SMIRA

Reg. Charity No. 1022673

SELECTIVE MUTISM INFORMATION AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

NOT ALL SELECTIVELY MUTE CHILDREN ARE SILENT IN SCHOOL.
Every selectively mute child is different and they all have their own rules about where,
and to whom, they will speak. Thus it is important to realise that not all SM children are
silent in school.
Young children whose only problem is selective mutism can usually be placed in one of
two groups:
High Profile SM Sufferers
Typically, these children present as wholly unable to speak to any adult in a playgroup or
school setting, although they may sometimes be able to talk to a few select children at
school (usually out of earshot of supervising adults). These children are now often
recognised as selectively mute, as most adults can fully appreciate the potentially
serious implications of having a child who cannot communicate with any supervisory
adults in a playgroup/school setting.
Generally there is a willingness to accept that these children are highly anxious, so all
pressure on the child to speak can be removed early on. Many schools will now also
recognise the need for early intervention, and will willingly accommodate parents or key
workers to undertake a step by step approach involving, with younger children, sliding in
or shaping programs. Shaping may consist of rewarding any sound the child is making,
such as animal noises. Such schemes require time and much patience, but many
parents are now reporting a great deal of success; many adults find it hard to hide their
surprise and delight when these children do start to talk. These children now have a
generally good prognosis if the SM is recognised at an early age.
Low Profile SM Sufferers
These children operate on the border-line between shyness and SM, the difference
being that shy children improve with time, but low-profile SM children do not. These
children are not totally silent at school and are strongly motivated to speak, due to their
desperate desire to be compliant! They may answer the register with a barely audible
voice. They may manage to read to the teacher and may even put up their hands to
answer a simple question. They may be able to speak to one teacher, but not another.
A lack of ability to initiate conversations means that these children are unable to ask for
permission to go to the toilet or help if they dont understand, and are unable to tell the
teacher if they feel unwell or if they are being bullied; this may result in such children
being reprimanded for not speaking up for themselves. For some, contact with peers
may be minimal and they can present as lonely figures on the playground and are often
subject to teasing and bullying. Others are able to talk to their peers without anxiety
outside the classroom, particularly when there is no danger of being overheard by
adults.

As they dont appear anxious all the time, adults may not realise these children find
speaking anxiety provoking, resulting in exasperation in some at their barely audible
voices and lack of eye contact. Misinterpretation of their anxious behaviour as being
manipulative, attention seeking, rude or defiant is not uncommon. Low profile SM
sufferers may also have other anxieties, for example with regard to meal-time and
toileting. Close contact with parents is advisable in order to discuss any problems the
child may be having since they may be unable to communicate their needs, e.g. asking
permission to use the toilet, asking for help if they dont understand, telling the teacher if
they are feeling unwell or are being bullied. Any problems at home also need to be
discussed with the parents.
These children need to be made to feel welcome at school and their problems explained
in an age-appropriate manner to peers. Preferably, a member of staff should be
appointed to make a special relationship with the child in a one-to-one situation. In one
school, we have heard of a lunch-time support group being created for the afflicted child.
Also being patient and not pressurising the child to speak is a step in the right direction.
As these childrens problems are likely to increase when they reach the senior school, it
is important that their difficulties are not ignored and the right sort of help/treatment is
made available.

SMIRA 2008