“Mama Llama! You Came Back!”: Designing for Gestalt Language Processing in a Case Study of an Autistic Child

Despite growing attention to autism in technology design, the unique communication style of gestalt language processing, where language is acquired as holistic chunks rather than discrete words, remains largely overlooked in HCI and educational technologies. This single case study examines the technology needs of a young autistic child who communicates using gestalt language processing. Over five months, the child’s caregiver kept a reflective journal documenting technology interactions that revealed three key design mismatches between existing technologies and the child’s communication preferences. We found that mainstream and social stories often lack emotional balance; language apps overlook the developmental trajectory of gestalt learners including pronoun reversal; and reward-based feedback in educational games misaligns with the child’s play motivations. These findings highlight the need for storytelling tools with adjustable emotional arcs, language apps that help children decompose and recontextualize scripts, and feedback systems focused on engagement rather than rewards and competition. These insights inform inclusive design approaches that recognize and support diverse autistic communication styles currently underserved by existing technologies.