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  1. #16
    Hi Bellisimum,

    One of the best ways to encourage your daughter to speak more is to encourage her to ask for what she wants. If she just points, and you reward her by doing what she wants, then she'll learn that she doesn't need to speak because she'll think, "Mum is really good at figuring out what I need, so why talk?".

    Obviously, when a child is very young and doesn't have the capacity to communicate with words, then we have to figure out what they want or teach them baby sign language so they can communicate non-verbally. But your daughter is at an age where she is able to communicate verbally, so it's now just a matter of encouraging her to speak.

    If she points to something, ask her what she wants. If she can't communicate it in words, and if you know what she wants, ask her to say the word. If she wants water say to her, "say water, and Mama will get you some water".

    I'd also encourage you to read to your daughter every day. As you're reading, point to different things on the pages and say the words. Ask her to repeat the words. It may not sound perfect, but at least she will be trying and will be practicing her speech.

    And then just spend a lot of time talking to your daughter each day. If it's Christmas time and there are pretty lights to look at, point to the lights and say, "Do you see the pretty lights?" What color is this one? If she doesn't know the color, then point to a color and say "red", "green", "blue", etc. The more she hears you talk and the more you draw her into the conversation and experience, the more she will want to practice her words.

    If you really feel your child should be assessed, then you can contact your local school district to ask if they have a speech program. This is what I did, and the speech therapist came to our home and did a very relaxed assessment on my daughter. It was determined that she did not need any speech therapy and she was right on or even above in her speech and communication skills. I was probably overly sensitive to her speech development because she was my first child, and I had had a nephew who had speech challenges.

    I also heard of a little boy who didn't talk at all until he was 3 years old. One day he just started speaking and when he did, it was in sentences.

    I hope this gives you some idea on how to encourage your daughter in her language development.

    Warm Regards,


  2. #17
    New Member

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Good day everyone!
    So I already gave birth and my son is turning 11 months now. He is so active and hyper at the same time. I am thinking if this is normal. He crawls a lot and now beggining to walk and run. Should I seek help from a professional? Thanks!!

  3. #18
    Hi bhebs23,

    Thank you for your post. What you have described about your 11 month old sounds completely normal to me. What was it you were particularly concerned about?

    Once children start getting about more they become 'into everything'. I often joke that toddlers always run everywhere and never walk! The world is just too much of an exciting place to take it slowly.

    It is wonderful that your son is so energetic and wants to explore everything.

    How does he compare to other boys his age that you know? There is a big range in 'normal' at this age. By around 12 months of age you could expect your child to:

    - be able to understand simple instructions
    - make word-like sounds (although it is totally fine if they are not actual words)
    - start to stand alone for a few seconds
    - point to what they want
    - copy your gestures

    ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is not normally diagnosed until a child is at least 3-5 years old. It can worsen if a child has too much sugar in their diet. In fact, many children become hyperactive for a short period of time if they eat too much sugar in one go. At 11 months of age, milk (or milk products) should still be your child's main source of nutrients with other healthy and balanced foods gradually being phased in.

    At 11 months old my son was very excitable and loved life, he would rush about from room to room (crawling).

    I hope this has helped to reassure you. If you are still concerned then I would speak to your health visitor or doctor.

    Best wishes,


  4. #19
    LJ gave you some wonderful advice. Your child needs to have opportunities to crawl and pull himself up and walk and even run (some babies start walking when they are 8 months old, and are running at 11 months).

    Warm Regards,


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