Does Your Child Have Situational Mutism?
Our Expert Speech & Language Therapists Provide Evidence Based, Quality Therapy To Help Children With Situational Mutism Shine
Some Facts About Situational Mutism (Also Known as Selective Mutism)
Situational Mutism (SM) is a condition in which a person is consistently not able to speak in certain social situations, such as at school or around peers.
Situational Mutism is more common in girls than it is in boys.
Rates of occurrence of Situational Mutism vary according to study; though is generally found to affect between 0.8% and 2% of primary school-aged children.
Although speech and language therapists diagnose and support children with Situational Mutism, SM in itself is categorised as an anxiety disorder.
Older children, or children with more pervasive anxiety difficulties may need to see a mental health professional to help with their SM. Your SaLT can support you to seek alternative or additional help for your child if this is the case.
Typically children with SM have appropriate language and communication skills, though SM can co-occur with other language or communication needs. However, it is an important distinction to note that the other language or communication need cannot be responsible for the child’s mutism in order to have the SM diagnosis.
Although the name would suggest so, children with SM do not choose or select not to speak in certain settings.
Children with Situational Mutism can struggle with:
Showing emotion or expressions when expected to speak - the child may be described as looking ‘blank’ in the stressor environment.
Engaging in eye contact and non-verbal social interactions in the stressor environment
Appearing rude, disengaged or aggressive either in or when asked about the stressor environment (for example, parents asking how their child’s day was at school).
Speaking in certain environments, with knock-on effects in other areas. For example, a child may not have a drink all day at school as they cannot ask to go to the bathroom.
Communicating in certain environments through any means including those which don’t require speaking. For example, by gesture or facial expression.
Forming relationships with others.
Children with Situational Mutism and Communication Skills
Here are some of the ways that good speech and language therapy can help children with Situational Mutism and their families:
Supporting the child’s family, education team and other important adults to provide a low pressure environment for the child.
Teaching the child’s family, education team and other important adults how best to communicate with the child.
Facilitating a safe space for the child to explore communicating with others.
Supporting the child to gradually develop their ability to communicate in their stressor environments through non-verbal or verbal means.
Supporting the family to access complementary therapies to support the child if appropriate or necessary.
Tips for Parents on How to Support Children with Situational Mutism
Don’t ‘watch and wait’ - if your child has been having significant difficulty communicating in certain social situations consistently for a month (or two months for new situations such as a new school) - seek support from speech and language therapy.
Remember that not talking happens as the result of an anxiety disorder and is not a choice the child makes.
Reassure the child that they will be able to speak when they are ready to, and that they can take small steps when they feel ready to – and that this will get easier!
Don’t avoid social situations, but do consider if you can make the situation any easier for the child – for example, by letting others know not to put communicative pressure on the child.
Try not to show any of your own anxiety or worry to the child.
Praise all efforts the child makes to join in, for example by sitting with others, smiling, pointing, sharing toys or joining in with games, and so on.
Do not show surprise or make a big deal of the child communicating, instead respond kindly and with praise as you would for any other child.
Concentrate on having fun with your child!
Try to provide environments and activities which have low (or no!) pressure to communicate within them.
Don’t talk about your child’s selective mutism to others when your child can hear you.
How our Speech and Language Therapy Can Support Children and Young People with Situational Mutism
We assess each child’s needs holistically and design our treatment plans around the unique needs of each child. At the centre of everything we do are the goals, aspirations and expectations of the child and their family.
Here are some of the many evidence-based therapy approaches and frameworks we are specially trained to use to help children with Selective Mutism develop their communication skills:
Working with Situational Mutism
Selective Mutism Training by Maggie Johnson
Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Elklan approaches
Makaton
How can we help you and your child?
If you’re interested in how our expert speech and language therapy can help your child with Situational Mutism, click below to request a free telephone consultation with one of our therapists or to book an initial assessment appointment. We will assess your child’s strengths and needs and design a therapy package to suit your child’s unique learning style, and your budget. We can also support children and young people in the over one hundred schools that commission our schools speech and language therapy service.
