The webinar featured in this USB provides strategies in the school setting for preschool – and primary-school aged children. Learn about why some children are unable or very reluctant to talk at school, and specific strategies to apply in the school setting as part of an intensive school program that will gradually enable the child to become a confident communicator at school with all teachers and peers.

Topics that are covered include:

1. What is Selective Mutism
2. Understanding Selective Mutism as an anxiety disorder
3. Understanding a graded approach to treating anxiety
4. A graded approach to working on communication – the Selective Mutism Clinic’s ‘5 Stages of communication’
5. Factors that make it harder or easier for children with selective mutism to communicate
6. General do’s and dont’s of managing selective mutism
7. Education for all staff at a school about selective mutism
8. Specific treatment strategies to use at preschool/school and in the classroom including:
   • Starting out strategies, including educating all staff about selective mutism
   • Building and expanding talking with the classroom teacher, including the ‘Sliding In’ strategy
   • Generalising talking to friends, and eventually each child in the class
   • Building children’s communication in small groups in the classroom
   • Helping children communicate in whole-class situations and in front of the class
   • Generalising talking to other teachers and staff
   • Expanding talking so that it becomes more spontaneous
9. Strategies to help a child transition to a new school year and new teacher

This webinar is recommended for:

1. Primary school and preschool teachers or caregivers who are currently teaching or caring for a child with Selective Mutism or an extremely reluctant talker
2. School psychologists or Learning Support staff who provide support to children with Selective Mutism
3. School staff who wish to attend a professional development opportunity and learn about a rigorous behavioural method of treating an anxiety condition
4. Speech therapists who are working with a child with Selective Mutism or would like to understand more about the condition
5. Family members of a child who has Selective Mutism, or other key figures in the child’s life who want to gain a better understanding of specific strategies for selective mutism
6. If you are seeking information about children with Selective Mutism in high school please see details about our high school seminar here.

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 $199 (free postage Australia-wide or $20 flat rate to the rest of the world).  To pay, please click on the ‘add to cart’ button at the top 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 email the clinic.  

Other options:

This webinar is usually run every year as a live webinar. For details see here.
To purchase access to a 4-week online recording of the seminar, click here.