What all staff need to know about Selective Mutism: A 45-minute inservice

 

Selective mutism is a complex but treatable anxiety disorder which affects 1 in every 140 children from Kindy to 2nd grade. It is important for all staff to understand about this condition so that they can respond in the most appropriate way.

This 1 hour seminar is for learning support teams, principals, school psychologists and preschool directors who have a child with selective mutism at their preschool, primary school or high school, and would like to know the best approach to educating all school staff about this relatively unknown condition. This is not a comprehensive school treatment approach (as covered in our 3-hour seminars/webinars for classroom teachers who have a student with selective mutism), but strategies for all staff at a school to follow to prevent worsening the mutism and to allow the best environment for children with selective mutism to thrive.

 

Topics that are covered in the seminar:

  • What is Selective Mutism
  • Understanding Selective Mutism as an anxiety disorder
  • Do’s and don’ts of general management of children with selective mutism
  • Factors that affect the child’s ability to communicate
  • Common issues and questions
  • Lots of time will be provided for participants to ask questions about specific cases

 

The seminar is recommended for:

  • Primary school, high school, and preschool management staff who would like to educate all staff at their school about how to talk to and manage a child  selective mutism.
  • School psychologists or learning support staff who wish to do the same as above.
  • Please note, that this seminar does not cover comprehensive school treatment strategies for children with selective mutism (as covered in our 3-hour seminars). This seminar is about educating all school staff about this condition.

 

About the presenter:

Dr Elizabeth Woodcock is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of the Selective Mutism Clinic and also MindBox Psychology in Sydney. She has a Masters of Clinical Psychology and PhD from the University of NSW with over 20 years’ experience in treating child and adult mental health issues across both private practice and the public sector in research and clinical settings.

Elizabeth has a special interest in treatment of Selective Mutism and has seen or supervised close to 1000 cases of Selective Mutism in clients ranging from late 2’s to adulthood. She is first author of the chapter ‘Treatment Programmes for Children with Selective Mutism’ in the book ‘Innovations and Advances in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’ edited by D. Einstein (2007). Elizabeth runs a series of training webinars about Selective Mutism each year to suit a range of audiences, including teachers, parents, speech pathologists, and psychologists.

 

Ways to view this seminar:

We are not likely to run this seminar again as it is now available in DVD format to purchase here. The DVD runs for 45 minutes and is designed to play to all staff at an inservice meeting to provide education to all staff about the Dos and Donts of managing selective mutism. 
You can also purchase this seminar as part of a USB package here.
A online recording of the seminar is also available to purchase here.

If you would like to attend a seminar/webinar with in-depth information about how to treat selective mutism at school (most relevant for the classroom teacher and support team), then see the information here about our 3-hour evening webinars, DVDs, and recordings, such as ‘Treatment for selective mutism in schools and preschools’.