The Accidental Series: How a Panic Attack Birthed a Holistic Approach to GLP Support

Have you ever tried to complete a jigsaw puzzle, only to find that some of the pieces seem to be from an entirely different picture? As an autistic person who is a Gestalt Language Processor (GLP), this is often what navigating daily life feels like for me. The world presents itself in fragments, but my mind is wired to understand things as complete, meaningful wholes. It’s a mismatch that can lead to significant challenges, from anxiety in social situations to disrupted sleep and even nocturnal panic attacks.

In fact, it was one such nocturnal panic attack that sparked the creation of this very series you’re about to read. Two nights ago (as I write this), my brain got stuck on a problem - as it often does - but this time, it was desperately trying to work out the best way to not get stuck … whilst I was sleeping. The result? A cognitive overdrive that eventually produced not just one, but six articles totalling about 15,000 words (not counting this introduction). Such is the nature of the autistic GLP mind when it’s laser-focused on solving a problem.

But what if we could change the game? What if, instead of trying to force square pegs into round holes, we embraced and worked with this unique cognitive style?

That’s exactly what we’re going to explore in this series of articles launching today. Over the next week, I’ll be sharing with you a holistic approach to supporting autistic GLPs, one that recognises our strengths and works with our natural way of processing information, rather than against it.

Now, you might be wondering, “What exactly is Gestalt Language Processing?” Well, imagine your mind as a vast library. For most people, this library is organised like a traditional catalogue system - words, concepts, and experiences filed away individually, ready to be combined as needed. But for GLPs like me, the shelves are filled with entire books, each representing a complete scenario, phrase, or experience. It’s a fundamentally different way of understanding and interacting with the world.

This cognitive style influences every aspect of an autistic GLP’s life, from how we learn and communicate to how we experience sensory input and manage transitions. And when it comes to sleep and anxiety? That’s where things can get particularly tricky. Imagine your mind frantically searching for a matching ‘book’ to make sense of unfamiliar nighttime sensations, and coming up empty. That’s the kind of cognitive overload that can trigger a nocturnal panic attack - the very experience that led to this series.

But don’t worry - I’m not here to simply point out challenges. I’m here to explore solutions, and that’s what the next six articles in this series, releasing daily over the coming week, are all about. We’ll be diving deep into five key areas that form our holistic approach to supporting autistic GLPs.

In just an hour, we’ll kick off with our first article that sets the stage for the series. Then, the next day, we’ll explore how we can expand the ‘gestalt library.’ Just as you might broaden your horizons by reading a variety of books, we’ll look at how to help autistic GLPs build a more diverse range of experiential gestalts. This can provide us with a richer repertoire of complete units of understanding to draw upon in various situations.

Then we’ll delve into enhancing gestalt flexibility. Whilst GLPs naturally seek exact matches for our experiences, we’ll discuss techniques for making existing gestalts more adaptable. This can help reduce anxiety when faced with situations that are similar, but not identical, to previous experiences.

On the next day, we’ll focus on creating gestalt-friendly environments. This goes beyond basic accommodations to explore how we can design spaces and routines that actively support the GLP cognitive style. Think of it as creating a world where more of the puzzle pieces fit naturally together.

Midweek, we’ll tackle the crucial skill of gestalt translation. When exact matches aren’t available, the ability to ‘translate’ unfamiliar situations into components that align with existing gestalts can be a game-changer. We'll look at how to develop and hone this skill.

As we near the end of the week, we’ll address the importance of promoting neurodiversity understanding. After all, creating a more inclusive world isn’t just about supporting autistic individuals - it’s also about educating everyone else. We’ll explore strategies for explaining the GLP cognitive style and fostering more inclusive environments.

Finally, we’ll wrap up the series by getting into the nitty-gritty of practical implementation and challenges. Here, we’ll explore how to integrate these approaches into daily life and therapeutic practice. We’ll also address some of the obstacles you might encounter along the way and how to overcome them.

Throughout this week-long journey, we’re not just looking at ways to manage symptoms or modify behaviour. I’m proposing a fundamental shift in how we understand and interact with diverse cognitive styles. It’s an approach that has the potential to significantly improve quality of life for autistic GLPs, reducing anxiety, improving sleep, and enhancing overall well-being.

So, whether you’re an autistic GLP yourself, a family member, a professional working with autistic individuals, or simply someone interested in neurodiversity, I invite you to join me on this daily exploration. Together, we’ll discover how to create a world that not only accommodates but celebrates the unique perspectives and abilities of autistic GLPs.

Stay tuned for our first article in the series, launching in just an hour. We’ll be diving into the fascinating world of of gestalt processing. It’s going to be quite a week!

Now, I need a nap.