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Before my first day of fieldwork, I had never heard of this condition. One of the kindergarteners in my class suffers from selective mutism and I want to do everything in my power to help her learn and feel comfortable in the classroom.

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https://selectivemutismcenter.org/whatisselectivemutism/

This website provides in-depth information on the different characteristics of selective mutism and touches on several other topics such as why few people know about this condition, and how these children are assessed.

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https://childmind.org/article/tips-for-helping-kids-with-selective-mutism-go-back-to-school/

This website provides helpful information for parents, family members, friends, teachers and school administrators of children who have selective mutism. A key suggestion that this website makes is that parents should make a video of their child to show other important people, such as educators or physicians, any verbalizations the child is capable of making.

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                                      Self Selected Mute

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                                      Self Selected Mute

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http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Information-for-Parents-Carers-selective-mutism.pdf

The link above can be used to access an online brochure about selective mutism. This brochure is concise and provides parents with easy-to-read information about this condition. The information presented here is clear and contains little academic jargon, making this brochure accessible to a wider range of parents.

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https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=selective+mutism+videos&&view=detail&mid=137228AF175F427AAD57137228AF175F427AAD57&&FORM=VRDGAR

This TED Talk can help parents see the realities of selective mutism as a child with this condition grows up. It provides examples of both what to do and what not to do. The overall success of the speaker could be reassuring to some parents who have not made much progress.

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http://www.smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/selectmut.pdf

This is an academic article that provides a case study of a student with selective mutism. While written by an undergraduate student, this article can help teachers by providing them with a reputable, published research review, while adding a more personal touch by describing one, specific student.

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https://www.selectivemutism.org/sample-page/im-an-educator/

This website provides information on selective mutism that is tailored specifically to educators. Some of the topics covered are a classroom teacher's role in supporting a child with selective mutism and how to talk to other children in class about this condition.

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3 Strategies That Teachers Can Use to Accommodate for Selective Mutism in the Classroom

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3 Strategies That Teachers Can Use to Accommodate for Selective Mutism in the Classroom

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After a student becomes comfortable in the social environment of the classroom and begins to speak or whisper to a few students, it is important for classroom teachers to phrase questions in a more open-ended way. Asking a student, "Do you want this one?" allows them to nod or grab to show their response. Asking a student, "Would you rather read about the jungle or pigs on a farm?" calls for the student to express themselves through words. When a student does respond orally with an appropriate answer, it is important to "echo" the student by saying, "Oh, the book about pigs on a farm, what a great choice," so that the student knows they are heard and listened to. Another way to ensure that the student knows they are being heard is by using labeled praise. In this way, teachers can be more specific in their praise so that the student knows exactly why they are being praised. By saying "Awesome job for telling me which book you wanted," rather than "Great job!" the student knows that because they spoke up, their teacher noticed their efforts and will be encouraging the next time they chose to respond.

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When a student is more comfortable being talked to and looked at, a teacher can use different techniques to model language use and encourage verbal expression. When a student is working on classwork, it is helpful to "sportscast" what is going on. By narrating what the student is doing, they will feel that their teacher is interested in the work they are producing and helps encourage engagement, even if the student is not talking. These students will also be provided with a verbal model. For example, if a student is drawing a picture of a flower, the student will feel more engaged if their teacher says, "What a beautiful flower!" compared to if the teacher simply ignored their efforts. It is important to follow this strategy with a 5 second gap, to a allow a student to respond, if they feel that they can. This 5 second wait-time also helps children cope with their anxiety.

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While getting a student with selective mutism to speak should be a goal in the classroom, for younger children who are just entering school, more needs to be done to accommodate their special needs in the classroom. For these young children who are just beginning the path towards verbal expression, a good strategy is to allow the child to participate nonverbally. More specifically, these children can be assigned "classroom jobs" that do not require speech for active engagement, while trying to build a comfortable environment for the student. For example, a kindergarten student with selective mutism may benefit from being the "door opener" so that they feel valued in the classroom, even without words, while still actively participating with peers.

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A self-selected mute is someone who is affected by a condition called selective mutism. This particular condition is a childhood anxiety disorder, where a child does not speak in social settings. In more comfortable settings, these children are often able to verbally communicate. This means that a child with selective mutism may be unable or too uncomfortable to speak in school, but may speak outside of school, in the home. These children, and sometimes adolescents, often suffer from social anxiety and fear having to talk in public. The characteristics of this condition vary from child to child. Some children, do not speak in any setting, while others only speak in comfortable environments to a select group of people. Other children with selective mutism whisper to familiar people, while some lack expression in the face and movement in the body when spoken to.
The majority of these children are thought to have a genetic predisposition to anxiety. These severe reactions have also been hypothesized to be caused by abnormalities in the amygdala, which is a part of the brain that processes emotion. From infancy, these children are often characterized as moody or inflexible. They may suffer from separation anxiety, have sleep problems, find it difficult to process sensory information, have language deficits, or have a hard time analyzing social cues. In social environments, such as the classroom, these children often display several different characteristics, such as lack of expressiveness in the face, still body language, head turning, hair touching, lack of eye contact, and playing by themselves. Because classrooms can be vocally demanding, diagnosis is generally given between ages 3 and 8, when children are expected to participate in social, school activities. While it is typically uncommon, some children with selective mutism are not shy. They enjoy attention and participate in social settings in other ways, such as dramatic facial expressions or acting thoughts out. Common treatments, such as behavioral therapy, play therapy, and medication, all aim at reducing social anxiety and encouraging social communication.