Approaches to Overcoming Selective Mutism in Children and Youths
A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Educational Psychology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 713
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Children with selective mutism (SM) consistently avoid speaking in specific social situations. Often, they remain silent in school/kindergarten while speaking normally to parents and siblings at home. SM is an anxiety disorder rather than general shyness or social anxiety. These children’s aversion to talking, together with their resistance to pressure to speak, is reminiscent of children with specific phobias. Just as resistance to the feared object of a phobia can be reinforced by attempts to make the child confront it, these children’s resistance to speaking can become stronger by well-intentioned initiatives to help them speak. SM can exist alongside autism and interferes with learning and social communication. It is associated with an increased risk of serious mental health problems the longer it lasts. Early intervention in schools and kindergartens, and close cooperation with parents could prevent this, but few support services have sufficient knowledge of SM to treat the child successfully or to offer the family/school/kindergarten helpful guidance. Understanding the nature of SM, with or without autism, is crucial for successful intervention. This Special Issue will explore the conceptualization of SM linked to approaches that enable children and youths to participate in learning activities and social interactions and ultimately overcome their SM.
Prof. Dr. Heidi Omdal
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- selective mutism
- successful approaches
- participation
- social interactions
- collaboration
- communication
- parents
- kindergarten and school
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