Selective Mutism is a psychiatric disorder that affects 7 out of every 1,000 children (making it almost as common as autism), yet it is seldom dealt with within the confines of a psychotherapist's office. It is an extreme form of social anxiety disorder where a child cannot speak in select settings, most typically at school, even though they can (usually) speak normally at home. There is little understanding and subsequently little empathy for these children who often are frozen with fear as they try to confront specific social settings. It is important to understand that although environmental stresses play an important role in anxiety and other mood disorders, most children with Selective Mutism have a hereditary predisposition to anxiety disorders. Fifteen years ago, these children were known as elective mutes, and their silence was seen as willful and manipulative. Children suffering from Selective Mutism are not choosing to be silent nor refusing to speak, nor are they being oppositional. They are literally so anxious they have developed dysfunctional coping skills to combat anxiety that most often includes avoiding social interactions and thus making the transition back into school often quite difficult.

In response to the challenges of the school, here are a variety of strategies that can be incorporated to assure a safe and secure entrance into the new academic year:

1. -Contact the principal of your child's school and have this administrator arrange for your child with Selective Mutism to both meet her teacher a couple of days before school begins and to have an opportunity to orient herself to her new classroom.