SELECTIVE MUTISM

Selective Mutism (SM) is an Anxiety Disorder*, whereby:

the child speaks happily and freely in some situations, but not in others
the inability to speak in certain situations is limiting learning or social functioning,
the varied speech pattern has been apparent for a month or more

Children suffering from SM change their level of communication depending on the environment and the people present. As a result, social comfort and communication will change dependent on environment, setting and persons involved or present.

*(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5; APA 2013)

I visit the family directly in their own home as this enables the child to feel more relaxed.

My approach is to provide families with structured, individualized, step-by-step treatment. This will involve looking at all the various stages of social communication and mapping the speaking habits for a child with Selective Mutism.

A complete evaluation is provided consisting of:

Parent and teacher assessment forms
Parent and child interviews
Evaluation and understanding of which stage the child is at during particular social encounters.

If you think your child suffers from Selective Mutism

As a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and an expert in this field, I understand that this condition creates a lot of concerns for parents, grandparents, teachers and professionals who need guidance to understand how to help these children.

You might also wish to know why an SLT is involved in this area. (see my post below)

I also offer an enquiry service via phone/Skype, which you can apply for by filling the form in contact page of this website.

Contact me

For useful network and further information on Selective Mutism see: