Prevalence of Language Delay in Children Under Five Years of Age in Taif, Saudi Arabia

Developmental delay occurs when a child does not achieve expected milestones, with language delay being a common concern. This is characterized by a considerably slower rate of speech and language development compared to peers.

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of language delay among children under five years of age in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and to explore related factors.

This cross-sectional study involved 400 participants under the age of five. Data were collected through a hospital-based questionnaire, using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) scores specific to each age group. The collected data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York). All statistical analyses were two-tailed, with an alpha level set at 0.05.

The highest proportion (100%) of children demonstrating communication development on schedule was observed in those aged 11-12 months and 15-16 months. High proportions of on-schedule development were also observed in children aged 3-4 months (87.5%), 17-18 months (85.7%), and 26-28 months (82.4%). Children aged 1-2 months showed a higher need for intervention.

The majority of children exhibited communication development on schedule according to ASQ communication scores. However, approximately one-fifth of children raised concerns that warranted further evaluation. A higher percentage of children in the youngest age groups (1-2 months and 29-34 months) required professional evaluation, monitoring, or intervention.