The vast majority of research on Executive Function (EF) has been conducted with typically developing children, and much remains to be understood about the developmental process for EF when there are delays in its development. One pathway for investigating delays and deficiencies in EF is to obtain a better understanding of its precursors. Given the current interest in children’s language development, early vocabulary is of significant interest as a precursor to EF ability. This study will examine the association between vocabulary and EF for children without exposure to typical language by assessing early language and later EF in deaf preschool children with recent cochlear implants. It will address the question of whether children’s early vocabulary acts as a precursor to EF when children do not have the ability to hear verbal language. The study has implications for intervention work because it informs our ability to use children’s early language as intervention leverage point for improving the development of EF and later trajectories of educational success.