Selective mutism should be included in the new Initial Teacher Training Framework, writes Lindsay Whittington.
Recently, autism was included in the new Initial Teacher Training framework, but speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) were not. Yet, according to the 2016 Surrey Communication and Language in Education Study, language impairment is seven times more common than other developmental conditions, including autism.
One such SLCN is selective mutism (SM), an emotional disorder and language impairment of childhood whereby affected children speak fluently in some situations, but remain consistently silent in others. The condition is known to start early in life and can be temporary, triggered by situations such as starting school or being admitted to hospital. In some cases it may last right through a child’s school life.
Although SM is considered rare, and found in less than one to two per cent of patients referred to mental health establishments, it is likely that many cases go unreported and that this low figure is an underestimation. Many children with the condition are wrongly thought to be difficult, or simply shy. The problem is self-perpetuating in that the condition is not well known so parents and, significantly, teachers do not know what symptoms to look out for.
Left untreated, SM can become deeply entrenched and linked with other issues. As a child grows older, SM becomes increasingly difficult to overcome. However, if the condition is recognised early, treatment can be quite simple and effective.
One of the challenges of SM is that a child may speak fluently when at home and relaxed, but could be entirely mute at school. Hence, it is often the case that teachers are the only ones aware of any issue; thus, it is teachers that are best placed to identify a child with SM. For this reason, it is critical that teachers learn to identify SM, so that they do not unwittingly make the condition worse. Selectively mute children in schools can be put under pressure to speak, penalised for not talking or for talking too quietly, and allowed to become isolated.
Helping children with selective mutism
Including selective mutism in the Initial Teacher Training framework would allow teachers to adapt teaching methods so that these children are included and enabled to succeed. SM is an anxiety disorder, a phobia of talking that can only be overcome by allowing children to take small steps at their own pace as part of a programme of gradual desensitisation. By removing speech anxiety in day-to-day situations, SM children will feel more relaxed and be better able to flourish.
In addition to therapeutic treatments, simple adjustments to teaching methods can be extremely effective in enabling SM children to feel relaxed and become able to speak freely, to learn and to succeed.
Schools should work together with the child’s parents to help reduce the child’s anxiety and build confidence. Examples include: allowing the parent to be with the child in school; having staff visit the child at home to establish speech there and then transfer it back to the school setting; and preparing for transitions well in advance by familiarising the child with the room and teacher when other children are not present.
SM is easily confused with behavioural problems, yet selectively mute children are often under acute stress, that in turn exacerbates the issue. It is critical that teachers understand, not only how to identify SM, but how to include SM children in the classroom, so as to ensure they are not left behind educationally or socially.
If SM is identified and treated early enough, then these children can go on to fulfil their potential and lead normal lives. Teachers have a vital role in this process, but without knowledge about SM, they cannot help these children and the many others with SLCN. That is why it is so important for SM to be included in the revised Initial Teacher Training programme.
Author: Lindsay Whittington
Lindsay Whittington
Lindsay Whittington is a coordinator and founding member of SMIRA, a charity providing support to professionals and parents living with selectively mute children: http://smira.org.uk
