"Our daughter was diagnosed with Selective Mutism when she was 3 years old. She became a patient of Karen Jacob. During this time, we witnessed how our daughter improved, became more relaxed, independent and able to communicate with her peers, teacher and other parents. Selective Mutism is a difficult diagnose to receive and accept but with Karen’s help, her people skills, and her knowledge, our daughter improve dramatically. She is going to Middle school next year and we feel confident that she will be fine. Additionally, any time we needed her help, Karen always made herself available and gave excellent advice. She has also always been willing to speak with our daughter’s school. We appreciate all the work that Karen has done for our daughter." –Client
SELECTIVE MUTISM
Selective mutism is essentially social anxiety in children. It is typically apparent at ages 3-6; when children are starting school. The child may be fully verbal at home, but at school, teachers report that the child isn’t verbalizing in the classroom; or verbalization may be limited. Parents also notice that children may not answer adults when asked a question in public, even extended family members. It is anxiety based and can be mistaken for being “stubborn, willful or controlling.” The criteria for diagnosing selective mutism, according to the DSM 5 is the following:
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The individual fails to speak when spoken to or expected to in social situations, like at school
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This shortcoming interferes with the individual’s education, occupation, or social interaction
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The failure to speak lasts for at least a month
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The failure to speak is not due to a lack of understanding of or comfort with the spoken language required in a given social interaction
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The deficiency cannot be better explained by a communication disorder and does not occur exclusively during the course of a psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia or autism)
I am committed to doing my best to help the client succeed ☺ I have worked with clients of all ages; preschool through adults.
An individual diagnosed with selective mutism may also be very shy, be fearful of social embarrassment or social isolation, be clingy and temperamental, or abnormally negative. There may also be an associated communication disorder and almost always an anxiety disorder, such as (and most commonly) social anxiety disorder.
I also work with adolescents and adults who have struggled with SM in the past but were never diagnosed or labeled “shy.” Some parents have heard from pediatricians, teachers or other professionals that their child will “grow out of it.” Research has shown that when SM goes undiagnosed and untreated, by age 8 years old, it can become more difficult to treat and the maladaptive coping strategies can become habitual. Early intervention is best!
Selective Mutism is a specialty area that I am very passionate about. One of my children has overcome SM and I can empathise and appreciate the journey of helping a child make progress and thrive, as a Mom, in addition to being a clinician. I tailor each client’s treatment to their needs and do a great deal of collaboration with parents/schools/child study teams/coaches and whoever needs to be involved with ensuring that the client is on the right path to getting comfortable and being in a position to open up and verbalize. It is not a “one size fits all” approach. Each case has nuances that need to be addressed. Using CBT, behavior modification/reward systems, family education and school training,