The Impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Speech and Cognitive Development: A Literature Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions across health, education, and social systems, significantly affecting early childhood development. This literature review investigates how the pandemic impacted speech and cognitive development among children aged 0–10, with a specific focus on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The study aims to identify key developmental challenges, explore pandemic-related risk factors, review the effectiveness of regional and international policy responses, and provide evidence-based recommendations for post-pandemic recovery. A comprehensive literature review methodology was employed, synthesizing peer-reviewed articles, government reports, and institutional data from 2019 to 2024. Sources were drawn from fields such as developmental psychology, speech-language pathology, public health, and education. Thematic analysis was used to categorize findings into core themes, including service disruptions, socioeconomic disparities, and parental stress. Findings indicate a notable increase in speech and cognitive delays among children in the UAE and GCC, driven by school closures, reduced social interaction, limited access to therapy services, and elevated parental stress , results were identified the challenges of speech and cognitive development, risk factors contributing to developmental disruptions, and public policy response to limited the effect of covid -19 on children developments. Service gaps were especially pronounced in rural or low-income areas, emphasizing the urgent need for systematic intervention to support early childhood development. Comparative global data revealed that countries with strong digital infrastructure and proactive policies experienced fewer long-term developmental impacts. The paper concludes that urgent, cross-sectoral action is needed to mitigate the developmental consequences of the pandemic. Key recommendations include implementing universal developmental screening, expanding telehealth and hybrid early intervention services, strengthening cross-ministerial coordination, increasing parental education, and building a robust regional research infrastructure. By aligning future strategies with global best practices and local sociocultural contexts, GCC countries can better support the developmental needs of young children in times of crisis and beyond.