Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
If your child has not yet seen a doctor and you suspect that
he is showing signs of Selective Mutism, you may raise your
concerns with your childs school counsellors. School counsellors
are connected to our community mental health service, REACH
(Response, Early intervention, Assessment in Community mental
Health), which can provide further advice and assistance.
If your child is seeking help at our clinic, please raise your concerns
with your childs doctor, nurse, or allied health professional. SELECTIVE
MUTISM
www.imh.com.sg
Apr 2014
What is What Causes Selective Mutism? Management of
SELECTIVE MUTISM
Selective Many factors are thought to contribute to Selective Mutism, including:
Treatment of children or adolescents with Selective Mutism involves
of performance or interaction in a certain social setting, most Psychological therapy. Cognitive behavioural
Selective Mutism is a rare condition often school therapy (a form of talking therapy that aims to change the
family interactions way a person thinks and behaves) is commonly used to
characterised by a childs anxiety, fear help children with Selective Mutism overcome their anxiety
or phobia of having to speak at school or of speaking. This is done by:
in other social settings. Selective Mutism
removing or reducing any pressure for them to speak in
is normally noticed in children when any setting
they start school, but the condition can helping them identify their own anxiety levels and learn
to cope with their anxiety
be present at all age levels including progressively introducing situations that could encourage
adolescents. Children with Selective communication and dividing up these situations into steps
Mutism might avoid eye contact, providing opportunities for them to start speaking
to a caregiver, sibling or friend with whom they are
blush, freeze or stare blankly when comfortable, at home or in the school environment
addressed by people with whom they are new people such as classmates and teachers can be
introduced subsequently
unfamiliar. setting up a rewards system to motivate change