Selective Mutism is a social-communication anxiety disorder which is due to a variety of predisposing, precipitating
and maintaining factors.
Social communication anxiety changes from setting to setting/person to person and renders a child ‘speechless.’ Without treatment, mutism becomes learned/conditioned and a child becomes more withdrawn and isolated.
Treatment needs to focus on a “WHOLE” child and TEAM approach that involves child, parents, school and treating professional.
Key to treatment involves:
- Addressing the predisposing/precipitating/maintaining factors of Selective Mutism
- Parent Education to --rid pressure to speak --rid parent enabling -- encourage social communication based on child’s level of comfort. Implement ‘understanding,’ consistency, routine and structure at HOME.
- School Education for personnel teaching working with the child and School based accommodations/interventions.
- Child Education and Therapy to help him/her --understand and assess anxiety' --unlearn conditioned/learned behaviors, --develop long term coping skills to combat anxious feelings --to feel comfortable socializing which will allow progression of communication in ALL settings."