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63 %u00a9 Elklan Training Limited 2025Elklan Supporting Gestalt Language Processing %u2013 a Total Communication Approach8.0 SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH STAGE 3 OF GESTALT LANGUAGE PROCESSING AND LITERACY SUPPORT8.1 STAGE 3At Stage 3 the child or young person is at the start of self-generated language. This may occur with the use of single words and word combinations which appear to be less advanced linguistically than Stage 1 and 2. They may have said %u2018Ok, let%u2019s do this%u2019 on transition to lunch and now say %u2018Go lunch%u2019. This is not regression. The child or young person is now generating their own words and word combinations. There are other indications of Stage 3 including using different or their own intonation patterns and saying a word while pointing at the matching object so the language refers to the object or person.8.2 CONTINUE TO AFFIRM GESTALTS AND REINFORCE MITIGATIONAt Stage 3 the child or young person is regarded as recognising words as units of language and the essence of meaning mapping onto one word is present. They may have, for example, used the gestalt %u2018It%u2019s a goal!%u2019 for %u2018football%u2019 and now say %u2018ball%u2019. The word %u2018ball%u2019 has been recognised as a self-generated noun and should be encouraged, %u2018Yes, the ball.%u2019 At Stage 3 when selfgenerated words emerge it is important to continue to reinforce mitigations. For example, %u2018Let%u2019s play ball%u2019. The adult can also continue to reinforce the gestalt %u2018It%u2019s a goal%u2019 and use it in the context of playing football. The nouns used by the child or young person can be noted and these are then the building blocks of emerging grammar in readiness for Stage 4.Other parts of grammar may be emerging such as adjectives and they may be showing early understanding and use of concepts. For example, child SH previously used a Stage 1 gestalt %u2018Come on let%u2019s kick kick kick we can kick the ball%u2019 derived from an online nursery rhyme and meaning %u2018football%u2019. Now they are using the words %u2018big ball%u2019 suggesting they are at Stage 3. It is important to check that they are using %u2018big%u2019 and %u2018ball%u2019 as two separate word meanings rather than %u2018big ball%u2019 combined meaning %u2018football%u2019. Having detected which words are being used it is important to support mapping the meaning onto the word or words as in %u2018Yes, the big ball%u2019, %u2018The football is big%u2019, %u2018It is a big ball%u2019, %u2018Let%u2019s kick the ball%u2019. At this stage emphasising the key words %u2018big%u2019 and %u2018ball%u2019 with a slight pause between them may help.3Recognising words as units of language and starting to use selfgenerated language