Q: My daughter just turned seven and will be entering the first grade. She is very verbal and outgoing at home with her two sisters and close friends. At school she refuses to talk in the classroom, though she’s a chatterbox on the playground. This behavior started when she began pre-k. Her teachers said she’d grow out of it, but we’re concerned she may not. What can we do if this happens again this year?
A: Your daughter may be excessively shy or possibly selectively mute. Selective mutism is defined as a failure to speak in specific social situations. Children with these challenges report that they want to speak in social settings but are afraid to do so. The classroom setting frequently offers the greatest challenge for selectively mute kids. There are a number of behavior methods that can help. The use of a reward system when your child speaks in the situations she’s been previously mute in may motivate her to change. Another approach is to volunteer in her classroom, offering her more support in that environment. Another effective technique is to involve your daughter with peers in various activities outside of the classroom. Invite other children to your home to play. Even if your daughter doesn’t speak to them at first, she will begin speaking to her peers in the safety of her home and this will eventually translate into the classroom.
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