What resources have you utilized?
yes, i am.
i utilized patience and understanding.
khairete
S.
Yes, my daughter is battling it. We've had her in counseling and we've talked to her teachers so they are aware that it will cause some challenges at school. A great website for more info is anxietybc.com. As a parent, you need to stop allowing others to talk for your child, stop rescuing them, but you also can't pressure them to talk if they aren't ready. Cognitive behavior therapy really helps, since it breaks their goals up into small steps. My child has come a long way, but will need to keep at it to continue to gain confidence. I am confident she will outgrow it though, since I was the same way at her age and now sometimes I don't shut up in public. ;) I still have my moments though, where I have anxiety and know that it's because I'm wired that way. My fight/flight reactions are haywire and it's hard to feel calm and confident when your body is freaking out over nothing. If you suspect your child might have this, I'd talk to their pediatrician right away and get some support. Earlier the better, so they can start practicing how to socialize and aren't forming bad habits for years. Some kids have really good luck with a very low dose of medication. I watched a documentary on it and it was amazing to see a little guy come out of his shell after starting meds.
I am somewhat familiar. I work in a special needs preschool program and we have one kiddo who is a select mute. He has been in our program since the beginning of the school year and opens up somewhat to other students when the teacher or myself is not looking. He has made some progress. If you are going through this with your child I would see if your local school district has a special needs preschool program assuming your kiddo is of preschool age.
My daughter was diagnosed with it when she was 4. She started preschool when she was 3 and only said 2 words that entire school year. The preschool admin had mentioned to me that her niece had selective mutism but never offered any help until the next year when one of the teachers said something had to be done. The admin then referred me to the early childhood intervention specialist for my local school district. After testing my daughter was put into a communication class. This class was separate from her other preschool class and she went two times a week for a couple hours.
My daughter had an IEP for Kindergarten but the teacher was not aware of it until I said something to her a month into school. By that time my daughter started talking in class so we didn't feel the need to implement the IEP and the IEP ended at the end of Kindergarten. Each year I always let her teachers know about the selective mutism so they have a better understanding if my daughter does not respond in different situations.
My daughter is now 12 and does not stop talking. She has lots of friends and is a bit on the crazy side. But she will still have times when the selective mutism shows up. It is usually when I'm around and an adult she doesn't really know tries to talk to her. Her body stiffens and she doesn't respond.
Be patient and give your child a chance to respond but don't press if your child becomes stressed.
Hopefully your school district will be able to help you with an evaluation and have a communication program for your child to participate in. My pediatricians were absolutely no help. Whenever I had brought up my daughter not talking to other people including family members she saw multiple times a week, they did not seem concerned. After I had her evaluated with the school, my pediatricians still did not offer help and didn't see it as an issue.
The go-to person should be a speech-language pathologist trained in selective mutism. First check with the local school system, as those consultations and services are free for children 3 and older.
I'm also somewhat familiar. My daughter exhibits the symptoms. I spoke to her pediatrician who said it's too soon to tell if it's actually selective mutism, which is an extreme form of social anxiety, and that we should just keep an eye on it. The only resource I used is the pediatrician and Google so far.
