Thread: Selective Mutism-The Silence Within

What you describe here fits a student that I had about 3 or 4 years ago in 6th grade. She never said word unless you asked her to read orally. She never refused to read, but sometimes she would sit for several minutes not answering questions directed to her during class discussion. She seldom smiled, either.

We, as a team of her teachers, tried to "bring her out of her shell", but nothing we tried worked. Finally, one of the teachers began to dole out punishments (very mild ones) because this child refused to ask questions to clarify directions on worksheets or other assignments. Her grades were fair, but could have been better. She seemed like she disliked being in school, but she never missed a day. We would sometimes see her after school hours riding her bike, but she never acknowledged us with a smile, wave, etc. She seemed like a very sad child.

A couple years later, we had her sister. She, too, was quiet, but not quite like the older one. Right now, I have their younger brother -- he's NOTHING like either of them.

Do you know where a person could find more information about this? I didn't know it could have a name. I wish we had known this when she was in our classes.

Thank you Beverly for your interest. I am trying to get information out to teachers and do see that many suddenly realize that there is a name for the disability seen in some students. You mention "mild punishment" for not speaking. Know that an sm child is not being stubborn or disrespectful. The severe anxiety and phobia actually prevent them from being able to speak. Punishment will increase their anxiety and the focus should be to reduce it. There are types of therapy that in combination can work without medication. My feeling is that medication should only be used as a last resort. One strategy is called "stimulus fading" where the teacher works individually with the child and slowly adds one more child to the group, thus reducing anxiety in speaking in front of a group. I have written a journal article which is a condensed version of a book I wrote for teachers. I will list both websites here for you to take a look at. Also, just type "selective mutism" into a search engine and you will come up with many sites with information. Again, thanks for your interest. Here is the site where you will find my journal article: [url]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/selectivemutism/[/url] Click on "Files" and look for "Help for Teachers". There is also information on my site: [url]http://www.selective-mutism.com.[/url] All the best. Gail

The mild punishments that I spoke of were very small things. (Remember, too, that we were unaware of this condition.) The punishments were such as if the student didn't ask questions for clarification -- after repeated directions and pleas for questions went unresponded to -- whatever grade the student got, she got. In other words, over half way through the year, after begging, pleading, coaxing, working one-on-one, etc. wasn't getting any responses from the child, we basically gave up and let things fall as they might. I know that probably wasn't the right thing to do. And believe me, we tried everything. She was not willing to share anything -- even an answer to "How are you today?" It was sad. Now I can see why she was that way. Ever wish you could go back and re-do something and make it better? Too bad teachers' brains can't be like computers and process all the needed information to make students' lives better the first time around.

Four years ago I had a little guy who was a selective mute in my early childhood class. He was 3 years old at the time. He had attended summer school and did not talk. He then came in the fall and did not talk. I found a selective mute web site and gained lots of info. But the most help came from an internet friend who had been a school psychologist and had taken some classes from a professor who had a special interest in selective mutism. Eventually I was able to contact the professor and he shared a chapter from a book he had written that dealt with selective mutism.

Here's what we did: I had two plans 1) was to visit the child in his home [take someone from the place he doesn't talk and put them in a place he does talk] 2) was to have his junior high age brother visit in our classroom. This worked!! His brother came I asked him to just play with his brother and the other kids. No pressure to talk - just play. This was January 6th, the child talked to his brother, then classmates and then the teachers all on the first day. It was amazing.

The next day the child didn't say anything for the first 45 minutes and I thought we had lost it but when he had something to say he said it.

His brother continued to visit for a couple weeks.
This child is now in 2nd grade and no one can believe that he was a selective mute. I'm not saying this will work for every child, just that it worked for my student.

Debbie

SMCanada is holding a workshop on May 14, 2005, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Guest speakers include child psychiatrist Dr. Deborah Reisner, art and family therapist Nicola Sherwin-Roller, pharmacist Brenda Yuzdepski, craniosacral therapist Linda Fisher, as well as Shannon Panchyshyn for SMCanada.

Workshop topics include: obtaining an accurate diagnosis and finding treatment for your child, helping your child understand anxiety, anger management for children, collaborating with your therapist, SSRI medication – making informed decisions, physical symptoms of stress, craniosacral therapy and other natural methods of stress relief, finding the support and resources that you need, all about SM, what to do while you’re on the waiting list, Sensory Integration Disorder and occupational therapy, Canadian services and research, success at school, and how SMCanada can help.

The workshop content is of interest to parents and extended family, teachers and school staff, daycare and childcare workers, psychologists, family therapists, social workers, university students, and anyone with an interest in learning to understand this exceptional group of children. Together, we invite participants to look beyond the silence into the depths of this childhood anxiety disorder.

The beautiful surroundings and retreat atmosphere of Cedar Lodge will allow families to get to know one another and find much needed support.

It is hard to describe the sense of isolation that I felt in the first several years of dealing with my daughter’s SM. I knew that people were trying to understand what was happening with Jaiden, but at the same time realized that many truly weren’t getting it. It was an incredible experience to meet other parents and children at the SMG~CAN family retreat in Baltimore last summer, and to know that I was among people who really understood what we were going through. I came away with a strong support network and new friendships, and my daughter came away with a new sense of self-confidence that shone through in everything that she did. The family aspect of the conference was invaluable, and we hope to create the same supportive atmosphere for families at our workshop in May.

As part of the workshop, we will share the story of our daughter’s challenges with SM. “A year ago, Jaiden was only able to speak with a handful of people, and every day posed a struggle. Working closely with Jaiden’s school staff, we used a variety of techniques which allowed her to experience tremendous success this year. It is impossible to express the feeling of pride and joy that I feel each morning now, as I watch Jaiden head happily off to school where she is now comfortable speaking with all staff and students. My personal goal is to help other families find the help they need to achieve this level of success with their children.

The mandate of SMCanada is to provide education and support to families facing the unique challenges of Selective Mutism. The group intends to apply for charitable status so that funds raised can be used to directly assist families with treatment.

For information regarding the SMCanada workshop please contact:

Shannon Panchyshyn

(306) 862-9192

[email="shanpan@sasktel.net"]shanpan@sasktel.net[/email]

[url="http://www.selectivemutism.ca"]www.selectivemutism.ca[/url]

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