It is more helpful to start intervention in term 4 than to wait until the new school year as there are many procedures that can be put in place to ensure that the child’s transition to the new year goes as smoothly as possible. This includes advising the school in selecting an appropriate teacher, placement with with appropriate classmates, building rapport with the new teacher, and preparing the teacher for how to manage a child with selective mutism. If these things are not addressed prior to your child starting the new school year their anxiety may be unnecessarily high and it will be harder for them to communicate. Also, the school holidays provide many more opportunities to practise communicating with others, and therefore can be a fruitful time to facilitate a child’s progress with their communication.