Ming from Agents of Speech explains why children with communication delays often seem passive and how to fix it. Stop asking so many direct questions, which trains them to wait for prompts. Instead use gestures as cues, offer AAC tools like PECs or sign language so they can initiate, then gradually move toward spoken words.
You should also use fewer questions and quizzing. When you prompt a child with a question it's nearly impossible to get rid of that question. That's why you see a lot of this passiveness in children is like when parents ask what do you want? And then they will talk, right? They will never talk by themselves so fewer of these questions will actually make a child understand what's more natural. You can use gestures as a way to cue speech which is a lot more natural and sustainable than using questions. If words and sounds are too hard right now you can settle for something easier and this may include like AAC see alternative augmentative communication like PECs like picture exchange communication system using sign language gestures. These are ways as a middle ground towards speech. We're not going to stay there forever. But at least they get their communication needs met and they learn how to initiate communication with you through these methods. So once you have these you can then move on to sounds.
