The Effect of Nursery Attendance on Speech Development in Children with Speech Delay

Background: A child with developmental delay fails to meet predicted milestones at the expected age. Language measures comprehension, while speech is sound. Intelligible speech and language indicate a child's development and intelligence.

Objective: To examine the effect of nursery attendance on the speech development of children with speech delay.

Method and material: a descriptive study design was conducted among (80) children with speech delay.

Conclusions: This study suggests that nursery attendance can play a supportive role in improving speech development among children with speech delay. The structured environment, frequent social interactions, and exposure to varied language models within the nursery setting contribute to enhancing children’s communication skills.

 Recommendations: Children with speech delay should receive early speech and language therapy, with active parental involvement. Hearing assessment is essential to exclude hearing-related causes. Further research is recommended to explore contributing factors and long-term outcomes of speech delay.