SLP Instruction Manual

1. What Is GestaltPath?

GestaltPath is a mobile application designed to coach parents and caregivers of gestalt language processors between therapy sessions. It does not replace speech-language therapy. It does not interact with the child directly. Instead, it equips the adults in a child's life with tools to:

• Log their child's utterances quickly (by typing or speaking)
• Classify each utterance into an NLA stage using AI
• Receive personalized, stage-appropriate coaching prompts daily
• Practice responsive language modeling during live interactive sessions
• Track their child's language development over time

The app is grounded in Marge Blanc's Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) framework and adheres to the clinical principle of modeling language one stage ahead of the child's current production level.

2. Who This App Is For

GestaltPath serves two audiences:

Primary users — Parents and caregivers who want to support their child's language development at home, at mealtimes, during play, and across daily routines.

Clinical partners — Speech-language pathologists who can:

• Recommend the app to families on their caseload
• Review exported data to supplement clinical observations
• Use progress reports to inform treatment planning
• Validate or override AI classifications flagged for review

The app supports multiple user roles during setup: Parent, Caregiver, SLP, and Teacher. SLPs may create their own accounts to explore the app or to directly support families.

3. Clinical Foundation

GestaltPath implements Marge Blanc's six-stage NLA framework as its classification backbone. Every AI classification, coaching prompt, and progress metric maps to these stages.

The app enforces the "model one stage ahead" rule throughout:

• Coaching prompts target the child's current stage + 1
• Live Practice Mode coaching hints suggest language at the next stage
• Suggested phrases after practice sessions are calibrated one stage ahead

4. Getting Started

4.1 Account Setup

1. Download and open GestaltPath. A brief splash screen appears.
2. Welcome carousel — Four introductory screens explain the app's core value: "Every phrase has meaning," "Understand their language stages," "Get daily coaching tips," "Track progress over time."
3. Create an account — Enter your full name, phone number, and email address. Alternatively, sign in with Apple.
4. Verify your phone — A 6-digit code is sent via SMS. Enter it to confirm your identity.

4.2 Profile Configuration

After authentication, two additional steps are required:

1. Select your role — Choose from Parent, Caregiver, SLP, or Teacher. Each role includes a brief description.
2. Select your relationship — Options are filtered by role. For SLPs, available options include "Speech-Language Pathologist." For parents, options include biological parent, adoptive parent, foster parent, grandparent, and others.

4.3 Adding a Child

Before using the app, you must add at least one child profile. The only required field is Name (up to 50 characters). Optional but clinically valuable fields include:

5. Quick Language Logger

The Language Logger is the central data collection tool. It is accessed via the + button (center tab) in the bottom navigation bar.

5.1 Manual Text Entry

1. Tap the + tab to open the Logger.
2. Type the child's utterance in the text field (up to 500 characters).
3. Optionally add context notes (up to 1,000 characters) describing the situation.
4. Select a routine context: Mealtime, Play, Bedtime, Bath, Car, Outside, School, Therapy, or Other.
5. Tap "Log & Get AI Suggestion" to save and classify.

5.2 Voice Recording

1. Tap the red microphone button (large, 80px circle) to begin recording.
2. A real-time waveform visualization (20 animated bars) confirms audio capture.
3. A duration timer displays elapsed recording time.
4. Tap the button again to stop recording.
5. The audio is sent to OpenAI Whisper for transcription. A spinner indicates processing.
6. The transcribed text auto-fills the utterance field. You can edit the transcription before submitting.
7. Proceed with context notes and routine selection, then tap "Log & Get AI Suggestion."

5.3 Understanding AI Classification Results

After submission, the Classification Result screen displays:

• Stage badge — Large, color-coded indicator showing the predicted NLA stage (1–6)
• Stage name and description — Brief explanation of what the stage represents
• Confidence indicator — Color-coded: >70% High 40–70% Medium <40% Low
• AI reasoning — One-sentence explanation of why this stage was selected
• Linguistic markers — Specific patterns identified (e.g., "echoed media phrase," "novel word combination")
• Classification tier — Which model in the cascade resolved the classification (T1, T2, or T3)

5.4 Reviewing and Overriding AI Suggestions

Parents have three options after viewing a classification:

All three actions are recorded. When an SLP reviews exported data, they can see the AI's original suggestion/confidence, whether the parent accepted/adjusted/skipped, and whether the utterance was flagged for review.

6. Live Practice Mode

Live Practice Mode transforms the app into a real-time coaching companion during parent-child interactions. It is accessed via the waveform icon (rightmost tab).

6.1 Starting a Session

1. Tap the Practice tab.
2. If this is your first session, a consent screen explains that the microphone will be active. Accept to continue.
3. Select an activity context from 13 options: Play, Mealtime, Bedtime, Bath, Outside, Reading, Car, Dressing, Music, Therapy, Screen Time, Snack, or Other.
4. Tap "Start Session".

6.2 During a Session

The session screen displays:

• Session timer — Elapsed duration with a red recording indicator dot
• Pause/Play/Stop controls — Pause without ending, resume, or stop entirely
• Live utterance feed — As speech is detected, each utterance appears with transcribed text, a stage badge, timestamp, and coaching hint
• Speaker toggle — Tap any utterance to toggle between "Child" and "Me" (caregiver)
• Coaching hint banner — A yellow-highlighted area at the top with the current coaching suggestion

Offline support: If the device loses connectivity, an orange banner reads "Offline — transcription unavailable." The session continues recording locally and will process when connectivity returns.

Session maximum duration: 30 minutes.

6.3 Post-Session Summary

When you stop a session, a summary screen presents session duration, total utterance count, stage distribution, all utterances with classifications, and AI-generated coaching phrases with target stages and explanations.

7. Gestalt Library

The Gestalt Library is a running collection of the child's known gestalts — scripted phrases, echoed chunks, and recurring language patterns. It is accessed via the books icon tab.

7.1 Browsing and Searching

• Search bar — Full-text search across gestalt text, source, and meaning
• Stage filter — Show only gestalts at a specific NLA stage (1–6)
• Source filter — Filter by TV/Movie, Song, Book, Caregiver, Peer, or Other
• Child switcher — Switch between children if multiple profiles exist

Each gestalt card displays the text in quotes, a color-coded stage pill, the interpreted meaning (prefixed with "→"), and tags for source category and communicative function.

7.2 Adding a Gestalt

7.3 Managing Entries

• Tap a gestalt card to view its full detail screen
• Long-press to access the context menu: Mark Active/Inactive or Delete

8. Daily Coaching Prompts

The app generates up to 3 personalized coaching prompts per day per child. These appear on the Home screen below the recent utterances section. Each coaching prompt includes:

• Prompt text — A specific, actionable suggestion (e.g., "During mealtime, try narrating your actions: 'I'm pouring the milk. Pour, pour, pour.'")
• Explanation — Why this strategy is effective for the child's current stage
• Target stage — The NLA stage being modeled (always one stage ahead)
• Example phrases — Concrete language examples the parent can use
• Routine context — When to use this prompt

Parents can rate each prompt from 1 to 5 stars. Prompts are generated based on the child's current primary NLA stage, recent utterance history, and daily routine contexts.

9. Progress Dashboard

The Progress Dashboard provides visual analytics on the child's language development. It is accessed via the chart icon tab.

9.1 Stage Trends Chart

A time range picker lets you select 7 Days, 30 Days, 90 Days, or All Time. The chart displays daily utterance counts (blue bars), a rolling average trend line (green), and an overall average (dotted gray). This answers: "Is the family logging consistently?"

9.2 Stage Distribution

A horizontal bar breakdown shows the percentage of utterances at each NLA stage, using the app's ocean-to-shore color gradient. This answers: "What is the child's current stage profile, and is there evidence of progression?"

9.3 Milestones

10. Settings and Data Management

Settings are accessible from the gear icon on the Home screen.

Children

View all child profiles, add additional children (subject to plan limits), or edit existing profiles.

Appearance

Auto (follows system), Light, or Dark.

Plan Management

Data Export

Tap "Export All Data" to generate a comprehensive JSON file containing all utterances, gestalt library entries, coaching prompts with ratings, and practice session summaries. This file can be shared via email, AirDrop, or saved to Files.

Account Management

• Sign Out — Logs out of the current session
• Delete Account & All Data — Permanently removes the account and all associated data. Requires double confirmation. Irreversible.

11. Understanding the AI Classification System

11.1 Three-Tier Cascade Architecture

GestaltPath uses a cascading AI classification system designed to balance speed, accuracy, and cost:

In benchmark testing: Tier 1 achieved 100% accuracy on Stages 1–3. Tier 3 achieved 100% accuracy across all stages. The cascade resolves approximately 60–70% of utterances at Tier 1, 20–25% at Tier 2, and 5–10% at Tier 3.

11.2 Confidence Levels and What They Mean

11.3 SLP Review Flags

When AI confidence falls below 40%, the utterance is automatically flagged. This typically occurs with:

• Ambiguous Stage 2 vs. Stage 4 utterances — The distinction between recombined gestalt chunks and novel word combinations is clinically subtle
• Context-dependent classifications — The same surface form can represent different stages depending on whether it is echoed or self-generated
• Transitional utterances — Language produced at the boundary between two stages

12. NLA Stage Reference

This reference is embedded in the app's AI system and used for all classifications.

13. Clinical Workflow Recommendations

13.1 Recommending GestaltPath to Families

1. Set the right expectations. GestaltPath is a coaching and tracking tool, not a diagnostic instrument or replacement for therapy.
2. Help with initial setup. Provide an initial NLA stage estimate when the family adds their child.
3. Fill in the clinical fields. Encourage families to complete the diagnoses, therapy status, and communication methods fields.
4. Populate the Gestalt Library early. Work with the family to enter the child's known gestalts with their sources and meanings.
5. Explain the "model one stage ahead" principle. A five-minute explanation of the NLA stages during a session can significantly improve engagement.

13.2 Using Exported Data in Treatment Planning

The JSON export (Settings → Export All Data) contains the utterance log, gestalt library, coaching interactions, and practice sessions. Recommended uses:

• Review the utterance log to identify patterns (e.g., consistent Stage 2 during play but Stage 1 during mealtimes)
• Use stage distribution over time to document progress for insurance or school reporting
• Identify utterances where the parent adjusted the AI's suggestion — these highlight areas worth discussing
• Review flagged utterances together to build the parent's NLA staging skills

13.3 Interpreting Progress Reports

• Daily counts — Inconsistent logging may indicate the family needs encouragement. Consistent logging (even low volume) is more valuable than sporadic bursts.
• Rolling average trend — An upward trend typically correlates with increased parental engagement.
• Stage distribution shifts — Look for gradual movement toward higher stages over weeks/months. Sudden jumps may indicate breakthroughs or changed staging accuracy.
• Milestones — "First Stage [N] utterance" milestones are clinically significant. Cross-reference the date with therapy sessions.

13.4 When AI Flags for SLP Review

14. Privacy, COPPA Compliance, and Data Security

GestaltPath was designed with pediatric data privacy as a primary concern:

15. Troubleshooting

16. Glossary