The role of educational institutions in supporting children and adolescents with selective mutism

Abstract

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder that is increasingly common in the preschool and early childhood population. There is a constant search for effective therapeutic, educational intervention approaches for children experiencing anxiety who cannot communicate freely in non-familial and, especially, educational settings. This paper therefore emphasises the role that educational institutions play or should play in this regard, especially in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, as well as support in relation to the social and emotional well-being and mental health of children and adolescents. The paper characterises the specificity of selective mutism. The diagnostic specifiers and aetiological factors are discussed. Potential difficulties in working with children with selective mutism, as well as forms of therapeutic and behavioural interventions that can be implemented in educational institutions are also discussed. The main conclusion of this study is that teachers, in cooperation with specialists working in schools, have a good insight and a broader view of the possibility to help students who experience anxiety in social relationships. They can support children and also their families in acquiring communication competences in the school environment, learning new adaptive skills and coping with difficult situations. This seems particularly important in a context where, unfortunately, reported research findings indicate that mental health indicators for children and adolescents are deteriorating very rapidly and the number of children in need of psychological and psychiatric support is steadily increasing.