Helping Your Child with Selective Mutism: Practical Steps to Overcome a Fear of Speaking

Often described as "social phobia's cousin" and misdiagnosed as autism, selective mutism is a debilitating fear of speaking in some situations experienced by some children. The disorder usually presents in children before the age of five, but it may not be recognized until the child starts school. When requested to speak, children with selective mutism often look down, blush, or otherwise express anxiety that disrupts their engagement with people and activities. Selective mutism is related to social anxiety and social phobia, and more than 90 percent of children with selective mutism also manifest symptoms of one of these problems.

This book is the first available for parents of children with selective mutism. It offers a broad overview of the condition and reviews the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. The book details a plan you can use to coordinate professional treatment of your child's disorder. It also explains the steps you can take on your own to encourage your child to speak comfortably in school and in his or her peer group. All of the book's strategies employ a gradual, "stepladder" approach. The techniques gently encourage children to speak more, while at the same time helping them feel safe and supported.

Angela E. McHolm, Ph.D., is director of the Selective Mutism Service at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, ON. The Selective Mutism Service offers outpatient psychiatric consultation to families and professionals such as school personnel, speech and language pathologists, and mental health clinicians who support children with selective mutism. She is assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON.

Angela E. McHolm, PhD, is director of the Selective Mutism Service at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, ON. The Selective Mutism Service offers outpatient psychiatric consultation to families and professionals such as school personnel, speech and language pathologists, and mental health clinicians who support children with selective mutism. She is assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON.

Charles E. Cunningham, PhD, is a staff psychologist at McMaster Children's Hospital and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University-both in Hamilton, ON. He also holds the Jack Laidlaw Chair in Patient-Centered Health Care at McMaster University. He has published and presented widely on various topics related to children's mental health. Within the field of selective mutism, he has approximately thirty years' clinical experience and has coauthored various manuscripts including a review of effective behavioral approaches to the treatment of selective mutism.

Melanie K. Vanier, MA, is staff clinician with the Selective Mutism Service at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, ON. In her direct clinical work with children with and their families, she has collaborated on the development and writing of a manual for a group workshop series offered to parents and professionals who work with selective mutism.

Ronald M. Rapee, PhD, is distinguished professor in the school of psychological sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia; and director of the Centre for Emotional Health. He has been involved in an advisory capacity with the DSM-IV and DSM-5, and has sat on both public and scientific advisory committees for national and international organizations. He is developer of Cool Kids, a scientifically proven treatment program for anxious young people that is used by health departments, therapists, and organizations in over thirty countries.