My 6 y/o niece seem to progress slowly with her speech development. She still talks like a toddler. Whenever she would like to eat for example, she would say "Mayi papa" (which she meant Mommy, I want to eat). And her parents somehow still talks to her the way she does. How can I advise her parents re this matter without crossing the line and making them feel like they are doing something wrong?

Upon checking with my friend who is a registered speech pathologist, this is quite alarming. Baby talking is good, though. However, for kids of that age bracket, they should already know how to express with sentences. There are underlying problems which may be the cause. Are the parents always out and do not have the time to bond with the kid? Are they allowing the kid to be drained in front of gadgets? My friend suggested to bring your niece to a doctor to monitor the over-all development of the child. Engaging her also to outdoor activities which allows her to interact with other kids can also help her develop speech.