ABSTRACT
The first group to be identified with language problems in the Netherlands were deaf children in the sixteenth century, when monks taught deaf children and children with severe hearing problems to speak. Speech and language therapists (SLT) working in health care settings used different labels for children with developmental language disorders (DLD). The study of the language of typically developing children led to identification of the linguistic markers of what has become known as DLD. Evidence-based practice is recognized as an important framework in making decisions about the care for children with DLD and an important competence that Dutch SLT students have to master. The Dutch evidence-based clinical guideline is incorporated in the electronic system for personal health records used in SLT practices. SLT for children with DLD is usually funded by health insurance, which is obligatory in the Netherlands and all citizens have access to health services.
