Selective Mutism and Autism: Interview with Chelsea Gamache
Free Workshop
Increase Talking &
Decrease Tantrums
in Young Children with
Autism &/or Speech Delays
BCBA Chelsea Gamache joins me to talk about selective mutism and the similarities and differences between selective mutism and autism. She describes herself as having been born into the world of selective mutism. She was an anxious baby, and she grew up afraid to interact with people. When she started formal schooling, her teacher mentioned to her parents that she didn’t speak for the entire year and that it might be a problem. For many children with selective mutism, they’re often officially diagnosed after they go into the public school system and are placed into settings where they are unable to speak.
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where a child is unable to speak in certain settings even though they can speak in other settings where they feel more comfortable. It can look like autism if a teacher or therapist doesn’t realize that the speech delay is related to the child’s environment. Children with SM may also have some behaviors that are repetitive, like stimming, but the root causes are not the same as autism.
68% of children with selective mutism have a history of developmental delays, and while there is no statistic on how many children with autism have selective mutism, it’s a pretty high comorbidity rate. Chelsea says that it’s not just a fear of talking. It’s also a fear of having attention on you, which can show up as a reluctance to even ask to go to the bathroom in class.
Today Chelsea works as a BCBA with the autism community because she’s always felt like she understood these individuals well. We discuss some of the ABA techniques that can be used for a child with selective mutism, including pairing and shaping procedures. As children return to schools and preschools, many of them will need help dealing with new emotions and fears, so Chelsea also wrote and illustrated a book last year to help children who are dealing with their anxiety called I Am Brave. Check out her book and her podcast called Outloud: The Selective Mutism Podcast.
Today’s Guest
You’ll Learn
- How therapists and parents can “contaminate” a place for a child with a negative experience, and how they can carefully repair the damage.
- 1 in 140 children are diagnosed with selective mutism, but the statistic keeps changing and it is becoming more common.
- How therapy can be used to break the cycle and help the child slowly and carefully face their fears.
- The similarities between autism and selective mutism mean that they can sometimes be misdiagnosed or undiagnosed; we talk about the overlap between the two disorders.
- What are shaping procedures and how can they help a child that is reluctant to speak independently?
Resources
- Turn Autism Around
- MaryBarbera.com/workshop (Sign up for a free workshop online for parents and professionals)
- #078: Autism Success Story with Michelle C.
- #045: Problem Behaviors Related to Pain and the Four Functions of Behavior
- #027: Teaching Social Skills with TAGTeach: Interview with Theresa McKeon
- Outloud The Selective Mutism Podcast
- I Am Brave
- OutloudSM.com
Free Workshop
Increase Talking &
Decrease Tantrums
in Young Children with
Autism &/or Speech Delays
