ABSTRACT

Purpose: Elementary school is a crucial time for children’s language development as they acquire skills essential for learning. This study investigates the prevalence of speech and language development delays among early elementary school children in South Korea, providing insight into the speech and language development challenges faced by young students in the country. Methods: Ten speech-language pathologists conducted a screening test for speech and language disorders on a sample of 381 elementary school children aged 7 to 9 (boys 200, girls 181) from the Busan and Gwangju areas in Korea. They used the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test (REVT) and the Urimal Test of Articulation and Phonology Test (UTAP). Results: Among the 381 children who underwent the test, 170 were identified as being at risk for having speech or language delay or disorders. This suggests that approximately 44.6% of the general population may exhibit speech or language problems. The prevalence of language delays was 35.6% for receptive vocabulary, 27.6% for expressive vocabulary, and 6.04% for speech delays. For boys, language delays were expected to range from 12.9% to 19.7%, while for girls, it was expected to be between 14.6% and 16.0%. In contrast, for articulation issues, 3.9% of boys and 2.1% of girls were found to have speech problems. Most of these children had not only language issues but also some speech disorders. Approximately 4.2% of the identified children had both speech and language problems, 38.6% had only language problems, and 1.8% had only speech problems. Conclusions: The high prevalence of language development delays among early elementary school children underscores the critical need for proactive language screening and intervention in the school environment.