Tackling Selective Mutism

Maggie Johnson is a speech and language therapist and educational consultant specialising in childhood communication disorders and selective mutism. With thirty years' experience in education and community settings, Maggie works closely with families and schools in East Kent and provides training and workshops for schools, parents and health professionals across the UK and abroad. She lives in Ramsgate, UK.

• Acknowledgements. Foreword. Jean Gross, CBE, Government's Former Communication Champion for Children. 1. Introducing Selective Mutism and an Overview of Approaches. Alice Sluckin, OBE, Chair and Founder of SMIRA, Retired Senior Psychiatric Social Worker and Benita Rae Smith, Retired Speech and Language Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Therapy. Part I: Current Understanding of Selective Mutism. 2. Selective Mutism in Children: Changing Perspectives Over Half a Century. Tony Cline, Co-Director of the CPD Doctorate in Educational Psychology, University College London, Visiting Professor, University of Bedfordshire & Patron of SMIRA. 3. Silent Voices: Listening to Some Young People with Selective Mutism and Their Parents. Victoria Roe, Vice-Chair of SMIRA, Retired Teacher and SENCO. 4. Setting up a Support Network: Selective Mutism Information & Research Association (SMIRA) – A Brief History. Alice Sluckin, OBE, Chair and Founder of SMIRA, Retired Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, Lindsay Whittington, Co-Founder and Co-Ordinator of SMIRA and Benita Rae Smith, Retired Speech and Language Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Therapy. Part II: Related and Co-morbid Conditions. 5. Selective Mutism and Communication Disorders: Exploring Co-morbidity. Hilary Cleator, Specialist Speech Pathologist working in Australia. 6. Exploring the Relationship of Selective Mutism to Autism Spectrum Disorder. Alison Wintgens, Retired Consultant Speech and Language Therapist, Advisor on Selective Mutism to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and SMIRA. 7. Selective Mutism and Stammering: Similarities and Differences. Jenny Packer, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Part III: Interventions, Strategies and Supports. 8. Is Medication Helpful in Selective Mutism? One Family's Experience and a Clinical Overview. Geoffrey Gibson, Lecturer, University of Hull and SM Supporter and Dr David Bramble, Consultant Child and Adolescent Learning Disability Psychiatrist, Shropshire Community Health Services NHS Trust. 9. Successful Approaches to Selective Mutism in School and Community Settings. Jyoti Sharma, Play Interaction Specialist and Autism Outreach Worker, Leicester City Council, Jane Kay, Targeted Support Youth Advisor, Youth and Family Support Service, Children, Family and Adult Services, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Susan Johnson, SENCO, Leicestershire and Benita Rae Smith, Retired Speech and Language Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Therapy. 10. Successful Combined Home and School Approaches to Selective Mutism. Alice Sluckin, OBE, Chair and Founder of SMIRA, Retired Senior Psychiatric Social Worker and SMIRA Parents. 11. Effective Care Pathways for Selective Mutism. Maggie Johnson, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Educational Consultant, Advisor on Selective Mutism to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and SMIRA, Kent, Miriam Jemmett, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and Charlotte Firth, Advanced Clinical Specialist SLT, for Specific Language Impairment and Selective Mutism, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 12. Approaches to Selective Mutism in Other Languages. Alice Sluckin, OBE, Chair and Founder of SMIRA, Retired Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, Benita Rae Smith, Retired Speech and Language Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Therapy, Nitza Katz-Bernstein, Visiting Professor, Tel-Aviv University, Department of Communication Disorders, Israel and Krems-Donau University, Austria and Keiko Kakuta, Clinical Psychologist, Sanda Municipal Hospital, Hygo, Japan. 13. Music Therapy and the Path into Speech. Kate Jones, Chief Music Therapist and Researcher, Music Therapy Lambeth. 14. Teaching Confidence to Teenagers. Rosemary Sage, Professor of Education, Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Teachers, Institute of Education, University College London. 15. Legal Issues in Selective Mutism: What Support is a Child Entitled to?. Denise Lanes, Retired Specialist Teacher and Benita Rae Smith, Retired Speech and Language Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Therapy. Part IV. Conclusion. 16. Recovery from Selective Mutism: Testimonies from Families No Longer Affected by Selective Mutism. Alice Sluckin, OBE, Chair and Founder of SMIRA, Retired Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, Katie Herbert, Mina Clark and a SMIRA parent. 17. Summary and Recommendations for the Future. Alice Sluckin, OBE, Chair and Founder of SMIRA, Retired Senior Psychiatric Social Worker and Benita Rae Smith, Retired Speech and Language Therapist and Senior Lecturer in Speech Pathology and Therapy. Appendix. Selective Mutism in Adults. Carl Sutton, PhD, Co-ordinator of ispeak.org.uk Support Network. References. Resources. Index.

Tackling Selective Mutism highlights the need for multi-disciplinary treatment and delivers the structure for successful collaborations and interventions. Providing many different perspectives on the diagnosis, treatment, and experience of those with selective mutism, this is a must-read for parents and professionals!