Non verbal child and executive functions: stimulation program
The absence of spoken language does not mean the absence of cognitive abilities. The executive functions of non verbal children are accessible, stimulable, and crucial for their development and autonomy. This practical program provides the tools to develop them without relying on verbal mediation.
For a long time, cognitive rehabilitation programs focused on children capable of verbal language — as if words were the sine qua non condition of thought. Today, neuropsychology and specialized clinical practice show us that this is a false and harmful assumption. Non verbal children — whether they have severe autism spectrum disorder, profound dysphasia, cerebral palsy affecting language, or other pathologies — have executive functions, learning abilities, and a real internal cognitive life, often much richer than what standard verbal tests can detect. This guide offers a structured program for stimulating executive functions tailored to non verbal children: concrete exercises, organized by function, using visual, sensory, and motor supports, and directly applicable at home or in rehabilitation sessions.
1. The non verbal child: who are we talking about?
1.1 Profiles and definitions
The term "non verbal" encompasses very heterogeneous realities that are important to distinguish in order to adapt the stimulation program. A absolute non verbal child produces no intentional vocalization or very little, without recognizable words — this is the case in some forms of severe ASD, certain cerebral palsies, and some encephalopathies. A functional non verbal child can produce sounds, proto-words, or even a few isolated words, but their spoken language does not allow them to communicate reliably and functionally in daily life — they require an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) system. A child with severe language deficits (profound dysphasia, acquired aphasia in children) sometimes understands much better than they can express — a profile where cognitive functions may be significantly ahead of verbal production abilities.
These distinctions matter for stimulating executive functions: a child who understands without producing can access complex instructions, rule-based games, and elaborate planning tasks if presented in a non verbal format. A child with difficulties in comprehension and expression requires formats that are even more action-based, relying on imitation and immediate sensory feedback. In all cases, the assumption of competence — attributing to the child the highest abilities compatible with their behavioral manifestations — is the ethical and practical foundation of working with non verbal children.
of children with ASD remain non verbal or minimally verbal by age 5 (INSERM / HAS)
improvement in EF in non verbal children after a 12-week visuospatial stimulation program (Dawson et al., 2020)
of advancement in EF over language in many non verbal ASD children — cognition often precedes communication
of non verbal children introduced to AAC before age 5 develop functional communication (ASHA, 2021)
1.2 What executive functions are and why they are crucial
Executive functions (EF) refer to a set of high-level cognitive abilities that allow an individual to regulate their behavior towards a goal. They mainly include: planning (organizing a sequence of actions to achieve a goal), cognitive flexibility (adapting when rules change), inhibition (resisting an impulsive response or a distracting stimulus), working memory (maintaining and manipulating information in the short term), and attentional control (maintaining attention on a goal despite distractions).
For a non verbal child, executive functions have particularly crucial value: they underpin the ability to learn new communication systems, follow routines, adapt behavior according to context, and develop gradual autonomy in daily life. Strong EF allow a non verbal child to navigate a world designed for verbal individuals with more fluidity, security, and efficiency. Conversely, weakened EF amplify communication and adaptation difficulties — which explains why EF stimulation must be centrally integrated into any program supporting non verbal children.
1.3 The issue of differential diagnosis: cognition vs. communication
One of the most frequent — and damaging — mistakes in supporting non verbal children is to confuse the absence of language with the absence of cognition. Classic standardized assessments, heavily based on verbal abilities, systematically underestimate the actual cognitive level of non verbal children. An appropriate neuropsychological assessment — using non verbal tasks, performance tests, or tests based on imitation and action — often reveals cognitive and executive abilities significantly superior to what a standard assessment would conclude.
This distinction is fundamental for adapting expectations and stimulation programs: a child whose non verbal assessment reveals planning and working memory abilities within the age norm can access much more elaborate stimulation programs than a child presenting both an absence of language and documented cognitive deficits. In both cases, stimulation is possible and beneficial — but its level, format, and objectives differ significantly.
2. Stimulating EF without words: fundamental principles
2.1 Why verbal is not necessary for executive functions
It is important to dispel a widespread myth in educational and paramedical circles: executive functions are not fundamentally verbal. They are implemented in neural circuits (prefrontal cortex and its connections) that function largely independently of language. Visuospatial planning, non verbal working memory (mental images, motor sequences), attentional flexibility, and inhibition of a motor response are all accessible to a brain without spoken language — and have been documented in non-human animals, adults with severe aphasia, and non verbal children with ASD.
What language facilitates is reasoning about rules (telling oneself the steps of a task), explicit representation of goals (naming the goal to be achieved), and communication of strategies between individuals. These mediating functions can be partially compensated by visual supports, images, three-dimensional supports, physical demonstration, and new AAC technologies. The key is to make the EF stimulation program visible and physically accessible without necessarily going through verbal means.
🔑 Guiding principle: For each EF stimulation exercise, the question to ask is: "How can I make the rule, the goal, or the sequence visible and understandable without words?" The answer is almost always possible: sequential images, colors, physical objects, demonstration, tablet, or any available AAC support.
2.2 The four non verbal modalities for stimulating EF
3. Executive function stimulation program
Function 1 — Planning
Organize a sequence of steps to achieve a goal · Exercises 1 to 4Visual sequences of activities
Present 3 to 5 photos/pictograms of an activity in random order. The child places them in the correct order (e.g.: washing hands: soap → scrub → rinse → dry). Start with 3 steps, progress to 5-6. Use PECS supports or downloadable pictograms.
The color cube tower
Present a model of a cube tower (e.g.: red at the bottom, yellow in the middle, blue at the top) and ask the child to replicate it with their own cubes. Gradually increase the number of elements and the complexity of the model. Excellent for visual-spatial planning.
The planned course
Show the child a visual map of a course (e.g.: 3 steps represented by photos of places) before they start. The child must find the steps in order without being reminded. Adjust the difficulty (2 → 5 steps) to the child's level. Excellent for working memory coupled with planning.
Free construction with delayed model
Show an assembly (Lego, kapla, cubes) for 30 seconds, remove it, then ask the child to reconstruct it from memory. Increase the initial presentation duration to simplify, decrease to complicate. Stimulates planning + visual working memory.
Function 2 — Inhibition
Resist an impulsive response or a distracting stimulus · Exercises 5 to 8Visual Stop-and-Go
The child walks or runs while the adult shows a green image (GO). When the adult shows a red image (STOP), the child must stop immediately. Vary the GO and STOP times randomly. The musical variant (music = GO, silence = STOP) is very accessible for non-verbal children with autism.
Sorting with Inverted Rule
The child sorts objects according to a rule (e.g., circles on the left, squares on the right). Once the rule is mastered, invert it without warning. Inhibiting the previous rule is the main difficulty. Start with simple rules (color), progress to complex rules (shape + color).
The Conductor
The adult makes a gesture and the child makes the agreed opposite gesture (e.g., adult raises arms → child lowers them, adult claps → child does nothing). Start with a single gesture-rule, gradually add more. Very effective for inhibition, accessible from 3-4 years with non-verbal children.
Touch Without Taking
Present several objects, only one of which is allowed to be touched (marked with a green dot). The child must resist touching the unmarked objects. Increase the number of tempting objects, the duration of the exercise, and reduce the visibility of the marking to gradually increase complexity.
Function 3 — Cognitive flexibility
Adapting when rules or context change · Exercises 9 to 12The sorting that changes rules
The child sorts cards by color. A visual signal (change of display) indicates that they must now sort by shape. Then by size. The ability to change classification rules without excessive cognitive costs is the measure of non-verbal cognitive flexibility.
Course with changing rules
A motor course with 3 stations. At each pass, the rule of a station changes (visual signal: sign displayed at the station). Ex: station 1 = jump → crawl → crab walk. Flexibility is tested in physical action — very accessible for non-verbal children with good motor skills.
Alternating imitation
The adult and the child take turns imitating each other — when it's the adult's turn to imitate, the child can do whatever they want; when it's the child's turn, they imitate. Recognizing their role and changing mode (imitating → imitated) engages flexibility and basic theory of mind.
Inverted pictogram game
Present pairs of opposing pictograms (hot/cold, high/low, fast/slow). The adult shows a pictogram, the child must show (or point to) the opposite. Complicate by alternating with moments where they must point to the same. Develops flexibility and visual working memory.
Function 4 — Working memory
Maintain and manipulate short-term information · Exercises 13 to 16Sequence of movements to reproduce
The adult performs a sequence of movements (e.g., tap the table × 2, clap hands × 1, touch their nose × 3). The child reproduces the sequence without a visible model. Start with 2 movements, progress to 5-6. The motor modality bypasses the verbal while intensely engaging working memory.
Visual Kim with increasing delay
Present 3 to 5 objects or images, cover them after 10 seconds, secretly remove one object, reveal. The child must point to or show which one is missing. Increase the delay (10 → 60 seconds), the number of objects, and introduce a distracting activity during the delay.
Color sequences (Adapted Simon game)
Simplified version of the Simon game: the adult lights up colored boxes in a sequence (or points to colored pictograms in sequence) and the child reproduces the order. Start with 2 colors, progress to 5. Accessible version without technology using laminated colored cards.
Message on the way
Show the child 3 pictograms representing 3 objects to bring back (or 3 actions to do in sequence in other rooms). The child memorizes, leaves, completes the mission, returns. Difficulty increases with the number of elements and the complexity of the objects/actions. Very close to functional challenges of daily life.
Function 5 — Sustained and selective attention
Maintain concentration on a target despite distractions · Exercises 17 to 20Visual search with distractors
On a board with various images, the child must point out all occurrences of a target pictogram (e.g.: all dogs, all red houses). Increase the number of distractors and the similarity to the target. Use the visual timer to add a progressive time constraint.
Sound discrimination with background noise
The child must react (raise a hand, point to an image) only when they hear a target sound (e.g.: the sound of a dog) among other sounds. Gradually add background noise. Very effective for auditory selective attention — important for children using AAC in noisy environments.
Structured activity with visual timer
Any table activity (puzzle, coloring, manipulation) performed for a set duration displayed on a visual timer — with instruction not to change activities until the signal. Gradually increase the duration (2 → 5 → 10 minutes). The Emotion thermometer can be used for the child to assess their attention level after the session.
Delayed copying of a complex model
Show a complex visual model (e.g.: a board with objects arranged according to a pattern) for 1 minute, then remove it. The child must reproduce the placement of the objects from memory. Sustained attention during encoding is as important as memory to succeed in this task — both executive functions are at play simultaneously.
4. Integrate the program into daily life
4.1 Moments of daily life as a natural stimulation ground
Structured exercises are important — but executive functions develop mainly through thousands of small daily opportunities. For non-verbal children, daily life itself — meals, hygiene, travel, leisure activities — is a vast field for exercising executive functions, provided it is deliberately organized to maximize opportunities.
- Structure routines with visual sequences — Each daily routine (washing, dressing, eating) displayed as a sequence of pictograms stimulates planning and procedural memory. The child who follows their sequence without adult guidance exercises their executive functions each time. The DYNSEO alert signals card can be used to document the moments and contexts where executive function difficulties emerge in these routines.
- Announce transitions in advance — Transitions (end of activity, change of context) are the moments when inhibition and flexibility are most required. Announcing the transition via a pictogram "in 5 minutes" or a visual timer allows the child to cognitively prepare for the change — reducing difficult behaviors and exercising flexibility in a structured way.
- Offer visual choices — Giving the child formalized choices via pictograms or real objects exercises decision-making and working memory (maintaining the options to compare). The DYNSEO choice wheel is a simple and visual tool to formalize these moments of choice throughout the day.
- Identify triggers for difficult behaviors — Difficult behaviors (restlessness, crisis, refusal) often occur when executive functions are overwhelmed by environmental demands. The DYNSEO sensory needs card helps identify sensory contexts that overload executive functions — valuable information for adapting the environment.
- Integrate AAC as a lever for executive functions — Every use of the AAC system by the child (pointing to an image, using MY DICTIONARY, selecting a PECS symbol) is an exercise in working memory and planning. AAC is not just a communication tool — it is also a field for stimulating executive functions in real life.
- Document progress — The DYNSEO session tracking sheet allows for noting completed exercises, successes, and difficulties, and sharing this information among different stakeholders (parents, AESH, speech therapist, occupational therapist, specialized educator) to ensure program coherence.
5. Augmented communication as a lever for executive functions
5.1 MY DICTIONARY: when AAC stimulates executive functions while facilitating communication
The MY DICTIONARY app from DYNSEO is an alternative and augmented communication tool designed for non-verbal or minimally verbal children. Beyond its primary function of communication, its regular use directly stimulates several executive functions: planning (choosing words in the correct order to construct a comprehensible statement), working memory (maintaining the communicative intention while navigating the interface), inhibition (resisting the urge to select the first image that comes to mind in favor of the most precise one), and flexibility (adapting their message according to the interlocutor's reaction).
Research on the use of AAC in non-verbal children consistently shows a parallel improvement in cognitive and executive abilities as AAC competence develops. This is not simply because the child is learning to communicate — it is because AAC creates structured and repeated opportunities for exercising executive functions in a motivating (communication) and functional (producing real effects on the environment) context.
Behavioral disorders related to illness — Methods and multidisciplinary coordination
For professionals supporting non-verbal children with behavioral disorders related to executive function overload, this Qualiopi certified training provides the neurobiological foundations of executive deficits, non-verbal assessment methods, adapted intervention strategies (ABA, PECS, AAC), and tools for multidisciplinary coordination. Deployable in a multidisciplinary team (ITEP, SESSAD, IME, inclusive school).
Discover the training →6. DYNSEO tools for supporting the non-verbal child
🚨 Alert signals card
Document the triggers and precursor signals of overload in the non-verbal child — essential for adapting the environment and activities before behavioral crises.
Download →🌡️ Sensory needs card
Identify the specific sensitivities and sensory needs of the non-verbal child — to adapt the environment for stimulating executive functions and reduce sensory overload that interferes with learning.
Download →📋 Crisis management plan
Formalized protocol for episodes of behavioral overflow — shareable with the entire team to ensure consistent responses regardless of which professional is present.
Download →🌡️ Emotion thermometer
Visual tool for emotional identification — allows the non-verbal child to communicate their emotional state without words, reducing frustration and improving emotional regulation.
Download →🎡 Choice wheel
Visual support for daily choice moments — regular exercise of planning and working memory in an accessible and motivating non-verbal format.
Download →DYNSEO Applications
💬 MY DICTIONARY — AAC Communication
Central alternative and augmented communication application for non-verbal children. Simultaneously stimulates communication and executive functions (planning, working memory, flexibility). Interface adaptable to each profile.
Learn more →🧒 COCO — Children 5–10 years
Fun cognitive exercises for children aged 5 to 10. Some COCO pathways engage executive functions (attention, planning, memory) in a format accessible to children with communication difficulties.
Learn more →🤖 DYNSEO AI Coach
Personalized support for families and professionals: questions about stimulation programs, AAC approaches, specific adaptations for the non-verbal child's profile.
Learn more →🧠 CLINT — Adults
For non-verbal or minimally verbal adolescents and young adults: adaptable cognitive stimulation pathways, accessible in non-verbal mode with support.
Learn more →DYNSEO Trainings
Behavioral disorders — Methods and multidisciplinary coordination
Behavioral changes — Practical guide for relatives
→ See the complete catalog of DYNSEO trainings
🧩 Stimulate the executive functions of your non-verbal child
MY DICTIONARY for communication and executive functions, practical DYNSEO tools (Alert signals card, Sensory needs card, Crisis management plan), and Qualiopi certified training for professionals — comprehensive support for the non-verbal child and their surroundings.
❓ FAQ — Non-verbal child and executive functions
1. How to assess the executive functions of a non-verbal child?
Assessing EF in non-verbal children requires specifically non-verbal tools — classic standardized tests (Wisc, Vineland verbal) are inapplicable or massively underestimate the actual potential. Suitable tools include the NEPSY-II tests (non-verbal subtests), Leiter-R tests (non-verbal intelligence), direct performance tasks (planning towers, sorting tasks, DCCS — Dimensional Change Card Sort), and systematic observations in natural situations. This assessment should be conducted by a neuropsychologist or a psychologist trained in non-verbal assessments.
2. From what age can the EF stimulation program begin?
EF begins to develop from the first year of life — basic inhibition (not grabbing an object you want when you have to wait) is observable from 8-12 months. In non-verbal children with ASD or other conditions, EF stimulation can start as early as 18-24 months with very simple activities (following a gaze, imitating a gesture, waiting for a signal). The earlier the stimulation starts, the more it benefits from the maximum brain plasticity of the early years. The exercises in the program presented in this guide can be adapted for children as young as 2-3 years for the simplest ones.
3. Can the exercises be done without a specialist, by parents at home?
Yes — the vast majority of the exercises in this program can be done by parents at home, with simple materials (blocks, image cards, downloadable pictograms). The condition is to have received a presentation of the program by the speech therapist, psychomotor therapist, or neuropsychologist in charge of the child, who can adapt the exercises to the child's specific profile and verify proper implementation. Parental sessions at home are extremely valuable for generalizing the skills acquired in specialized sessions.
4. How to know if an exercise is too difficult or too easy for the child?
An exercise that is too easy generates little engagement — the child performs it automatically, with no apparent effort, and may seek to move on quickly. An exercise that is too difficult generates frustration, avoidance behaviors, or random responses. The optimal exercise is in the zone where the child succeeds about 70% of the time with visible effort. Specifically: if they succeed at everything on the first try, increase the difficulty. If they fail more than half the time after several attempts, decrease it. Progress should be noticeable but never discouraging.
5. My non-verbal child exhibits recurrent difficult behaviors — this blocks the sessions. How to manage?
Difficult behaviors during EF stimulation sessions often signal that the cognitive demand temporarily exceeds the child's capabilities, or that environmental factors (noise, sensory overload, unprepared transition) are interfering. The first response is to reduce the demands: shorter, simpler activity, in a calmer environment. The Alert Signals Map and the DYNSEO Sensory Needs Map help identify patterns. The Crisis Management Plan formalizes the response to be adopted to ensure consistency among all stakeholders.
6. Can AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) really improve executive functions?
Yes — longitudinal studies on non-verbal children using AAC show a parallel improvement in EF and communication skills. The use of AAC directly exercises planning (selecting words in order), working memory (maintaining the communicative intention during navigation), and flexibility (adapting the message according to the interlocutor's reactions). MY DICTIONARY from DYNSEO is designed to maximize these cognitive benefits while facilitating communication — the visual and progressive interface is designed to simultaneously develop these two dimensions.
7. How to coordinate the stimulation program with the speech therapist, psychomotor therapist, and AESH?
Multidisciplinary coordination is essential for a coherent and effective program. Recommended practices: a team meeting (ESS or informal summary) at least quarterly to align objectives, the liaison notebook as a communication tool between sessions, the designation of a coordination referent (often the speech therapist or neuropsychologist), and sharing the DYNSEO Session Tracking Sheet among all stakeholders. The AESH in particular can be a valuable relay for EF exercises in the school context if trained in the specific objectives and adaptations of the program.
8. Is MY DICTIONARY suitable for very young non-verbal children (2-4 years)?
MY DICTIONARY can be introduced as early as 18 months in its simplest version — with vocabulary limited to the most familiar objects, people, and actions of the child. The interface is customizable to adapt to the user's level: number of cells per screen, image size, navigation speed. For very young children, a guided introduction by the speech therapist is recommended to choose the starting vocabulary, configure the interface, and train the family for daily use. The earlier AAC is introduced, the greater and more lasting the benefits on communication and EF.
🧩 Support the cognitive development of your non-verbal child
MY DICTIONARY for communication and executive functions, the 5 practical DYNSEO tools for daily support, and the Qualiopi certified training for professionals — a comprehensive support for the non-verbal child and their surroundings, at every stage of development.
