Selective Mutism By Joan/Ca

I have copied a portion of one of your replies to the original post. This "misinformation" concerning selective mutism can often lead teachers astray.

Selective mutism is a childhood social anxiety disorder (anxiety means "intense distress". Children with selective mutism literally freeze with fear when put into many social situations (especially school) or situations where there is an expectation to speak. The child does not choose the situation in which to speak - it it the comfort level of the situation that allows the sm child enough relaxation to be able to talk. This is what occurred here - the child was so "stressed out" that she was unable to speak. Most children will not respond to "bribes" and if this child did, I assume it was because the level of "distress" had receded enough for her to be able to do as asked.

The best place to find information is on the internet at - selectivemutism.org - and there you will find the five criteria for sm as well as FAQ's, downloads, reading material, and information for teachers. One book that I feel is a "must" for small children is "The Ideal Classroom Setting for the Selectively Mute Child" written by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum. It can be purchased from the site for less than $20 and covers most issues facing the sm child as evaluation, eating, socializing, bathroom issues, etc. and how the teacher can address them. This book is also excellent for the "shy" child.

But, the first thing that needs to occur is that all pressure be removed from this child. The school's job is to "lessen the anxiety" and NOT to get the child to speak. When the anxiety is lowered (and this usually takes a long time - months or even years), then the child will begin to communicate - non-verbally, whisper, soft voice and normal voice. It took our sm child five years before she was able to speak "normally" in the classroom and today, she still suffers from various social anxiety issues.

Selective mutism is a life-long struggle for these children - the earlier the diagnosis and treatment, the better the prognosis. It is a mental health issue and if ignored, it will usually "rear its ugly head" in the teenage years (albeit probably in a different format). I hope the parents of this child are presently seeing a medical psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist in order to help her. If you feel there is an issue that I can help, please write back.

Joan/Ca