Stage 2 Mitigated Gestalts: Mixing and Matching Scripts
- Courtney Kaylor-Bates
- Jul 12
- 3 min read
Part 3 of our Gestalt Language Processing Series
Welcome back to our series on Gestalt Language Processing (GLP). In our last post, we explored Stage 1: Echolalia—when children repeat full scripts from songs, shows, or everyday routines as a meaningful way to connect and communicate.
Now, we’re moving into Stage 2: Mitigated Gestalts—a stage full of creativity, experimentation, and growth.
What Are Mitigated Gestalts?
Mitigated gestalts happen when a child begins to mix, shorten, rearrange, or slightly tweak their original scripts. This is their way of gaining more control over language and starting to express themselves in new, more flexible ways.
For example, a child who used to say:
“Let’s go play outside!” (a full echolalic phrase)
Might now say:
“Go play outside!”
“Let’s go play now!”
“Go outside!”
These new phrases are still built from pieces of earlier scripts—but now they’re being combined in new ways to better match the child’s own intentions.
Why Is This Stage So Important?
This stage shows us that children are beginning to break apart their memorized scripts and rearrange them in meaningful ways. They may still rely on chunks of language they’ve heard before, but they’re no longer repeating full scripts exactly as they were first heard.
In other words, children are starting to build their own phrases—even if those phrases are still scaffolded by familiar language.
This is a huge developmental leap for gestalt processors. It means they’re developing internal control over language and exploring how to use it more flexibly.
What Might Mitigated Gestalts Sound Like?
Because mitigated gestalts are still built from parts of longer scripts, they may sound a little unusual or unexpected. But they often give us clear clues about what a child is thinking or feeling.
Here are a few examples:
Original Script: “It’s time to go night-night!” Mitigated Version: “Go night-night now.” → Might mean: “I’m tired” or “Let’s go to bed.”
Original Script: “You did it!” (from a show)Mitigated Version: “I did it!” → A powerful moment of self-expression!
This is also the stage where new combinations start to appear that no adult has modeled—but they’re still made from earlier phrases. That’s a strong sign your child is internalizing language and starting to experiment with it in new ways.
Signs Your Child Might Be in Stage 2:
You might notice your child:
Drops words from familiar scripts
Rearranges the order of words
Mixes pieces from different phrases
Uses new scripts that seem familiar but are slightly altered
Still repeats some full gestalts, but also tries new versions of them
Sounds more intentional and expressive in tone or pacing
Even if these phrases don’t always sound like “typical” language, they’re an important step forward.
How You Can Support Your Child in Stage 2
This stage is all about modeling, patience, and celebrating experimentation. Here’s how to help:
Continue modeling short, meaningful phrases throughout your day Use real-life language that matches your child’s current interests and routines. For example:
“Let’s go outside”
“All done snack”
“Time to swing!”
Acknowledge and build on your child’s phrases If your child says, “Go outside now,” you might respond, “Yes! Let’s go outside together!”
Avoid pushing single words or making them repeat after you Instead of asking them to “say ball,” model phrases they can learn over time—like “Throw the ball!” or “More ball!”
Stay curious when phrases seem confusing Many mitigated gestalts are built from less obvious scripts. If something seems unfamiliar, try to consider:
What’s happening in the environment?
Does this sound like part of a phrase they’ve used before?
What tone or emotion are they expressing?
Even when it’s hard to decode, know that they’re practicing and playing with language—and that’s exactly what they’re supposed to be doing.
Keep in Mind
Mitigated gestalts are a natural and meaningful step toward self-generated language. It’s okay if the phrases are a little unclear or hard to understand at first. This stage is exploratory, creative, and exciting.
The best thing you can do? Keep listening. Keep modeling. Keep affirming.
In our next post, we’ll explore Stage 3: Single Words—when children begin to break language down even further and use individual words more flexibly.
As always, thank you for showing up with openness and trust. Your child is learning language in a way that is beautiful, valid, and uniquely their own—and you’re doing a wonderful job supporting them every step of the way.
Learn about Stage 3 Single Words here!
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