I have always said words like oh do you want this or this and name both items and try to get her to repeat. We have had a hearing test and it has all checked out. We don’t use baby talk either. I have noticed how behind she is now hearing her younger brother saying things.

My girl was a little slow at first but when she stopped being around people that use baby talk she started talking more. I teach her the alphabet and letter sounds to help her pronounce words. She has been saying more words since we started letter sounds. It's really good that she is doing speech therapy and signing. Signing helps a lot with my daughter to communicate

I think it depends on the cause of the communication delay. Maybe there is an underlying cause that needs to be addressed, like hearing impairment for example. Many different things can cause it or maybe she's just moving at a slower pace just bc each child is different. But generally the best thing you can do is talk to her A LOT, read to her a lot & sing to her a lot. Don't use "baby talk", use proper words when you talk to her. When you talk to her let her see your mouth & tongue, so she can see how you are forming the sounds & let her see your facial expressions. Is she in daycare or home with you? Whoever is caring for her a majority of the day plays a major role in this area. So if she is with someone else, get them on board with these things. Ever since my children were babies I talked to them all day, i would tell them what I was doing, as I was doing it. Just regular mundane tasks like washing dishes, eating, doing laundry, etc. I would just talk to them and describe what I was doing. Tell them the names of all the items you use or see throughout the day. As long as there isn't an underlying issue, typically babies know a TON of words long before they can actually form the sounds & speak them. Have you had the doctor evaluate her to make sure there is nothing else going on that might need to be addressed? My 1st child was with his grandmother while i was working full time & he didn't speak very well at 2yrs old. I was able to teach him signs for his basic needs to eliminate some of his frustration but he took a lot longer. By the time I had my 2nd child I was able to quit working and stay home. My younger 2 were speaking very well at a young age.