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“Hi ladies just after a bit of advice if I could pick your brains please I have a 21month old son and besides the usual mum dad and bub he doesn’t talk it’s all still gibberish as he can tell me exactly what he wants without words so any tips on how to encourage him to talk would be much appreciated coz toilet training would be a lot easier if he could tell me… thinking of sending him to daycare a day a week. Thanks in advance” How would you encourage a child to talk?

Posted by Taz, 31/03/13

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  • Great answers here! It was interesting reading the comments on this!


  • Read to him, and ask him open ended questions, please send him to daycare. His behaviour may normalise there.


  • When he wants something or is pointing tell him the word and don’t give it to him unless he attempts the word, lots of play with him, follow his lead and repeating words over and over.


  • I would be seeing a speech therapist for advice!


  • It is probably a bit early but it all comes down to you sitting with him on your lap and repeat one word over and over again you do this for however long it takes for him to grasp that word. This make take a week or more.


  • i would just leave it for a bit and see how you go :)


  • How did you end up going?


  • Hope you managed to find the answer you were looking for.


  • Just keep talking with them and they will learn eventually


  • my twins are 21 months and twin 1 says “Mum, Dad, Hello, Please”. Twin 2 says “Mum, Dad, Go”. I think it takes time and they will learn to eventually


  • I agree with most below – talking with him, watch how other children interact with him – maybe a few play dates.


  • Ask him questions that require more than a yes or no. Ask him to say Mummy or Daddy or some other simple works.


  • Just talk to him and he’ll join in when he’s ready. And we successfully toilet trained my son without him being able to speak, so don’t worry about that. It sounds like your son is like mine and prefers non-verbal communication. I’m sure he’ll do the same as my son and find a non-verbal way to signal toilet to you!


  • Just spend as much time with him as you can reading him books and singing songs to him, encourage him to say words with you


  • Talk to him and get him to answer simple questions .Being around other children would be a great help too maybe at the park


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