taalpatholoog

taalpatholoog is a health professional who specializes in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of language and communication disorders across the lifespan. In Dutch-speaking health systems the term is used for clinicians who focus on language pathology within the broader field of logopedie (speech-language pathology). A taalpatholoog works with clients who have difficulties with speaking, understanding language, reading and writing, or the social use of language, including developmental delays, injuries, or illnesses that affect language.

The clinical work of a taalpatholoog includes evaluating language abilities through interviews, observations and standardized tests, formulating diagnostic conclusions, and planning evidence-based interventions. Treatment plans are implemented and adjusted over time, often in collaboration with families, educators and other health professionals. Professionals in this field may address developmental language disorders in children, aphasia and other acquired language impairments after brain injury or disease, dyslexia and related literacy difficulties, stuttering, and pragmatic language problems.

Education and regulation typically require a university-level training in logopedie or an equivalent specialization in language pathology, followed by clinical practice and ongoing professional development. Taalpathologen may work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, clinics, or private practice, and often operate as part of multidisciplinary teams with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists and teachers.

Regional usage of the term varies; in the Netherlands and Flemish regions the role is commonly aligned with logopedie, with some institutions emphasizing the language-focused aspect by using the title taalpatholoog. See also logopedist and spraak-taalpathologie for related topics.