How to Get Counseling for Teens With Selective Mutism
Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder that causes an inability to speak in certain social settings. For children and teens with SM, the school setting is a major source of anxiety. Many children are identified as having SM when they are young, but because SM is not as well known as other psychological disorders, it's often mistaken for shyness, and the child is not identified until later in life.
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Instructions
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Learn about selective mutism (SM) as an anxiety disorder. While children and adolescents with SM are often mistaken as merely shy, SM is a much more debilitating and complex condition than shyness and can stem from a social phobia.
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Observe your teen to determine whether he or she is struggling with SM. If teachers have been telling you for years that your child doesn't speak in class, and this same child is talkative at home and with peers outside of school, consider seeking evaluation and treatment for SM.
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Seek counseling or therapy for the teen once he has been diagnosed with SM through a complete evaluation by a professional.
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Ask your teen's pediatrician, friends and family and student services staff at your teen's school for recommendations of professionals who have experience treating anxiety disorders or SM in children and adolescents.
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Check Psychology Today's online directory of therapists or ask your insurance company for names of those who treat adolescent anxiety.
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Phone a few counselors or therapists that sound like they have the right kind of experience, and interview them about their educational background and training, experience with SM and cost of their services. Look for a professional who has had extensive experience treating children with SM and ask about outcomes.
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Select a therapist who you think will be a good match for your teen, based on your phone interviews. Make an appointment and take the teen to the appointment.
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Call another professional and give him a try if within the first two or three sessions, your teen does not begin to feel comfortable with the therapist you've chosen. Keep in mind that a teen with SM may have a hard time becoming comfortable with nearly any therapist due to the nature of SM, so use your best judgment when deciding whether to continue with a therapist or to move on.
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Consult the therapist for suggestions as to how you and your teen's school can support the work he or she is doing in therapy. The therapist may want to speak to your teen's guidance counselor to help arrange a 504 plan that gives your teen accommodations in the classroom.
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Tips & Warnings
The later a child is diagnosed and treated for SM, the more difficult it can be to reverse the silence that characterizes those with SM. The habit of staying silent often becomes entrenched and part of the teen's identity. Therefore, obtaining treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis is critical.
Avoid treating professionals who believe that SM is a manipulative behavior or that treatment should involve punitive measures. Such treatment will only increase the teen's anxiety. Children and teens with SM should never be forced to speak.
