Selective Mutes
Support all attempts at verbal participation, but initially accept non-verbal attempts at communication (gestures, pointing, nodding, written notes). Gradually increase the expectations for verbal communication (mouthing the words; respond by saying “yes” or “no” only; whisper in teacher’s ear; whisper to a classmate out in the hall; etc.); over time, you can start to ignore the non-verbal interactions and respond positively only to attempts at verbalization. However, ignoring other than verbal responses should begin only when the child has spoken to you several times over a period of at least a week, to ensure that he/she feels safe using words with you, even if those situations are limited and restricted. Gradually phase out your responding to non-verbal overtures; don’t stop completely and suddenly, but be selective about those occasions when you will respond. Continue to allow the child to respond verbally to you in those “safe” situations (e.g., out in the hall). Permit the child to speak to you and others from behind a closed door or a screen initially. Do not insist on eye contact.
Be cautious about the exuberance of your praise for vocalization: you don’t want to increase the child’s anxiety by making a public spectacle of him or her when speaking does occur; praise privately but sincerely. What you want to project is the notion that speaking is normal and expected; you don’t generally lavish public praise on other children who speak, so don’t do it with selectively mute children.
The child may be willing to sing rather than talk (e.g., “O Canada” with the rest of the class; group songs involving gestures, movement; alphabet song, etc.).
Do not use punishment or bribery to try and get a selectively mute child to speak. This will usually increase the anxiety level, undermine the sense of security and increase the reluctance to speak in the absence of the bribe. Incentives rarely work to get a non-speaking child to speak; however, if the child is already speaking in a particular setting, incentives can be used to increase the number of words spoken.
In settings where the child seems at ease, speaking should be encouraged through such tasks as reading or story-telling. Consider using an older student who pairs up with the selectively mute child as a “reading buddy”.
Consider the use of hand puppets, particularly if the child can be out of sight of others. In this way, the puppet is talking, not he child.
Shaping Vocal Responses:
Accept successive approximations to the desired response. “Shape” the behavior that you want by gradually raising your requirements. For example: to the teacher alone:
1. Child mouths the word “book”.
2. Whispers the word “book”.
3. Whispers, “I need a spelling book”.
4. Whispers the whole sentence but says the word “book” aloud.
5. Says the whole sentence aloud.
Then, in class in the presence of others: same sequence as above.
Once the child has demonstrated some willingness to speak in the classroom, gradually expand those settings in which speaking occurs (for example, the hall, the gym, the lunch room, the yard). That is, provide “windows of opportunity” to speak.
Consider sending the child on errands in the school (e.g., to the office) where there is a requirement for some speaking.
Taping:
Consider allowing the child to audio or video tape him/herself at home (for example, reading aloud or talking to family members); listen/view the tape and respond with appropriate praise, comments.
Do not play the tape for the rest of the class unless you have the child’s and parent’s permission to do so. Sometimes playing the tape is an effective way of letting the other children in your class know that the selectively mute child can talk, is bright, is “normal”, etc.
The child may be willing to make tape recordings at school, e.g., in a private room other than the classroom; allow him/her to do this completely by him/herself at first and gradually secure the child’s permission for the teacher or trusted adult to get closer as the taping is taking place (for example, waiting outside the closed door of the room; then waiting outside while the door is open a little bit; then later, waiting outside with the door open a lot; then with the adult in the same room but away from the child and not interacting with him/her while he/she reads, etc.; then sitting beside the child).
Planning for Next Year:
It is important that there be a liaison with next year’s teacher. He/she should be brought “on board” as soon as possible and ideally should be flexible and unlikely to view the child’s behavior as oppositional or a personal affront. The child should have the opportunity to become familiar with next year’s teacher and classroom prior to the commencement of school in September. This can be accomplished by having the child and parent visit the classroom in late August. The teacher should meet the child outside the building, perhaps in the playground before the classroom visit occurs.
Support at Home:
While most selectively mute children speak at home, the parents should be careful not to increase the child’s anxiety about not speaking at school by asking, “Did you talk at school today?”. Don’t make a big deal of it. When the child reports that he or she did in fact speak at school, parents should respond with pleasure and reassurance of their confidence in the child’s ability to do so, but treat it as though it’s an expected and normal event. Again, avoid punishment and bribery as techniques for encouraging speaking at school.
Some children will talk easily in the presence of parents and siblings, but not when strangers are present in the home. Therefore, parents can help by having familiar visitors at home to help the child speak with others in a non-threatening setting. One of these visitors could well be the child’s teacher. Additionally, consider having the child’s parent accompany him/her in the classroom, for example, as a volunteer, for a few weeks, gradually decreasing the amount of time spent in the room.
There is a support group for parents (The Selective Mutism Foundation). Information is available from Sue Newman Leszczyk, Box 450632, Sunrise, Florida 33345.
General Techniques to Help Reduce Anxiety:
i. Teach deep breathing, muscle relaxation, stretching, mental imagery, problem solving skills, coping with peer pressure, positive self-talk.
ii. Provide reassurance and encouragement.
iii. Seek creative outlets (music, art, athletics).
iv. Increase student’s level of physical activity.
v. Be an active and understanding listener.
vi. Don’t dwell on mistakes.
vii. Avoid derogatory labels.
viii. Encourage social interaction.
ix. Acknowledge the anxiety and deal with it, rather than denying it.
x. Avoid negative self-talk (“l don’t know this stuff”, “I know my mind will go blank”, “I’m going to fail”, etc.).
xi. Anticipate the problem of feeling anxious in advance so student is not overwhelmed or frightened by it when it happens. Provide practice opportunities.
xii. Practice interrupting negative thoughts and replacing them with positive statements.
xiii. Teach student how to self-instruct (talk themselves through a task).
Important:
In most cases, the consistent & proper use of the above techniques will resolve the problem of the selectively mute child’s reluctance to speak. If the problem persists, it may be a more serious psychological condition requiring other intervention. Psychological Services Department staff should be consulted.
Further, it is important to investigate the possibility of a communication disorder. This can be confirmed or ruled out by a Speech/Language Pathologist. Consult with Speech/Language Services if no apparent progress is made using the above techniques.
– Dr. Ian Brown