Today’s episode explores the silent, foundational period of language development that occurs long before an individual speaks their first words. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, introduces the metaphor of a “Script Garden,” a subconscious space where external sounds and speech patterns are gathered and processed like compost. By recalling the atmosphere of her grandmother’s home, the narrative illustrates how ambient noises, such as steady rain and rhythmic radio broadcasts, serve as the raw materials for future communication. This stage of linguistic saturation is characterised by internal rehearsal and the deep absorption of vocal cadences without any audible output. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks highlights the vital, hidden work of sensory processing that precedes the use of functional speech.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/non-speaking-the-script-garden

Let me know what you think.

The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe