Your child speaks little or not at all, but still has something to say. Practical ways to support communication — with photos, gestures, and a digital communication board.
When your child is non-verbal — using few or no spoken words — it often feels like guessing. What does he want? Is she in pain? Does she want to go outside? Non-verbal does not mean “nothing to say”. It means spoken language is not (yet) the main channel.
Many non-verbal children understand more than they can say. They point, pull you along, make sounds, or become frustrated when nobody understands them. Supporting communication therefore does not start with “practice talking”, but with a reliable channel: something your child can use to send a message and you can confirm.
What can you do today? Start small. Pick three to five core moments in the day — drink, eat, toilet, break, help — and always offer the same choices. Use gestures, photos, or pictograms you both understand. Model yourself: tap or point along, without pressure to speak aloud. Consistency at home and school helps more than a perfect system.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is the umbrella term for those channels: from a paper board with photos to a tablet app that speaks words aloud. It is not “giving up on speech”. Practice shows that a good channel often increases communication overall — and sometimes spoken language later as well.
Your own photos often work better for non-verbal children than standard pictograms alone. A photo of their own cup, grandpa, school bag, or sofa at home is recognizable. That lowers the barrier to choosing. So it helps to pick a tool where you can quickly add your own images.
TWIYO was built for our non-verbal son. On phone or tablet you can start free with letters, counting, the word-image game, and up to 10 custom words with photos. With Premium — or a free 14-day trial with no payment details — you get a digital communication board (AAC), speller, and unlimited custom content. Photos stay on the device.
Important: TWIYO is an educational and communication app, not a medically certified device. It does not replace a speech therapist, diagnosis, or professional speech device. Discuss with your speech therapist which words and approach fit. Also read: my child does not talk at twiyo.app/en/mijn-kind-praat-niet, or our guide to aided communication at twiyo.app/blog/wat-is-ondersteunde-communicatie.
Ready to practice calmly? Open TWIYO, add the app to your home screen, and start with a few of your own photos — or start 14 days of Premium to try the communication board.
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