Question
At 22 months, the child still only calls out ‘mommy’ and doesn’t respond when spoken to. She doesn’t learn from being taught. I’m seeking assistance on how to initiate a change in the current situation, so that the baby will start speaking…
Answer
When a child fails to open their mouth and speak, parents often become very anxious. The process of learning to speak is indeed quite complex, involving both the child’s intention to speak and the matching of content, as well as the coordination of activities of various speech organs’ muscles. Guidance: To learn to speak, children need a good language environment, and family members should talk to them more. Engage them in games to make them happy and facilitate their pronunciation. Special training for children to start speaking usually involves phonetic learning methods. Have the child sit facing the parent at the same height, and pay attention to the parent’s mouth shape. If the child is very active and has difficulty concentrating, place them on your lap close to your face so they can focus without distraction. If necessary, use one hand to stabilize their lower jaw so they can observe the mouth shape of the person speaking.