Description

This webinar on this USB was a one-day webinar provided to clinicians by Elizabeth Woodcock, Clinical Psychologist and Director of the Selective Mutism Clinic, about Assessment and Treatment of Selective Mutism in Children.

The webinar outlines a multidimensional cognitive-behavioural approach to treatment for children with selective mutism that involves an intensive school program with skills training for the classroom teacher, all school personnel, the parent(s), and the child. Strategies specific to Selective Mutism treatment that differ from standard CBT for anxiety disorders will be highlighted. The complexities and comorbid conditions of selective mutism that impact treatment will be discussed as well as family factors that need to be addressed.

Learning outcomes:

This seminar will aim to build participants’ understanding about selective mutism in preschool and primary-school aged children and how to modify typical cognitive-behavioural treatments for anxiety disorders to suit this population. A 5-stage ‘communication hierarchy’ that underlies the treatment program will be discussed with various practical goals to use at each stage of communication within the school environment and other social situations as well as other evidence-based strategies for selective mutism such as ‘Sliding In’.

In line with the Selective Mutism Clinic’s three-tiered approach, strategies will be discussed that:

1. Train the classroom teacher to be an effective coach for the child and to implement an intensive school program that target’s the communication anxiety. How to prepare the school and select a classroom teacher who will maximise the child’s chance of success.
2. Build the child’s own knowledge about their anxiety, speech anxiety, and other emotions, and specific skills to address these
3. Target the complex family factors that play a role in the mutism, and train the parent to respond appropriately to their child’s emotional needs and build the child’s communication in social settings.

Topics covered:

1. What is Selective Mutism
2. Epidemiology and aetiology of selective mutism
3. 5 stage model of communication
4. Assessment at school and in the clinic
5. Types of treatments and research
6. Key treatment strategies including ‘Sliding In’ and ‘Graded exposure’
7. School treatment program
8. Clinic program – parent and child components
9. Motivating families to seek treatment
10. Comorbidities and special cases of Selective Mutism
11. Common issues and questions

This webinar is recommended for:

1. Psychologists / Clinical Psychologists
2. Speech Pathologists
3. Other mental health clinicians

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.

Cost:

The price for the USB package (which is in a case similar to a typical DVD package) is $399 (free postage Australia-wide or $20 flat rate to the rest of the world).  To pay, please click on the link below to pay via Paypal or credit card. This will add the relevant items to your basket, then navigate to the basket and follow the links. Alternatively, if you would prefer to pay over the phone via credit card or have an invoice emailed to you, please call our reception on (02) 9438 2511 or email the clinic.  

Other options:

This webinar is being run as a live 8-hr webinar on Friday 14th June 2024 from 9am to 5pm. See here for details.
To purchase access to a 4-week online recording of the webinar, click here.