Child with selective mutism

Sigma Force

Just a shot in the dark here, does anyone else have a child with selective mutism?

raemie21

I'm not a parent but selective mutism is more common than one would think.
Can I recommend a really useful book - The Selective Mutism Resource Manual but Maggie Johnson & Alison Wintgens? I think you'd get a lot of information from it and it gives some very practical and successful ideas for treatment programmes.

lostinnappies

http://www.selectivemutism.org/
thought this might help:)

abi2007

thanks lostinnappies.. I just read that and I think my daughter has it too. she's a totally different child at home than she is in public. her teacher even told me she might have to stay back this year if she doesnt co operate.

chaser1

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

Just a shot in the dark here, does anyone else have a child with selective mutism?

Yes, i have a Teenage daughter who i believe is selective mute, she has been since she was 3. she has never been diagnosed as such though.

Sigma Force

Only just seen the replies to my thread.

I am in the middle of setting up a website support group for parents with children that have selective mutism will post the link as soon as it's done.

Sigma Force

Have started the site, there's not much on it at the moment but the guestbook is up and running here's the link http://selectivemutismsupportgroupireland.webs.com/

As soon as my slow computer behaves I will have links to other sites and to a number of sites that sell books to help parents and teachers and kids along.

LegacyUser

My daughter started school in Sept she is a different child at home than she is in school or in public situations. She is really funny intelligent and full of life but the teacher never sees this sometimes it can be really frustating. The doctor says wait a while its just shyness but i am getting help for her myself.

up for anything

My daughter went to Montessori from the age of 3 with a girl who had selective mutism. They went on to primary together and it wasn't until 4th class she came home really excited one day telling me that ***** can talk, she can talk! Eight years in school togehter and she had never heard her utter a word till then. After that the child was still very quiet in primary and only spoke when really pushed to it but in secondary school she spoke from the very beginning and made her own circle of friends. Maybe the fact that it was a secondary where she didn't know a soul that helped as she had no previous form to be judged on.

I know from her mother that she used to speak at home nineteen to the dozen and was never quiet. I'm not sure if she had any sort of therapy/help but I'll find out when I see her mother again and post it back here.

Sigma Force

@five13 good for you for seeking help yourself the school should be able to organise someone to come and assess her too no harm in getting lots of opinions. The earlier it's diagnosed the more likely a child will speak in primary aparently..not sure of that myself my dd was around 4 if I remember rightly.
But each child is different.

@upforanything would be interesting to hear more about your daughters friend and how she overcame her anxiety.

Here's a link to the support group facebook page (hope that's ok mods) feel free to add comments etc. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754848017#!/group.php?gid=107281642650202

We've made huge progress here but mainly due to our daughter just maturing, ok they don't just grow out of it but she's just more grown up now and wants to butt in to conversations I guess and she can't keep her mouth shut sometimes...which is brilliant!

She's still not speaking in school but everywhere else she's 99% there, she won't speak around people if they are connected to the school in any way but anywhere else we go she's talking away and we've been visiting a lot of cousins lately (baby boom going on) and she's been talking directly to them even the kids! Am so happy she's speaking to her cousins even getting bossy lol.

Sometimes taking them out of the area they are in helps somewhere unfamiliar a break away with the family or a holiday can make a difference they just relax. ie if it's school related.

Out of curiosity has school been the main place where your kids stopped talking is it centered around school and anything connected to school, how are your kids when talking to family friends/relations not connected with school?

LegacyUser

five13 wrote: »

My daughter started school in Sept she is a different child at home than she is in school or in public situations. She is really funny intelligent and full of life but the teacher never sees this sometimes it can be really frustating. The doctor says wait a while its just shyness but i am getting help for her myself.

My daughter started playschool @3 yrs she did not speak one word ,the teacher mentioned it to me i brought her to the local health nurse from there they organised therapy it is sm . from then on she recieved one to one in school she spoke in school from day one she s mostly out going not all the time doh she still recieves help at school she is now 10, but she gets very moody and frustared but were still workin on it dont wait around the earlier she gets help the better . good luck