Selective Mutism

Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Treatment Summary: The literature in which I reviewed suggests that treating Selective Mutism (SM) is often a multimodal task including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), modeling, and reinforcement. Cases should be individualized to meet the needs of the particular child's speech/development. In the case of "Bruce", the clinician first had to break down the verbal barrier between the client and the therapist. For the first couple of sessions Bruce would initiate in play therapy with his mother and brother and progressively the therapist would interact (starting with being just outside the room and ending in actual involvement of the game). Once this verbal communication was established, the rest of the sessions (21 total) focused on multiple facets. These aspects included psycho-education, social skills training, and more reinforcement to name a few. At Bruce's 6 month follow up he no longer met the DSM criteria for Selective Mutism

Reference: Reuther, E. T., Davis, T. I., Moree, B. N., & Matson, J. L. (2011). Treating Selective Mutism Using Modular CBT for Child Anxiety: A Case Study. Journal Of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40(1), 156-163. doi:10.1080/15374416.2011.533415
Submitter: Brittany Campbell