Selective Mutism in School. Relationships and Beliefs in Educational Context. A Case Study.
Published:
Oct 27, 2017
Keywords:
selective mutism Greek educational context teacher strategies peer relationships social relationships
Abstract
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder which prevents a child from speaking in specific social situations, while (s)he has the ability to do so. Children with selective mutism face important difficulties at school, as they lag behind in important expressive and social skills, facing great difficulties in the establishment of social relationships both with their teachers and with peers. Selective mutism, also, poses serious challenges for their educators who have to support and integrate these children in the educational process. The purpose of this qualitative research was to study, within the Greek educational context, various parameters that jointly shape the social and pedagogical relationships and interactions of an eleven-year-old child with selective mutism. For the purposes of this case-study, data were collected by means of (a) a sociometric test aimed to measure the popularity of this particular student, (b) two questionnaires aimed at collecting data on his verbal communication in varying social contexts, namely: a teacher report questionnaire, the “School Speech Questionnaire” (SSQ), as well as a parent report questionnaire, the “Selective Mutism Questionnaire” (SMQ), (c) semi-structured interviews with both the child’s caregivers and teachers, concerning his social interactions and participation in the educational process, as well as their personal views, strategies, difficulties and needs, and d) a direct non-participant observation of the child during the school breaks. Overall, the picture that emerges is that of a silent, reserved and ignored child at school, whose teachers feel that they do not have the appropriate knowledge and training to respond to his specific needs and to support him. Outside the educational context, he appears to be a typically developing child, maintaining verbal interactions with both his family and friends. Overall, this research shows various aspects of the life of a child with selective mutism highlighting the need for studying systematically the school life of children with selective mutism, especially in the Greek context, for fostering the relevant knowledge and skills of the educators, as well as for developing particular guidelines, strategies and tools that would help them support those children.
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
Mokaiti, F., Rekalidou, G., & Karousou, A. (2017). Selective Mutism in School. Relationships and Beliefs in Educational Context. A Case Study. Preschool and Primary Education, 5(2), 27–64. https://doi.org/10.12681/ppej.11446
- Issue
- Vol. 5 No. 2 (2017)
- Section
- Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Beare, P., Torgerson, C. & Creviston, C. (2008). Increasing Verbal Behavior of a Student Who Is Selectively Mute. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Vol 16 (No 4), 248-255.
Bergman, R. L. (2013). Treatment for Children With Selective Mutism. An Integrative Behavioral Approach. Therapist Guide. Oxford: University Press.
Bergman, R. L., Gonzalez, A., Piacentini, J. & Keller, M. L. (2013). Integrated Behavior Therapy for Selective Mutism: A randomized controlled pilot study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, Vol 51 680-689.
Bergman, R. L., Keller, M. L., Piacentini, J. & Bergman, A. J. (2008). The Development and Psychometric Properties of the Selective Mutism Questionnaire. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, Vol 37 (No 2), 456-464.
Breda, A. I. (2013). The use of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Combined with Computer Technology in the Treatment of Selective Mutism: A Case Study. (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). California Lutheran University.
Busse, R. T. & Downey, J. (2011). Selective Mutism: A Three-Tiered Approach to Prevention and Intervention. Contemporary School Psychology, Vol 15 53-63.
Camposano, L. (2011). Silent Suffering: Children with Selective Mutism. The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice, Vol 1 (No 1), 46-56.
Carbone, D., Schmidt, L. A., Cunningham, C. C., McHolm, A. E., Edison, S., Pierre, J. St. & Boyle, M. H. (2010). Behavioral and Socio-emotional Functioning in Children with Selective Mutism: A Comparison with Anxious and Typically Developing Children Across Multiple Informants. J Abnorm Child Psychol, Vol 38 1057-1067.
Cleator, H. (2015).Selective Mutism and Communication Disorders. Exploring Co-morbidity. In A. Sluckin & B. R. Smith (Eds.), Tackling Selective Mutism. A guide for professionals and parents (pp. 82-96). London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Cleaver, H. (2009). Too anxious to speak? The implications of current research into Selective Mutism for educational psychology practice. Educational Psychology in Practice, Vol 25 (No 3), 233-246.
Cline, T. (2015). Selective Mutism in Children. Changing Perspectives Over Half a Century. In A. Sluckin & B. R. Smith (Eds.), Tackling Selective Mutism. A guide for professionals and parents (pp. 34-50). London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Cohan, S. L., Chavira, D. A. & Stein, M. B. (2006). Practitioner Review: Psychosocial Interventions for children with selective mutism: a critical evaluation of the literature from 1990-2005. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol 47 (No 11), 1085-1097.
Conn, B. M. & Coyne, L. w. (2014). Selective Mutism in Early Childhood: Assessment and Treatment of an African American Preschool Boy. Clinical Case Studies, Vol 13 (No 6), 487-500.
Cotton-Thomas, M. (2015). Evaluation of a packaged intervention for treating selective mutism: Application in a school setting (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). University of Dayton, (Ohio).
Cunningham, C. E., McHolm A. E. & Boyle, M. H. (2006). Social phobia, anxiety, oppositional behavior, social skills, and self-concept in children with specific selective mutism, generalized selective mutism, and community controls. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 15 (No 5), 245-255.
Cunningham, C. E., McHolm, A., Boyle, M. H. & Patel, S. (2004). Behavioral and emotional adjustment, family functioning, academic performance, and social relationships in children with selective mutism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol 45 (No 8), 1363-1372.
Davidson, M. (2012). Selective Mutism: Exploring the knowledge and needs of teachers a dissertation submitted to the faculty (Αδημοσίευτη Διδακτορική Διατριβή). The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick (New Jersey).
Diliberto, R. A. (2014). Oppositional and Anxiety Behavior Profiles in a Clinical Sample of Youth with Selective Mutism. (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). University of Nevada, (Las Vegas).
Dow, S. P., Sonies, B. C. Scheib, D., Moss, S. E. & Leonard, H. L. (1995). Practical Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Selective Mutism. Journal American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 34 (No 7), 836-846.
Dummit, E. S., Klein, R. G., Tancer, N. K., Acshe, B., Martin, J. & Fairbanks, J. (1997). Systematic Assessment of 50 Children With Selective Mutism. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 36 (No 5), 653-660.
Gibson, G. & Bramble, D. (2015). Is Medication Helpful in Selective Mutism? One Family's Experience and a Clinical Overview. In A. Sluckin & B. R. Smith (Eds.), Tackling Selective Mutism. A guide for professionals and parents (pp. 118-137). London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Hoffman, S. & Laub, B. (1986). Paradoxical Intervention using a polarization model of cotherapy in the treatment of elective mutism: A Case Study. Contemporary Family Therapy, Vol 8 (No 2), 136-143.
Hung, S-L., Spencer, M. S. & Dronamraju, R. (2012). Selective Mutism: Practice and Intervention Strategies for Children. Children & Schools, Vol 34 (No 4), 222-230.
Kearney, C. A. (2010). Helping children with selective mutism and their parents. A guide for school-based professionals. Oxford: University Press.
Kristensen, H. (1997). Elective Mutism – associated with developmental disorder / delay. Two case studies. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 6 (No 4), 234-239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s007870050035
Kotrba, A. (2015). Selective Mutism. An Assessment and Intervention Guide For Therapists, Educators & Parents. United States of America: PESI Publishing & Media.
Lang, R., Regester, A., Mulloy, A., Rispoli, M. & Botout, A. (2011). Behavioral intervention to treat selective mutism across multiple social situations and community settings. Journal of applied behavior analysis, Vol 44 (No 3), 623-628.
Letamendi, A. M., Chavire, D. A., Hitchcock, C.A., Roesch, S. C., Shipon-Blum, E., Stein, M. B. & Roesch, S. C. (2010). The Selective Mutism Questionnaire: Measurement Structure and Validity. Journal of The American Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 47 (No 10), 1197-1204.
Leo, M. (2015). Quality of peer relationships among children with selective Mutism. McNair Research Journal, 206-215.
Manassis, K., Fung, D., Tannock, R., Sloman, L., Fiksenbaum, K. & McInnes, A. (2003). Characterizing selective Mutism: Is it more than social anxiety? Depression and Anxiety, Vol 18 153-161.
Martinez, Y. J., Tannock, R., Manassis, K., Garland, E. J., Clark, S. & McInnes, A. (2015). The Teachers' Role in the Assessment of Selective Mutism and Anxiety Disorders. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 1-19.
McInnes, A., Fung, D., Manassis, K., Fiksenbaum, L. & Tannock, R. (2004). Narrative Skills in Children With Selective Mutism: An Exploratory Study. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Vol 13 304-315.
Merrill, K. (2012). Selective Mutism: The Child Silenced by Social Anxiety. A Meta-Synthesis (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). University of Alaska Southeast.
Μοκαΐτη, Φ. (2016). Επιλεκτική Αλαλία στο Σχολείο. Σχέσεις και Αντιλήψεις στο Εκπαιδευτικό Πλαίσιο. Μία Μελέτη Περίπτωσης (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). Τμήμα Επιστημών της Εκπαίδευσης στην Προσχολική Ηλικία, Αλεξανδρούπολη.
Μπίκος, Κ. Γ. (2011). Κοινωνικές σχέσεις και Αλληλεπίδραση στη Σχολική Τάξη. Θεσσαλονίκη: Ζυγός.
Mulligan, C. A. (2012). Selective Mutism: Identification of Subtypes and Influence on Treatment (Αδημοσίευτη Διδακτορική Διατριβή). Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Department of Psychology, (Philadelphia).
Nowakowski, M. E., Cunningham, C. C., McHolm, A. E., Evans, M. A., Edison, S., Pierre, J. St., Boyle, M. H. & Schmidt, A. (2009). Language and Academic Abilities in Children with Selective Mutism. Infant and Child Development, Vol 18 271-290.
Nowakowski, M. E., Schmidt, L. A., Cunningham, C. E. & McHolm, A. E. (2009). Language Development in Special Populations: The Case of Selective Mutism. In M. A. Reed (Eds.), Children and Language. Development, Impairment and Training (pp. 191-206). New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Oerbeck, B. & Kristensen, H. (2008). Attention in selective mutism-An exploratory case-control study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Vol 22 548-554.
Oon, P. P. (2010). Playing with Gladys: A case study integrating drama therapy with behavioural interventions for the treatment of selective mutism. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol 15 (No 2), 215-230. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104509352892
Οrtega, M. (2011). The generalization of verbal speech across multiple settings for children with selective mutism: A multiple-baseline design pilot study a dissertation submitted to the faculty (Αδημοσίευτη Διδακτορική Διατριβή). Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, (New Jersey).
Roe, V. (2015). Silent Voices. Listening to Some Young People With Selective Mutism and Their Parents. In A. Sluckin & B. R. Smith (Eds.), Tackling Selective Mutism. A guide for professionals and parents (pp. 51-70). London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Scott, S. & Beidel, D.C. (2011). Selective Mutism: An Update and Suggestions for Future Research. Curr Psychiatry Rep, Vol 13 251-257.
Sharkey, L. & McNicholas, F. (2008). "More than 100 years silence", elective mutism. European Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 17 (No 5), 255-263.
Sharma, J. Kay, J., Johnson, S. & Smith, R. (2015). Successful Approaches to Selective Mutism in School and Community Settings. In A. Sluckin & B. R. Smith (Eds.), Tackling Selective Mutism. A guide for professionals and parents (pp. 138-157). London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Shriver, M. D., Segool, N. & Gortmaker, V. (2011). Behavior Observations for Linking Assessment to Treatment for Selective Mutism. Education and Treatment of Children, Vol 34 (No 3), 389-411. https://doi.org/10.1353/etc.2011.0023
Skacel, K. A. (2014). Using Technology for Communication with Selective Mutism (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). Rowan University.
Sluckin, A. & Smith, R. (2015). Introducing Selective Mutism and an Overview of Approaches. In A. Sluckin & R. Smith (Eds.), Tackling Selective Mutism. A Guide for Professionals and Parents (pp. 17-33). London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Steinhausen, H. C. & Adamek, R. (1997). The family history of children with elective mutism: a research report. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 6 (No 2), 107-111. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00566673
Sulkowski, M. L., Pence, S. L., Carlson, J. S. & Storch, E. A. (2014). Treating Selective Mutism with Exposure Therapy: A Case Study.
Tatem, D. W. & DelCampo, R. L. (1995). Selective mutism in children: A structural family therapy approach to treatment. Contemporary Family Therapy, Vol 17 (No 2), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02252357
Τζωρτζάκη, Μ. Ε. (2012). Κατασκευή ταυτότητας στο διαδίκτυο. (Αδημοσίευτη Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία). Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου.
Vecchio, J. L. & Kearney, A. (2005). Selective Mutism in Children: Comparison to Youths With and Without Anxiety Disorders. Journal of psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, Vol 27 (No 1), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-3263-1
Viana, A. G., Beidel, D. C. & Rabian, B. (2009). Selective Mutism: A review and integration of the last 15 years. Clinical Psychology Review, Vol 29, 57-67.
Yeganeh, R., Beidel, D. C. & Turner, S. M. (2006). Selective Mutism: More than social anxiety? Depression and Anxiety, Vol 23 117-123. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20139
