First, let me tell you the difference between Mutism and Selective Mutism. Mutism is for children who don’t speak at all, and Selective Mutism is for children with an anxiety disorder experts believe children who choose only to talk in certain situations can come in a form of social phobia.
Selective Mutism what is it?
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder characterized by a consistent inability to speak in specific social situations, despite being able to speak comfortably in other settings.
Children with selective mutism often experience intense anxiety or fear when faced with situations where they feel pressured to speak, such as in school or around unfamiliar people.
It’s crucial to help children with selective mutism because this condition can significantly impact their social development, academic progress, and overall well-being.
Without proper support and intervention, children with selective mutism may struggle to engage in typical social interactions, form friendships, and participate fully in educational activities.
Early identification and appropriate interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and gradual exposure techniques, can help children overcome selective mutism and develop the confidence and skills they need to communicate effectively in all settings.
Providing support and understanding to children with selective mutism not only helps them overcome their challenges but also promotes inclusivity and empathy within their communities.
So how did I get my student to talk at school even though she was also seeing the school Speech Pathologist?
Patience
The first thing I did with my student was to teach myself patience! a child with selective mutism isn’t going to speak to you overnight just because you ask them to speak! throughout the first 4 weeks of working with my new student.
I had patience when working with her and learning how she operates in terms of how she does things when it comes to learning. For example, I learned that she is quicker to respond to reading rather than math because it requires more thinking and strategy.
Visual Cue Cards
I used a lot of visual cues when working with my students. This allowed my student the choice of responding to my questions in multiple ways such as nodding her head, speaking few words, using her fingers/hands, or writing on a board to communicate. I carried these cue cards on a ring everywhere I went in the school building.
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Peer Buddy
Another strategy I used to help my student become more vocal was to attach her to a peer buddy throughout the school day. With this technique it allowed my student to talk in short simple sentences to her friend. That friend served as her mouthpiece to speak in class and other settings.
This peer buddy would also encourage the student to talk which builds her confidence when speaking to other peers and adults. This process took about 6-9 months and the student was speaking more in class by responding to her teacher and answering questions.
Communication Games
Another strategy I used to get my students to talk was to use communication games that promoted receptive and expressive language skills. Through these games, the student was allowed to respond in ways that were comfortable for her. These speech therapy games help my students respond to questions based on who, what, when, and where settings.
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Role-Playing
To get my students to talk we would practice role-playing in a small group setting. For example, I would use readers’ theater scripts to get my students to talk.
This strategy allowed my student to take on the form of a character within the story of her choice and serve as their character persona and voice when their part came up in the script.
Not only did this allow my students to build confidence in themselves but it also helped my students along with others to build their reading skills and enjoy reading.
Modeling
With this technique, it is a great way to teach any child with positive behaviors that you would like to see daily. Through modeling, I taught my student with selective mutism how to interact with her peers and the adults around her.
For example, during our social skills activities, I would model to students how to ask for help when they became stuck on a math problem. This modeling allowed the student to not only hear the words I was speaking but also see how I approached her peers and adults in real-life situations.
Overall, teaching any child to start off talking can be a very daunting experience. Just make sure that you’re practicing and incorporating speech strategies into your everyday life while raising your child.
So if you’re wondering how to do this just check out this Speech Language Pathologist YouTube channel below of how he teaches families how to incorporate speech techniques into their everyday living skills.
