A note before we start: the tools in this post are everyday supports for communication and routine, not medical interventions. Every child is different, and nothing here replaces advice from your child's speech and language therapist, teacher or SEN team. Think of these as practical aids that work alongside the support your child already has.
For a child who is pre-verbal or non-verbal, the world can be a deeply frustrating place. They understand far more than they can express, and when they can't tell you what they need, or what's about to happen, that gap so often comes out as distress, difficult behaviour, or total overwhelm.
I'm Chloe, a primary school teacher and mum of four, and I've worked with children across a wide range of needs. I want to walk you through two of the most genuinely useful, practical tools for closing that gap, and helping with behaviour, speech and emotional regulation along the way: now and next boards and communication flashcards.
Why visual communication works so well
Lots of children who struggle with spoken language process visual information far more easily. A picture is concrete. It stays still. It doesn't vanish into the air the way a spoken word does. And for a child with high emotional needs, that predictability is calming in itself.
Visual supports are a well-established approach for autistic and pre-verbal children because they do three things at once. They give the child a voice, a way to show what they want when they can't say it. They make the day predictable, easing the anxiety that comes from not knowing what's next. And they support speech and language, pairing a picture with a word, consistently, which helps build the link between the two over time.
How a now and next board helps with behaviour and regulation
So much distress in pre-verbal children comes from transitions. Stopping a favourite activity, or facing a change they didn't see coming. A now and next board tackles this head on. It shows the child, simply and visually, what's happening now and what comes next.
That small piece of certainty makes a real difference. Instead of an activity ending out of nowhere, which can tip a child over the edge, they can see the change coming and get ready for it. Used consistently, it can help a child anticipate transitions, feel more in control, and stay regulated through moments that would otherwise overwhelm them. It's also a gentle motivator: "now" the tricky task, "next" the favourite thing.
One important thing: a now and next stand only works with the right pictures to put in it. On its own, the stand does nothing. It's the communication flashcards that go into it that make it a working tool. That's exactly why we sell them together as a set.
How communication flashcards support speech and connection
Communication flashcards are clear, simple picture cards for everyday things. Needs, activities, feelings, objects. For a non-verbal or pre-verbal child, they become a vocabulary they can actually use: pointing to or handing over a card to say "I want a drink", "I need the toilet", "I'm finished", or "I feel sad".
Used day to day, they do far more than ease frustration (though they do that too). Pairing the card with the spoken word, every single time, lays the foundations for speech and language to develop. And cards that name feelings, happy, sad, angry, worried, give a child with high emotional needs a way to express how they feel before it boils over. That's the very first step toward emotional regulation.
Building it into the day, at home, in class, or home-educating
These tools work best when they're consistent and everywhere the child is. At home, a now and next board by the kitchen helps with daily routines. For home-educating families, it brings calm structure and gives a pre-verbal child a reliable way to join in. The real key is using the same visuals across every setting, so the child builds one consistent language they can rely on.
Where to start
For most families and educators, the easiest starting point is our SEN bundle, which brings the core tools together so you're not piecing it all together yourself. Inside it, the now and next stand comes with its communication flashcards as a working pair, because, as I said, one genuinely needs the other. If you'd rather build up gradually, the components, the stand-and-flashcard set, the communication flashcards, and the emotions flashcards, are all available individually too.
Whatever you choose, these are designed by a qualified teacher and built to last. Professionally printed, gloss film laminated, and UKCA tested for safety, because resources for SEN children get heavy, daily use and need to stand up to it. They're durable enough to support a child for years, and to be passed on to another child who needs them.
Giving a pre-verbal or non-verbal child a way to communicate isn't just practical, it's one of the kindest things you can do for them. It lowers frustration, supports speech, and helps a child who feels everything so deeply finally feel understood.
If you're at the start of this journey, please don't feel you have to have it all figured out. Begin small, stay consistent, and lean on your child's SEN team. These tools are simply there to help you give your child a voice, and that's everything.