Selective Mute Student.

[Sarah Summey]

Last year for one of my college courses I took a class in teaching reading to elementary school children. For this class we needed to do atleast 15 hours of tutoring in reading that semester. I was fortunate to work with a 1st grade girl. I began working with her when I quickly noticed she was very quiet during our sessions. The teacher stopped me one day and told me this little girl was a selective mute at school. This blew my mind, a 1st grade girl who chose not to speak! My mind quickly began to wonder why she was this way and how I was going to communicate with her. I learned to give her many options that she could either point to, nod, or some other physical way to respond. When we would read she struggled with very simple words and her writing had suffered as well. I talked a few more times with the teacher and she suggested I have her draw pictures and write about what she drew as a means of communication. This way I could atleast see if she was getting the ideas behind what I was trying to teacher her.

This year I have the chance to work with her again once a week. I am very excited with this and I have already noticed some improvements from last year. Her reading level has jumped quite a few levels and she has begun to write more. The question I am asking today is, how do I build more of a special bond with her so that we can have even just simple conversations? My professor for teaching writing this year has suggested a journal type activity every session. Where both her and I write and then share our writings. What other ideas, or suggestions are out there?

I know many of you have had a lot of experience working with children. I would appreciate any suggestions you have on how to handle this type of situation.

[Mike]

hi Sarah... hope this finds you well.

Interesting that no one at the school pulled you aside and gave you a bit of direction with this little one!

Usually there is a plan in place for these kids that help staff with not only what it is...but do's and don'ts about how best to intervene with these kids. In my experience...its usually a 504 plan or an IEP.

Here is some decent info i found...

What is Selective Mutism?
Selective Mutism is a psychiatric disorder most commonly found in children, characterized by a persistent failure to speak in select settings, which continues for more than 1 month. These children understand spoken language and have the ability to speak normally. In typical cases, they speak to their parents and a few selected others. Sometimes, they do not speak to certain individuals in the home. Most are unable to speak in school, and in other major social situations. Generally, most function normally in other ways, although some may have additional disabilities. Most learn age-appropriate skills and academics. Currently, Selective Mutism, through published studies, appears to be related to severe anxiety, shyness and social anxiety. Selective Mutism may be associated to a variety of things, but the exact cause is yet unknown.

These children may respond, or make their needs known, by nodding their heads, pointing, or by remaining expressionless or motionless until someone correctly guesses what they want. The majority of these children express a great desire to speak in all settings, but are unable to due to anxiety, fear, shyness and embarrassment. Many do participate in activities non-verbally. The withdrawn behavior is not usually obvious until the child begins school. Sometimes, even then, the child is viewed as shy and it is assumed that the shyness is temporary and will be outgrown. By the time Selective Mutism is recognized, if it is recognized, the child has usually experienced at least 2 years in which no verbalization has become a way of life. The behavior becomes increasingly difficult to change because of the lapse of time without intervention.

http://www.acposb.on.ca/mutism.html

Keep in touch and let us know how you are making out...

be well... mike

[Sarah Summey]

Thank you Mike!

I found the selective mutism article very interesting. Thank you! I will try and do some more research as well.

I thought it was interesting they didn't tell me before I even started working with her too. I realized how quiet she was the first couple of times and then about two months into it the teacher finally told me about the selective mutism part. The only thing the teacher suggested to me was to give her many choices. No explanation of how to do it or what to do with her. Then this year, her new teacher hasn't said anything to me either. I asked how she was doing in class and the teacher was just like "oh, she's still the same." I thought, well that's helpful.

I will definitely keep you updated on her progress and what I find works for her. Thank you again!

[Erin Ogden]

Hi there

I'm no expert on this, but I've got a few ideas you might find to be worth exploring. You're really brave to be facing this head-on like this because under the surface of her not speaking is a big emotional problem that she's not getting help for right now. Kudos to you!

1. The key in the middle of all of this is anxiety and fear on the part of the child. It may take her a long time to get to a place where she feels safe enough to communicate with you or anyone else verbally. One thing that sometimes helps fearful children feel less vulnerable in front of the adults they work with is if they see the adults in a vulnerable position too--in other words, tell her a story, one where you were afraid of doing something and overcame that. It won't be a magic fix, and she may need to "stew" on it for a long time before she opens up to you, but it's a start.

2. Don't just work on her expressing her own feelings and thoughts. She may communicate better when it's not actually about her. See if she'll tell you about something someone else said or did, without asking her for her opinion on it. You can get to that eventually, but if it's factual she might not have as much anxiety about it since we don't usually associate the telling of non-controversial facts with being personally vulnerable (well, as long as it doesn't feel like you're quizzing her).

3. Make sure she knows that it's okay with you that she prefers to draw pictures. Complement her on her drawing skills, but without calling attention to her in front of her classmates. I don't know how much child psychology training you have, but if you let her draw pictures of anything at all, she might end up drawing about what she's afraid of, and you might be able to offer her reassurance.

4. If her school has a counselor, you need to go speak with her immediately about managing your student's emotional needs while trying to teach her. If the teachers aren't concerned, this girl really needs you to step up and do what you can (even if it doesn't work or if it's just a little thing) since this is usually sourced out of some type of emotional distress or severe anxiety.

[Connie Weber]

Hi Sarah, Mike, and Erin,

It's so good to have this kind of discussion going on, one in which we're sharing across distances to find out what will work best for a child.

I'll just throw in my two cents. I've know a number of selectively mute children--who may or may not have a label as such. (Maybe across 30 years I've had six or so.) What I find is that relationship is everything: make it easy, matter-of-fact, non-pressuring, and cheerful. Find expressive outlets that you can enjoy together. Get out and about, see things, do things, have experiences you can share and reflect upon. Use art, journal-writing (and the journal writing should have plenty of humor and zaniness in it, let the humor emerge, and nurture it).

Be in touch with the teachers who know the student, and equally important, be in touch with the parents. You'll have to do this by observing school protocols for parent conferences to keep it within the system. Over time and in the most ideal situation you'll begin to develop a proactive group that recognizes the student's needs and progresses. It looks like in some ways you're taking on the student-advocate role, and that's very important in a child's development--that someone along the way cared to be that advocate.

Another part of my two cents: people need to be patient. Child development needs to be viewed with a wide lens, across time. One particular year may be for internal rest and regrouping, another may be characterized with a leap in all sorts of progresses.

Thanks, Sarah, for sharing your questions and thoughts with us.

BTW, do you need ideas for what to do? She's seven, right? How about taking her to the natural history museum? There you could sense things out, see what she seems interested in, and either then or later make some drawings to discuss. Grab a couple of museum maps, trace your path, put stars by the parts that were interesting. You'll be building memories of an experience that you can design activities around. If you can't take her out of school, can you get into a natural setting and do some observation and play? Check out the book Fairy Houses by Barry and Tracy Kane and build one together. Take pictures of it. You'll have the beginning of a story...