Support Meeting

Student: Mackenzie B.
Grade: 6
Date: May 15, 2015
Participants: M. McGrath- classroom teacher, M.Cosman- EST-Resource, Ms.
B- Mackenzies mother, Susan K.- psychologist (Community Mental Health)
Purpose: Meeting to inform teachers of Mackenzies selective mutism,
update them on her progress and implement a plan to move forward at
school
Susan K. began the meeting to update us on Mackenzies selective mutism.
She has been diagnosed with selective mute which is a type of social anxiety
where children are so overcome with anxiety in certain situations (school is
most common) that they are unable to speak. As teachers our job is to
reduce Makenzies anxiety not to make her speak. Some ways we can do
that is to seat her away from attention of others, do not call on her in front of
classmates, speak quietly with her, make other arrangements for
presentations and other speaking activities such as videos recorded with
friends, texting teachers information, reading assessments via digital
recording or through reading comprehension activities.
Susan K. also shared with us the results of some educational testing that she
had done with Mackenzie which revealed some delays in language

comprehension. She has been working with Mackenzie for many years and
feels that it is time to bring treatment into the school setting.
Her plan would include the school staff in the treatment sessions. She would
like to meet with Mackenzie here at school on a weekly basis and begin to
add friends and eventually teachers of Mackenzies choice into the sessions.
M. McGrath felt that the guidance room would be a great setting as that
Mondays and Wednesdays are free while the guidance counsellor is at
another school. She would contact the guidance counsellor to make sure the
room was available. Susan K. will contact M. Cosman via email to set up the
dates for the first sessions. Ms. B is very anxious for progress to be made for
Mackenzie before it is time for her to move into high school. M. Cosman
volunteered to cover the classes for the teachers that Mackenzie selects to
participate in the plan.