. I will immediately begin implementing this into my work with students. VERY descriptive and easy to follow. I feel confident I could do this treatment." K.E. (Dec. 2022)

"I liked the encouragement and reminders to analyze and look more closely at echolalic function and how to support language development." K.A. (Dec. 2022)

"I gained an understanding of the progression of language development through each stage. This gives me an excellent framework and targets for each stage. I felt that the language sample charts were really helpful in seeing where a child is at in terms of the different stages." M.J. (Nov. 2022)

"Lots of examples of language samples and how therapy progressed. I like the strong theoretical and practical foundations, along with research history." J.A. (Nov. 2022)

"All of this was useful because I didn't know a lot about gestalt learning." E.A. (Nov. 2022)

"I like the ability to move at your own pace." M.C. (Nov. 2022)

"I learned that it is important not to rush a child to the next level before they are ready. I liked that it gives some structure to language development for children with echolalia." K.B. (Nov. 2022)

"All topics are good. Developing skills to observe and understand Gestalt processors, learning a tool for assessing Gestalt processors, and a way to explain natural language acquisition by children to their caregivers." N.M. (Nov. 2022)

"Breaking down each stage of NLA and using language samples was extremely beneficial to help me understand better what level my students are at." A.H. (Nov. 2022)

"The information was very clear." J.F. (Nov. 2022)

"I like the pace." R.A. (Nov. 2022)

"The information about mitigating long gestalts into phrases and recombining will be beneficial to my daily practice. I enjoyed learning about how some individuals hear single words while some individuals hear sound contours." R.H. (Nov. 2022)

"Recognizing that ASD children with echolalia may be using the same language acquisition strategies as typically developing children who are demonstrating jargon." M.F. (Nov. 2022)

"The slides had a lot of information and the presentation went into depth on each slide." T.D. (Nov. 2022)

"Understanding the stages of language development in NLA and how to approach treatment was good." L.W. (Nov. 2022)

"It was interesting to consider neurotypicals and divergent children as passing through the same language stages at different times. I like the convenience and ease of the course. I will be able to benefit from her lifetime body of work." K.K. (Nov. 2022)

"Using the language sample model across multiple sessions will be beneficial. The pace was great." C.F. (Nov. 2022)

"Great introduction to the NLA process. Very helpful information." J.H. (Oct. 2022)

"The NLA stages, assessment, and application of goals were beneficial to my daily practice.  I like the detailed examples with students on caseload." K.U. (Oct. 2022)

"Differentiating between treatment approaches between analytical and gestalt language processors was good information.  I like the examples." B.S. (Oct. 2022)

"The references to the presenter's personal experience/stories made the information relatable. Very complete and applicable novel information to me; exciting." K.W. (Oct. 2022)

"I like the real world examples." D.A. (Oct. 2022)

"The assessment for gestalt language learners is applicable for much of my caseload and extremely important to understand." R.L. (Oct. 2022)

"A new way to look at the gestalt language processor. So glad to know this new info and share it!" D.D. (Oct. 2022)

"The clarity of the course and examples were helpful." D.B. (Oct. 2022)

"There are specific examples of language samples."  V.S. (Oct. 2022)

"The course has clear descriptions of stages."  S.H. (Oct. 2022)

"Assessing the stages through language samples and Marge's comment to keep many language samples to track progress were beneficial for my daily practice."  S.L. (Oct. 2022)

"The course was informative. Learning more on treatment for Gestalt Language Processors."  M.B. (Oct. 2022)

"I liked the SLP's personal experience as examples throughout each stage. And learning the stages of teaching functional language."  E.B. (Oct. 2022)

"Easy to follow, broken into manageable sections."  L.B. (Oct. 2022)

"Lots of examples with good relevance."  K.R. (Oct. 2022)

"I liked how there was research included to back up the information presented."  A.H. (Oct. 2022)

"My new assignment includes 3 SDC classes serving children in grades K-5. Now I can see there are children in all stages of Gestalt language processing."  K.R. (Oct. 2022)

"Love that this type of language learning is finally coming to light!"  A.P. (Oct. 2022)

"I liked the examples and the reality of older children not being able to get to the more complex stages of the language grammar."  N.O. (Sept. 2022)

"I love the means of language sampling and will be using this in my practice. This framework has given me a whole new way of thinking about how to assess, write goals for, and teach grammatical language in practice."  K.J. (Sept. 2022)

"I appreciated how it was divided into smaller consumable sections."  A.D. (Sept. 2022)

"Everything in this course was beneficial to me. They did not teach most of this in grad school."  L.G. (Sept. 2022)

"I appreciated the insight into the stages of gestalt language development, assessment, and intervention."  M.L. (Sept. 2022)

"I have a better understanding of Echolalia now. I enjoyed the stories about the children the presenter worked with in her research and seeing their progress."  K.M. (Sept. 2022)

"The stages of NLA and the general understanding of this form of language development were good."  T.L. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked how the course was separated into sections."  K.A. (Sept. 2022)

"The dialogue examples were useful."  A.B. (Sept. 2022)

"I now have a better understanding of gestalt language as something more than “just echolalia.”  H.K. (Sept. 2022)

"The course was very informative."  L.W. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked the topic about how to assess children on our caseloads and modeling more mitigatable phrases for them."  T.R. (Sept. 2022)

"I have been very interested in NLA and this course was a great introduction. I liked that it was provided by Marge Blanc, had a strong research base, and was very practical."  H.D. (Sept. 2022)

"I liked that it was self-paced and that I am able to re-view the course as often as needed."  C.H. (Sept. 2022)

"I like that it's broken into sections and has lots of examples."  J.P. (Sept. 2022)

"I am thrilled to have a developmental model to follow when assessing language development for my students who are gestalt language learners. I enjoyed seeing examples of language sampling and the straightforward presentation of the material."  N.G. (Sept. 2022)

"I like that I can go back to the part I did not understand and go into depth to other part that I may have doubts."  D.C. (Aug. 2022)

"All of this is new information for me and I'm so excited to implement NLA with several of my clients.  I like that I can implement this into my practice immediately." N.P. (Aug. 2022)

"I work with many children with ASD and this course will affect how I teach them language. The course was well-organized and even difficult concepts were explained in detail."  W.F. (Aug. 2022)

"The topics were all extremely beneficial to me.  The instructor was passionate and engaging and had a good combination of research and anecdotal information to teach us."  G.V. (Aug. 2022)

"The course clarified the topic for me."  K.J. (Aug. 2022)

"I like the info it provided about a new topic."  A.M. (Aug. 2022)

"I found the review of Natural Language acquisition vs. Typical Language Development helpful as it pertains to assessment and intervention with both neurotypical and ASD gestalt language processors.  I liked the practicality of learning about how to mitigate a child's echolalia as a support to continuously building grammar and ultimately self-generated, meaningful utterances."  M.D. (Aug. 2022)

"The flexibility in completing the course was nice."  J.T. (Aug. 2022)

"The different steps you can take to turn echolalic speech into functional language were good to learn."  H.P. (Aug. 2022)

"I liked the handouts and the presenter's knowledge."  S.T. (Aug. 2022)

"It was nice to stop and continue as needed, going at my own pace."  K.C.-M. (Aug. 2022)

"Marge is very passionate about this topic." K.W. (Aug. 2022)

"I liked the way the information is organized."  B.K. (Aug. 2022)

"This course sets the clinician up for success to be able to start ax & tx right away with gestalt processors. Very practical information with precise examples to refer back to as you start working with a new client."  J.D. (Aug. 2022)

"I benefitted from learning about the origins of GLP, and how it compares to ALPs.  I appreciate how the presenter de-stigmatizes GLPs."  A.T. (Aug. 2022)

"This course gave a framework that can be used in practice."  A.P.-S. (Aug. 2022)

"The knowledge of ASD communication and how to better support this population was good."  L.O. (Aug. 2022)

"The use of language samples to illustrate the NLA stages was very helpful."  J.S. (Aug. 2022)

"Overall topic was of interest for my caseload and my own daughter."  (Aug. 2022)

"I like the outline, the visual paired with the lecture."  E.E. (Aug. 2022)

"The easy access and that it's available for us to continue with the program at our own rhythm is great!" M.F. (Aug. 2022)

"I loved how in assessment that it was reiterated several times that this could take a month. It is so important to get this right as to where to go with therapy." K.C. (Aug. 2022)

"Learning the different stages and assessment was beneficial. I liked the ability to access the course online, and go at my own pace." W.H. (Aug. 2022)

"Marge is engaging & provided information to reshape my therapy sessions with students who are echolalic." S.S. (July 2022)

"Each section was clearly explained and the examples from children were extremely helpful." N.S. (July 2022)

"I liked the real life examples."  M.D. (July 2022)

"Good and important topic."  C.T. (July 2022)

"The assessment portion was very helpful and the content was relevant."  F.H. (July 2022)

"I like the discussion regarding how to do the assessment and how to do the detective work to figure out the stages that are observed.  I also liked the language samples. Having not done this before, it was helpful to see examples of each of the stages."  M.K. (July 2022)

"The process of language development section was informative and I loved how Marge reminds us that until we know a child is not using language, we cannot call him/her "nonverbal." I also found the assessment and treatment sections beneficial for starting to think about where to go with my students who are echolalic.  Also, it was easy to follow, I loved the notes to follow along and the usefulness of the content."  L.C. (July 2022)

"The Information related to NLA, the stages of NLA and how to integrate those stages into treatment/practice were good."  T.O. (July 2022)

"The course is very informative"  V.L. (July 2022)

"Seeing examples of how to score a language sample to determine stages of NLA was very helpful. Both examples and research background were helpful."  L.O. (July 2022)

"The examples and language samples were easy to learn from."  N.C. (July 2022)

"The entire presentation will be beneficial for my daily practice because I work with many gestalt language learners who do or do not have a diagnosis of ASD.  I like that I can reference the course again when I need a refresher and that I am able to see the slides and videos at my own pace."  M.P. (July 2022)

"The discussion around the Stages of Development of language with the addition of the stages for the Gestalt learner was of particular interest to me. I appreciated the review of prior research and language acquisition across neurotypical and ASD children." L.A. (July 2022)

"The examples were very helpful to my understanding of how to progress a child's language development and how to assess their language sample." S.B. (July 2022)

"The stories about students, the research highlighted, recognition that SLPs need to take their place on teams to assist children were great!" T.H. (July 2022)

"I found the stages of natural language development most helpful. It is interesting to see the grammatical breakdown of utterances. I like the pace, organization and ease of navigating through the slides." J.S. (July 2022)

"Loved the assessment portion, the breakdown of stages and specifically the information about grammar and getting to single words. I like the content, and the fact that I could take it on my time." E.K. (July 2022)

"The background into the research that has already been done. I had not learned about this in graduate school, but I think it is so important as many of the students I have worked with seemed to have been gestalt language processors. I wish I had been taught this in graduate school instead of doing therapy that was just reinforcing gestalts and not offering opportunities for spontaneous language to occur." A.Y. (July 2022)

"I think understanding how the echolalia becomes mitigated and potentially how to use that more functionally during therapy will be beneficial." A.R. (July 2022)

"I absolutely loved every aspect of this course. In particular language foundation and the research articles. Case Examples too. I loved the course, was very flexible and beautifully explained by the presenter. Loved the pace and helped me rewind whenever I wanted to. The handouts offered with the course makes it easier to refer and stay on topic. It has opened my eyes to the whole world of Natural language acquisition, Gestalt language processing. A must for all SLPs. Thank you so much!"  A.H. (July 2022)

"I enjoyed the in depth discussion and examples of NLA, gestalts and functions of echolalia. The examples of language samples and scoring was very beneficial.  In depth discussion of how autistic children learn language and that all echolalia is functional. I look forward to being able to use the NLA assessment protocol to assess my autistic learners and also begin teaching new phrases." J.B. (July 2022)

"Learning about Gestalt language processing in general - this was not something we really touched on in schooling." B.G. (July 2022)

"I like the life examples." B.M. (June 2022)

"The dedication of the speaker was great!" K.S. (June 2022)

"I loved the specific examples and the breakdowns of language samples."  J.D'C (June 2022)

"I loved the practical examples provided and the language samples taken from real clients. It made the information much easier to conceptualize."  K.W. (June 2022)

"A super interesting course that helped me expand my resources to support the communication and language of autistic children. I would only hope that one day it would have a Spanish translation option.  I liked the research sources and the exposition of real cases about the boys Marge worked with."  A.M. (June 2022)

"I learned a lot more in depth about echolalia." M.I. (June 2022)

"The speaker was concise." D.G. (June 2022)

"I appreciated the assessment piece, as well as the very real examples of what NLA language samples look like." K.U. (June 2022)

"How language acquisition and pragmatic skills develop simultaneously and how treatment activities facilitate this acquisition." T.C. (June 2022)

"I have a lot of students who are gestalt language processors. This course is very applicable to my work. I always have found it challenging working on with these children. The speaker provided a good explanation about the gestalt language processing and analytic language processing which I was not exposed to this information in the grad school." T.H. (June 2022)

"The patient/case study examples with language sample analysis provided to model her discussion were great!  Thorough examples and discussion of meaning." J.T. (June 2022)

"The entire course will be beneficial for me as I begin to assess and treat my GLP's!  Marge is wonderful to listen to. She explains things so simply, yet eloquently. Great presenter and great notes to follow along with, and make notes on. This course is the foundation for the next two courses in NLA." S.P. (June 2022)

"The representor's content is impactful on a daily basis." J.A. (June 2022)

"I like the pace and relevant information." L.U. (June 2022)

"I liked that I could do it at my own pace and go back if needed." M.S. (June 2022)

"I liked that it was separated into sections. This helped to break it up and take pauses, if needed. Of course the content was great, too." T.J. (June 2022)

"I like that it has self-paced modules." N.C. (June 2022)

"I like that it had lots of repetition of key info throughout each component of the course." J.S. (June 2022)

"The explanation of how to model language for gestalt language processors based on their existing gestalts were beneficial. I appreciated the background information, as well as the useful information that can be applied to practice."  J.W. (June 2022)

"Easy to navigate the modules, great topic and useful in my practice." R.W. (June 2022)

"Can watch at my convenience, pause, come back to it, preview assessment." M.M. (June 2022)

"I found the assessment and treatment strategies easy to understand and implement. I like that it validated how I viewed echolalia and treated it as communication. It gave me better strategies on how to help develop more functional lang and grammar in gestalt language users." K.K. (June 2022)

"I enjoyed learning about the process of language development in gestalt processors. The presenter was easy to listen to and presented the information in an easy to understand way."  M.M. (June 2022)

"Learning about the different stages and how to progress from echolalic/gestalt speech to more single words, phrases, etc. Also learning how to integrate this stages into practice and how to help others foster the language development.   liked that we were provided with a handout to follow along with and there were personal/clinical examples brought in to the presentation (real-life examples)." H.P. (June 2022)

"It provided information that I can implement right away." C.B. (June 2022)

"I think the assessment analysis and examples will be helpful." H.H. (June 2022)

"This was so enlightening and made so much sense! I appreciated the history, detail and examples provided. I will use this and also apply to AAC aspects of my practice.  I appreciated the examples given throughout!"  K.N. (May 2022)

"Gestalt Language Processing or Natural Language Acquisition was not something I was readily taught in graduate school and I need this information for my NLA clients!  Marge followed her outline and visual supports well, and encouraged the participant that they could do it!"  S.S. (May 2022)

"This provided me insight into how to work w/ a young child on my caseload who presents w/ echolalia."  C.S. (May 2022)

"This course makes so much sense that I can't believe it's the first time I'm learning about this. Using these strategies has totally changed the way that I relate with parents and children who are gestalt language processors in my daily practice."  L.W. (May 2022)

"I really like this topic – it's been so eye-opening to helping me understand the language development profiles of my clients." E.C. (May 2022)

"I LOVE the way this will help me help my ASD students learn more communicative language!!! I'm so excited to get started!" R.W. (May 2022)

"I appreciated the more in-depth discussion of sequence of learning that happens." A.S. (May 2022)

"Useful to apply to my students and their language development and states." R.K. (May 2022)

"This completely changes my perspective on what echolalia and scripting are. I now understand what purpose they serve and feel like I can rework MANY plans of care to better fit the needs of my patients. The instructor made the content easy to understand by providing examples and repeating information to solidify learning." K.D. (Apr. 2022)

"I have been looking for a course about echolalia and how to best support my autistic patients in growing language skills from echolalia, and this course was perfect! I liked the steps of language development in NLA provided and the examples of assessment and treatment." M.M. (Apr. 2022)

"The process of teaching gestalt language learners language was helpful, as I have multiple echolalic children who I work with now." L.F. (Apr. 2022)

"Learning the NLA Stages so as to understand what language I can model to help children to the next stage was beneficial for my daily practice." E.J. (Apr. 2022)

"The Assessment section and background of the framework are beneficial for my practice. I like the straightforward presentation of materials." L.M. (Apr. 2022)

"I liked that the course is self-paced." K.K. (Apr. 2022)

"The course is systematically structured, easy to follow and understand." M.L. (Apr. 2022)

"Great examples! I like hearing about the author's personal experiences."  D.B. (Apr. 2022)

"Looking at echolalia more closely as intent, and working with staff who are around our students all day to help work collaboratively to increase our student's ability to communicate is beneficial for my practice."  K.S. (April 2022)

"I like Marge Blanc's style, examples, and depth of knowledge." R.C. (Apr. 2022)

"Makes sense and gives me guidance in how to assign language goals for these kids and how to understand their language and help them progress." S.G. (Apr. 2022)

"This course made me look at language development through an entirely new lens. I feel rejuvenated in my treatment of language development for gestalt language learners." L.T. (Apr. 2022)

"I was not familiar with the Gestalt learner. This course explained how they learn." D.C. (Mar. 2022)

"It was easy to follow. The assessment section was especially helpful." T.R. (Mar. 2022)

"Recognizing echolalia as a path to better overall language."  S.H. (Mar. 2022)

"This was very informative and very interesting to follow." A.D. (Mar. 2022)

"I found the assessment and background knowledge (development) most beneficial. I liked the examples." M.P. (Mar. 2022)

"I liked that I have a little bit of all the areas to get started and that makes me feel slightly more prepared to work with my students tomorrow. I also really appreciated the comment about how we cannot call our unintelligible students 'non verbal'." A.A. (Mar. 2022)

"I liked the evidence for letting children learn through their scripts, and for letting parents feel more comfortable about what is going on when their child scripts." J.B. (Mar. 2022)

"I am really interested in how to change my intervention style when working with a GLP. Excellent information that I can apply immediately to my practice." J.R. (Mar. 2022)

"The examples of different gestalt language processors are beneficial because I realized that another one of my students does this. The course clearly laid out the stages that students move through." E.B. (Mar. 2022)

"This applies to a particular student that I have been trying to figure out and will help me teach his team and create a better therapy plan for him." A.W. (Mar. 2022)

"I liked the manner in which it was presented with specific examples and consistent review of what was previously explained." S.C. (Mar. 2022)

"ALL OF IT was beneficial... especially how to move through each stage and when to move through them. Easily digestible and interesting tying the older research to newer information." J.S. Mar. 2022)

"I better understand why children use gestalt language and how that language can be mitigated in order to help them become more flexible in their language use.  I like the examples of utterances from actual children and how to assess them."  J.G. (Feb. 2022)

"I like how it was broken up into manageable sections. I also loved the illustrations. They helped me understand some of the concepts better."  C.P. (Feb. 2022)

"I appreciated the presenter's delivery. It was very clear and engaging."  L.K.-L. (Feb. 2022)

"I am working with several individuals that I plan to start assessment with right away! I found the assessment and treatment information very helpful. I like that I can assess without necessarily making extra purchases for specific tests/ tools based on what I learned."  J.F. (Feb. 2022)

"The whole course was very beneficial. I have a high number of gestalt processors on my caseload. I will start taking language samples next week!" H.C. (Feb. 2022)

"Learning how to use a child's gestalts to help the child generate novel language." M.H. (Feb. 2022)

"I liked learning language development through the lens of NLA. Course is easy to access and listen to." A.S. (Feb. 2022)

"I liked the breakdown of language development in both typical and neurotypical children." M.K. (Feb. 2022)

"Now that I understand that many of the children that I see are using gestalts, rather than give them scripts to use like I have seen before, I can help them mitigate their gestalts into new phrases.  I liked that Marge used real examples to help us to understand what the levels of language development might look like."  C.J. (Jan. 2022)

"Going through the stages helps me to better understand where my clients are developmentally and how I can better model language during our sessions! I loved the content and thought the course was engaging and easy to follow." E.F. (Jan. 2022)

"I have been learning about NLA, and this was a good review before I dive into the next two stages."  Y.S. (Jan. 2022)

"I have read the NLA book, so was looking forward to hearing more re: the ax and tx components of the presentation."  M.S. (Jan. 2022)

"I appreciate the break down of gestalts. I feel like I may be able to figure out how to use them, however, many of my clients aren't even at this level yet."  N.M. (Jan. 2022)

"Marge is SO passionate about this and it shows through her enthusiasm, quality descriptions and dedication to our gestalt language processors."  M.H. (Jan. 2022)

"The course is very informative and easy to understand."  A.S. (Jan. 2022)

"ALL OF THE COURSE WAS BENEFICIAL! I wish more families, clinicians, specialists, interventionists were required to take this course."  L.A.H. (Jan. 2022)

"I need to mull this over a bit more but it really helps to re-frame echolalia for me. I now have a better idea of what to do with it beyond interpreting the underlying message, accepting it as communication, etc. I liked that I could do it at my own pace."  L.H. (Jan. 2022)

"I love self-paced courses and having examples to apply to the knowledge and information presented."  S.G. (Jan. 2022)

"It was very informative and helpful for both assessment and treatment.  I liked the organization and handouts for future referencing."  J.S. (Dec. 2021)

"I found the topic regarding evaluation of Natural Language Acquisition to be the most beneficial for my daily practice.  I found the stages of development of Natural Language Acquisition extremely interesting and useful for evaluation and treatment."  E.C. (Dec. 2021)

"It was most informative and very well presented." S.J. (Dec. 2021)

"ALL OF THE COURSE. IT'S AMAZING"  A.H. (Dec. 2021)

"I enjoyed the clear break down of each level of development. Thank you so much for outlining how to do the assessment and touching on how to begin treatment!  I'm finding it hard to say what I like best as it will all be so helpful. This is new for me as an SLP so all of the information presented will be so valuable."  L.C. (Nov. 2021)

"I find it encouraging that children can develop spontaneous language from echolalia. I liked that the course explained the different stages well so that it can also help with treatment goals"  N.G. (Nov. 2021)

"I was not aware of gestalt language processing before this course.  I liked the self-directed nature of it. The practical examples."  E.K. (Nov. 2021)

"The course was very informative. Good pace to follow along."  M.C. (Oct. 2021)

"This was wonderful - gave me a whole new look at echolalia with some of my students, and ways to use it and shape it for their benefit.  I liked that it was broken down into sections and the slides were also provided."  L.T. (Oct. 2021)

"The importance of collecting and analyzing a language sample, and scoring language utterances within the various stages, will be most beneficial. I think it will help me to focus intervention at the correct stage to meet my students where they are.  I appreciated the examples given, and the many resources provided for further study."  C.R. (Oct. 2021)

"Well-organized and about a topic that is not generally focused on in school/at conferences/in trainings"  K.C. (Oct. 2021)

"I liked the practicality of the course."  M.D. (Oct. 2021)

"I liked that the course causes you to think about echolalia in a completely different way." M.M. (Oct. 2021)

"Learning more about different types of language learners and how treatment depends on the type of language learner. Researched based information that is key for SLPs to understand and apply." M.M. (Oct. 2021)

"The need to think more about the way that different children learn language and expanding my knowledge of how to work with children who don't follow expected trajectories. I liked the repetition of important concepts to emphasize them for me." S.T. (Oct. 2021)

"I found the research that is directly related to the communicative intents behind delayed echolalia is most beneficial.  I liked the real-life examples Marge provided, as well as her recap and review at the end of each section." C.D. (Oct. 2021)

"Literally everything discussed in this course was beneficial- but especially the importance and necessity of echolalia!  I liked how Marge explains these topics easily- I know now how to inform parents and teachers about this topic." L.F. (Oct. 2021)

"I work with many autistic children who are gestalt processors and I have never quite known how to approach their learning style. This is a great start to help shift my thinking.  I liked the clear descriptions of analytic versus gestalt language processors." K.P. (Sept. 2021)

"I learned how to assess children who are gestalt language processors.  It was helpful to see all the examples of the different stages of NLA based on real language samples." C.K. (Sept. 2021)

"I enjoyed the specific examples provided by the presenter." A.C. (Sept. 2021)

"That is covered the research and background with regards to applying this approach." K.W. (Sept. 2021)

"Great overview for a level 1 course." M.S. (Sept. 2021)

"The stages of NLA and using part of a "script" to teach a word in different ways was beneficial." A.D. (Sept. 2021)

"Recognizing the communicative power of echolalia and how to shape/mitigate for children will help my practice." C.C. (Aug. 2021)

"I liked the information on how to evaluate gestalt language processors. However, I think it will be difficult to implement in my current therapy situation (school district preschool). I appreciated that the course was broken into chunks so that I could take breaks and absorb the information." D.M. (Aug. 2021)

"How to help my NLA children move through the stages of language development by properly assessing and treating them. The examples were very helpful. How the material was presented and backed by research." R.V. (Aug. 2021)

Course Objectives

  1. Apply the linguistic descriptions of analytic and gestalt language processing to describe two styles of language development.
  2. Describe the six stages of language development for gestalt language processors (echolalia to complex self-generated language).
  3. Describe the similarities and differences in language development between neurotypical gestalt language processors and ASD gestalt language processors.
  4. Describe the significance of the research regarding the communicative functions of echolalia.
  5. Apply a language assessment protocol to spontaneous utterances of a young autistic child.
  6. Derive general language development goals for a young autistic child at each stage of language development.

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 0.3 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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