Work is reported on the use of the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) with young children who exhibit no expressive language. A psychogalvanometer was employed to detect areas of receptive language (Osgood's connotative meaning), to assess the acquisition of receptive language and to provide a base for developing initial language instructional programmes for individual children. Results indicate that use of the GSR can provide a valuable clinical tool for assessing and guiding instruction of expressive language of language‐delayed non‐verbal child