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The guide focuses on reducing classroom stress, avoiding pressure to speak, and building safe, predictable communication through nonverbal options and gradual encouragement. It provides practical classroom setup tips, buddy support, parent collaboration, small-group routines, and guidance for whole-class communication so teachers can support comfort while minimizing performance demands.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/school-interventions-and-classroom-strategies-for-teachers-of-selectively-mute-children/137014/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/school-interventions-and-classroom-strategies-for-teachers-of-selectively-mute-children/137014.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Eden","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-06","2026-08-22",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Should teachers try to make a selectively mute child speak in class?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"No. Teachers should focus on reducing the child’s anxiety in classroom activities rather than producing speech or forcing answers.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What classroom strategies help a selectively mute child feel safer?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Seat the child to the side, avoid eye contact at first, provide ways to communicate (nodding, cards, restroom pass), and use small-group activities to lower pressure.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How should a teacher talk to the class about the child’s mutism?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Include the child as a friend in activities, avoid remarks like “He doesn’t talk,” and keep responses calm and normal without yelling or overreacting if the child speaks.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},137014,1787397782,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":14,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":24},1374391974468,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Selective Mutism  \n(/)  \nTHE SILENCE WITHIN   A PARENT / TEACHER GUIDE TO HELPING SELECTIVELY MUTE AND SHY CHILDREN GAIL KERVATT, M. ED.  \nCONTACT US (/contact-us?view=responsive)  \nSchool Interventions and Classroom Strategies for Teachers of Selectively Mute Children  \nSM children cannot talk as the result of the physical symptoms caused by the extreme anxiety they feel. They are not being defiant, stubborn, or disobedient.  \nDo not feel it is your job to make this child speak. It is your job to lessen the anxiety in all classroom activities for this child. Focus on reducing anxiety and not on producing speech. Forget the words,“yes, no, please, thank you, etc.”  \nSeat the child to the side in the classroom   not front and center where everyone is looking at him.  \nAvoid eye contact at first.  \nLet the child know that you will help him, but will not try to force him to talk.  \nTalk to the child about ways he can communicate with you....for example, nodding his head yes and no, keeping cards on his desk to answer yes and no, using a pass to go to the restroom. Assure him that you are not going to try to make him talk, but need to find ways to communicate. Let him know that if he ever feels comfortable enough to talk, that would be ok too.  \nFind an outgoing child to be his buddy.....There may be a child to whom he already whispers?? Seat the child next to his buddy. Encourage the child’s parents to arrange play dates at home or after school in the classroom so that the child can develop a comfort level with other children.  \nTalk to the class when he isn 't there about his \"shyness\" and how to respond to him: For example:  \n· Be his friend and include him in all activities.  \n· Don 't try to make him talk.  \n· Don 't say to people, \"He doesn 't talk. \"  \n· Do not yell out or overly respond if the child should speak. Act as if it were normal and continue with your activity.  \nThere are several good books to initiate this discussion such as Shy Charles, by Rosemary Wells, Shy Guy, by Giles Tibo, or Understanding Katie, by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum.  \nGo to the child’s home for a visit. Do not expect speech. Just let the child interact with you in any way that he can. He could show you his computer, books, fish, etc.  \nLet the child come in before or after school to help you in the classroom. Let the child 's parent be there if he is more comfortable. Do small group activities so that he feels more relaxed. He could be the recorder for a small group.  \nAllow nonverbal communication in the school setting, especially in the early months of the beginning of school. The student and you will discover a time that more verbal communication can be encouraged. This may take some time and may never occur, but don’t let the nonverbal communication become too much of a crutch. There is a fine line between pressure and encouragement.  \nOne word of caution: The Silence Within, [www.selective-mutism.com](www.selective-mutism.com) ([http://www.selective-mutism.com](http://www.selective-mutism.com)) or any other current  \nliterature on selective mutism, states that it is imperative for this intervention to include individual sessions with the child.....a key person working with the classroom teacher and parents. Hopefully, there is someone willing (preferably someone who is patient and soft spoken) , who can be the key worker in your school. The \"stimulus fading \" strategy starts with one child and then one more child at a time is added to form a small group.  \nMost children with SM will not speak in front of a whole group. Please do not make it your goal as the classroom teacher to make this child talk in the classroom. You will be very frustrated because it doesn 't work in a whole classroom setting. The anxiety has to be lessened slowly, in baby steps beginning individually with the child and the key worker.  \nThe author of this article, Gail Kervatt, is an elementary school reading specialist who successfully worked with a child with Selective Mutism","cbCaioAAKSNrJQX2","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioAAKSNrJQX2","pdf",141547,"English","# Understanding Selective Mutism\n## Reduce Anxiety Instead of Forcing Speech\n## Classroom Setup and Communication Supports\n## Whole-Class Responses and Buddy Systems\n## Home Visits and Small-Group Opportunities\n## Nonverbal Communication and Gradual Encouragement\n## Key Worker, Stimulus Fading, and Realistic Expectations","[{\"question\":\"Should teachers try to make a selectively mute child speak in class?\",\"answer\":\"No. Teachers should focus on reducing the child’s anxiety in classroom activities rather than producing speech or forcing answers.\"},{\"question\":\"What classroom strategies help a selectively mute child feel safer?\",\"answer\":\"Seat the child to the side, avoid eye contact at first, provide ways to communicate (nodding, cards, restroom pass), and use small-group activities to lower pressure.\"},{\"question\":\"How should a teacher talk to the class about the child’s mutism?\",\"answer\":\"Include the child as a friend in activities, avoid remarks like “He doesn’t talk,” and keep responses calm and normal without yelling or overreacting if the child speaks.\"}]","School Interventions and Classroom Strategies for Teachers of Selectively Mute Children | PDF"]