Selective Mutism Prognosis
By Susha Cheriyedath, MSc
With early and appropriate treatment, selective mutism can be successfully treated. Prognosis is excellent in children and adolescents who receive timely treatment for the disorder. However, in the absence of medical intervention, the condition will persist and get complicated as affected children get older.
Successful Approaches to Treatment
Behavior therapy is found to be very effective in treating selective mutism. In this approach, the child is gradually exposed to increasingly tough tasks involving speaking. Therapy starts with easier steps and becomes progressively harder. The affected child is often asked to carry out speaking tasks that he or she will be able to complete successfully. On completion of tasks, the child is rewarded verbally as well as with small prizes. Over time, the kids realize that they do not have to avoid a
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It is also associated with other disorders related to social anxiety and social phobia, which makes it difficult to diagnose and treat. Despite this, the condition has garnered a lot of attention as a childhood disorder that can have immense repercussions on the children and their families. Due to this potential impact of selective mutism, the various psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic management approaches of the disorder are extensively studied. More research on the biological and psychological aspects of selective mutism and the long-term outcome of the available treatment options is needed.
References
• http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Selective-mutism.html#ixzz4BHgIkaf5
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18940039
• http://www.selectivemutismcenter.org/media_library/whatissm.pdf
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861522/
• http://www.selectivemutism.org/faq/faqs/what-is-the-prognosis-for-sm-will-my-child-overcome-this
Reviewed by Jonas Wilson, Ing.
The sudsy that wanted to examine the effectiveness of completion spelling assignment correctly using the IPAD as a reinforcement. The setting would be conducted at home, with a ten ear of client diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The dependent variable would be the completion of one homework assignment would be completing the given number of questions, and the independent variable would be the IPAD. The intervention would use the IPAD as a reinforcement to low the client to use when the client correctly solved the spelling questions. The behavior analysts determine that during the baseline was and average of three problems, then the intervention was set to five, seven, and ten in four consecutive sessions where criterion levels were met. The limitations could be that the reinforced us not used by other professionals and that generalization with other clients could may not be determined. However, it is appropriate ti use because spelling is already in the client repertoire, and provide a stepwise fashion
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