Episode #199: Language Processing and Pseudoscience with Kathleen Oppenheimer

Joining me today is the SLP behind the Instagram account @language_processing, Kathleen Oppenheimer. She caught my attention because she consistently shares excellent information on her page about language processing and the research behind it.

Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) is a hot topic these days. Kathleen defines GLP as a hypothesis about how language is acquired, in contrast to Analytic Language Processing (ALP). It’s important to note that these terms are not commonly used outside this specific context, nor are they frequently found in research articles. For many in the autism community, GLP currently serves as an identity label for their echolalia, but it’s crucial to distinguish this from its use as a clinical label to guide therapy.

We also discuss the abundance of ongoing research and debates in the field. If you’re not aware of what’s available, you might not know what to trust. Kathleen emphasizes that pseudoscience can appear scientific but is not applied in a scientifically rigorous manner (e.g., ignoring parts of research, relying solely on anecdotal evidence, not being evidence-based, etc.). When navigating the internet, you may come across ASHA journals, clinical research, peer-reviewed articles, white papers, anecdotal articles, and viewpoint articles—it’s essential to understand the publication requirements for each before applying them to your practice.

As a final thought, Kathleen reminds social media consumers: You don’t know what you don’t know, especially when it comes to research and research methods. Be sure to check out her page for more insights on language processing!

#appliedbehavioranalysis #speechtherapy