SELECTIVE MUTISM Online training on anxiety disorder provides help for parents and school-based staff
S
‘When a flower
doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower’ ALEXANDER DEN HEIJER.
elective Mutism is an anxiety disorder, a diagnosis given to children, adolescents or sometimes adults who talk freely to certain people, usually their family, and are unable to speak in certain situations or with certain people present. It occurs in approximately seven children per 1,000. Selective Mutism is not shyness or quietness; it is a phobia of talking to people outside their comfort zone and can make school, the outside world a very scary place. Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) working in CAMHS in Cork noticed an increase in the number of Selective Mutism cases presenting to the service in recent months. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, the SLTS working with these cases needed to think innovatively to deliver training and support with teachers and with parents as face to face coaching was not possible. For the children with Selective Mutism, their routine with socialisation was upended due to COVID-19 and a consistent approach and daily routine was very difficult for schools, parents and clinicians working together to provide intervention for the children. The SLTs needed to think outside the box to still deliver intervention for these anxious children. Seven Speech and Language Therapists from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Cork formed a working group and brainstormed solutions, identifying an opportunity to deliver telemedicine to help their selective mutism cases despite the COVID-19 restrictions. They innovatively developed an online live workshop to provide training for parents,
FEEDBACK Feedback from parents and school staff show a perceived increase in knowledge in term of understanding Selective Mutism. Attendees praised the workshop: “Great webinar, very informative” “I wouldn’t change a thing”; “I learned to take all pressure to talk off the child and build an important trusting relationship with no pressure, Trust is key”.
Special Needs Assistants and Teachers and invited relevant attendees from their caseload. The interactive online workshop took place during March, and there was a high demand for places - attendance was 100% of those invited. Sixty parents, teachers and SNAs from across Co Cork attended using the CISCO WebEx platform. The training workshop had seven speakers covering topics such as understanding the nature of Selective Mutism, common myths and evidence based techniques to help. The training also gave real life examples of what to do in certain situations incorporating classroom management strategies and how to supporting peers to help the child. Useful parent and classroom resources were shared. Parents and schools asked many questions and problem-solved with the clinicians how the strategies could be implemented in their home or school.
U p d ate s The initiative and teamwork the CAMHS SLTs in Cork showed with use of WebEx to deliver this programme helped both parents and school staff to develop the knowledge and skills needed to support the children in everyday life. As a result of the workshop 25 children attending CAMHS with selective mutism accessed SLT input through their parents, SNAs and teachers and did not miss out on intervention despite the obstacles that Covid-19 posed.
54 | HEALTH MATTERS AUTUMN 2021
054_HSE Health Matters_Selective Mutism_Services.indd 54
08/09/2021 11:25
