Selective Mutism

What is selective mutism ?

Selective mutism is a communication disorder in which a person fails to speak in a specific social situation despite speaking fluently in other, often more familiar, situations.  The following are characteristics of selective mutism:

• the duration of the issue is at least 1 month (not limited to the first month of school)

• the lack of speaking is not due to a language difficulty or difference

What should I do if my child is not consistently speaking at school?

• contact your child's teacher to determine if a referral for speech services is warranted

How can I help a student with selective mutism in the classroom?

1. Allow the child to communicate in a nonverbal manner (pointing, gestures, body language, whispering) only if it is the only way that the child can participate in classroom activities

2. Reduce asking open-ended questions.

3. Ask forced response questions such as:

   • "Do you want cookies or crackers for snack?"

   • "Would you like to play a game or read a book?"

4. Provide multiple choice responses that allow the child to respond without speaking.

5. Help the child to reduce anxiety with any of the following:

   • pair them with a friend in the classroom

   • promote simple speaking tasks such as multiple choice questions or one word responses

   • interact with the child with the expectation that they will communicate like everyone else

   • provide a simple explanation to other classmates such as "Susie is able to speak and will when she is ready."

6. Limit use of the following phrases, all of these have a standard reply which may cause the child anxiety:

   • "How are you?"

   • Greetings: "Hello, goodbye" 

   • "Thank you"

The goal is to reduce communication anxiety!