EIS‌‌272‌‌CO-TEACHING‌‌PROJECT‌‌LESSON‌‌PLAN‌ 

‌Kiana‌‌Robinson‌  ‌ 12/01/21‌  ‌

Selective‌‌Mutism‌‌
   ‌

Learning‌‌Outcomes‌:  ‌‌ ‌

Describe‌‌how‌‌people‌‌who‌‌are‌‌selectively‌‌mute‌‌are‌‌protected‌‌by‌‌IDEA.‌‌   ‌

Explain‌‌the‌‌various‌‌ways‌‌selective‌‌mutism‌‌can‌‌present‌‌itself.‌  ‌

Describe‌‌the‌‌characteristics‌‌of‌‌someone‌‌who‌‌is‌‌selectively‌‌mute.‌   ‌ ‌

Identify‌‌the‌‌causes‌‌of‌‌selective‌‌mutism.‌‌
   ‌

Explain‌‌the‌‌different‌‌ways‌‌to‌‌support‌‌an‌‌individual‌‌who‌‌is‌‌selectively‌‌mute.‌   ‌ ‌

Informational‌‌Areas:‌‌   ‌

Definition‌‌ ‌Selective‌‌mutism‌‌is‌‌a‌‌disability‌‌associated‌‌with‌‌anxiety.‌ ‌An‌‌individual‌‌who‌‌is‌‌

 

selectively‌‌mute‌‌can‌‌have‌‌such‌‌severe‌‌anxiety‌‌that‌‌they‌‌struggle‌‌to‌‌speak‌‌in‌‌social‌‌settings.‌  ‌

Selective‌‌mutism‌‌diminishes‌‌with‌‌age‌‌in‌‌most‌‌cases,‌‌but‌‌not‌‌always‌‌and‌‌the‌‌anxiety‌‌often‌‌sticks‌‌
 

around.‌   ‌ ‌

Identification‌‌and‌‌Assessment‌‌ ‌Children‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌mutism‌‌often‌‌have‌‌outrageous‌‌
 

breakdowns,‌‌they‌‌show‌‌signs‌‌of‌‌anxiety‌‌(possibly‌‌separation‌‌anxiety),‌‌throw‌‌tantrums‌‌often,‌‌are‌‌ 

moody,‌‌shy,‌‌and‌‌often‌‌have‌‌difficulties‌‌sleeping.‌ ‌A‌‌speech-language‌‌pathologist‌‌often‌‌
 

determines‌‌whether‌‌or‌‌not‌‌a‌‌child‌‌is‌‌struggling‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌mutism.‌   ‌ ‌

Characteristics‌‌‌Individuals‌‌who‌‌have‌‌selective‌‌mutism‌‌may‌‌be‌‌extremely‌‌shy,‌‌have‌‌nervous‌‌
 

tendencies,‌‌fear‌‌of‌‌social‌‌embarrassment‌‌or‌‌attention,‌‌socially‌‌withdrawn,‌‌become‌‌clingy‌‌to‌‌ 

familiar‌‌people‌‌or‌‌items,‌‌have‌‌compulsive‌‌traits,‌‌often‌‌throw‌‌tantrums,‌‌and‌‌often‌‌have‌‌an‌‌
 

oppositional‌‌attitude‌‌at‌‌home.‌   ‌ ‌
Prevalence‌‌ ‌Less‌‌than‌‌1%‌‌of‌‌children‌‌are‌‌diagnosed‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌mutism,‌‌but‌‌I‌‌would‌‌like‌‌to‌‌ 

ask‌‌how‌‌many‌‌children‌‌you‌‌have‌‌met‌‌who‌‌have‌‌avoided‌‌conversation‌‌in‌‌unfamiliar‌‌situations.‌   ‌ ‌

Causes‌‌and‌‌Prevention‌‌ ‌Anxiety,‌‌poor‌‌family‌‌structure,‌‌untreated‌‌psychological‌‌problems,‌‌low‌‌
 

self-esteem,‌‌problems‌‌with‌‌hearing‌‌or‌‌sound‌‌processing,‌‌a‌‌speech‌‌issue‌‌(stutter,‌‌impediment,‌‌ 

etc),‌‌family‌‌history‌‌of‌‌anxiety,‌‌and‌‌trauma.‌   ‌ ‌

Teaching‌‌Strategies‌‌‌Accept‌‌nonverbal‌‌communication‌‌and‌‌incorporate‌‌it‌‌into‌‌the‌‌classroom‌‌ 

(hand‌‌signs,‌‌motions,‌‌pointing,‌‌etc),‌‌try‌‌to‌‌stick‌‌to‌‌one-sided‌‌communication‌‌where‌‌student‌‌does‌‌ 

not‌‌need‌‌to‌‌speak‌‌to‌‌understand,‌‌and‌ ‌simple‌‌questions‌‌that‌‌subtly‌‌force‌‌a‌‌response‌‌(easy‌‌yes‌‌or‌‌
 

no‌‌questions‌‌will‌‌do‌‌the‌‌trick).‌ ‌As‌‌the‌‌student‌‌gets‌‌more‌‌comfortable‌‌with‌‌the‌‌environment,‌‌start‌‌ 

to‌‌encourage‌‌small‌‌conversations‌‌or‌‌short‌‌answers.‌ ‌Zoom‌‌is‌‌a‌‌great‌‌resource‌‌for‌‌teachers‌‌to‌‌use‌‌ 

with‌‌students‌‌who‌‌are‌‌uncomfortable‌‌talking‌‌in‌‌person.‌‌This‌‌do-at-home‌‌strategy‌‌can‌‌allow‌‌mom‌‌ 

or‌‌dad‌‌to‌‌be‌‌with‌‌the‌‌children‌‌and‌‌provide‌‌familiarity.‌ ‌It‌‌is‌‌important‌‌to‌‌keep‌‌the‌‌classroom‌‌ 

inclusive‌‌and‌‌accepting‌‌of‌‌children‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌mutism,‌‌the‌‌teacher‌‌should‌‌work‌‌to‌‌explain‌‌
 

and‌‌educate‌‌the‌‌other‌‌students‌‌in‌‌the‌‌classroom.‌ ‌The‌‌teacher‌‌should‌‌stay‌‌positive‌‌and‌‌
 

enthusiastic‌‌throughout‌‌the‌‌lesson.‌  ‌  ‌

Placement‌‌Options‌‌‌Students‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌mutism‌‌may‌‌need‌‌seating‌‌near‌‌a‌‌familiar‌‌friend‌‌or‌‌the‌‌ 

teacher.‌ ‌They‌‌may‌‌benefit‌‌from‌‌pull‌‌out‌‌programs‌‌with‌‌a‌‌staff‌‌member‌‌or‌‌older‌‌student‌‌that‌‌they‌‌ 

are‌‌comfortable‌‌with.‌ ‌Speech‌‌therapy‌‌and‌‌counseling‌‌may‌‌also‌‌benefit‌‌students‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌ 

mutism.‌ ‌The‌‌school‌‌nurse‌‌may‌‌be‌‌helpful‌‌in‌‌medicating‌‌their‌‌anxiety‌‌or‌‌helping‌‌with‌‌the‌‌various‌‌ 

symptoms.‌   ‌ ‌

Family/Teacher‌‌Roles‌‌‌Develop‌‌a‌‌supportive‌‌relationship,‌‌even‌‌if‌‌it‌‌is‌‌mostly‌‌nonverbal‌‌with‌‌the‌‌
 

child.‌ ‌Positivity‌‌is‌‌the‌‌best‌‌way‌‌to‌‌get‌‌the‌‌child‌‌to‌‌warm‌‌up‌‌to‌‌the‌‌environment,‌‌they‌‌will‌‌
 

understand‌‌how‌‌much‌‌fun‌‌school‌‌can‌‌become‌‌with‌‌the‌‌proper‌‌help‌‌and‌‌support.‌ ‌The‌‌family‌‌ 
should‌‌try‌‌to‌‌avoid‌‌forcing‌‌the‌‌child‌‌into‌‌speaking‌‌when‌‌they‌‌cannot,‌‌this‌‌will‌‌only‌‌upset‌‌the‌‌
 

child‌‌more.‌ ‌Another‌‌important‌‌aspect‌‌of‌‌parenting‌‌a‌‌child‌‌with‌‌selective‌‌mutism‌‌is‌‌creating‌‌a‌‌
 

way‌‌to‌‌communicate‌‌needs‌‌in‌‌public‌‌non-verbally,‌‌creating‌‌a‌‌code‌‌can‌‌make‌‌a‌‌huge‌‌difference‌‌in‌‌
 

their‌‌confidence.‌   ‌ ‌

Materials/Resources:‌‌
   ‌

Hardman,‌‌Michael‌‌L.,‌‌Egan,‌‌M.‌‌Winston,‌‌&‌‌Drew,‌‌Clifford‌‌J.‌‌(2017)‌‌Human‌‌Exceptionality:‌‌   ‌

School,‌‌Community,‌‌and‌‌Family,‌‌12th‌‌Ed.‌ ‌Boston,‌‌MA:‌‌Cengage‌‌Learning.‌  ‌

“Selective‌‌Mutism‌‌.”‌‌Edited‌‌by‌‌Shirin‌‌Hasan,‌K
‌ idsHealth‌,‌‌The‌‌Nemours‌‌Foundation,‌‌May‌‌
   ‌

2019,‌‌https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/selective-mutism-factsheet.html‌. ‌ ‌

Talarico,‌‌Alex.‌‌“Dos‌‌&‌‌Don'ts‌‌for‌‌Interacting‌‌with‌‌Those‌‌with‌‌Selective‌‌Mutism.”‌‌Selective‌‌   ‌

Mutism‌‌Anxiety‌‌Research‌‌&‌‌Treatment‌‌Center‌‌,‌‌3‌‌July‌‌2020,‌‌ 

https://selectivemutismcenter.org/dos-donts-for-interacting-with-those-with-selective-mut‌

ism/.‌‌
   ‌

Interactive‌‌Activities:‌  ‌

Instead‌‌of‌‌vocally‌‌sharing‌‌things‌‌about‌‌themselves‌‌allow‌‌students‌‌to‌‌put‌‌together‌‌photos‌‌
 

or‌‌items‌‌that‌‌will‌‌explain‌‌it‌‌for‌‌them.‌ ‌Show-and-Tells‌‌can‌‌be‌‌a‌‌lot‌‌of‌‌fun‌‌for‌‌all‌‌the‌‌students!‌  ‌

Board‌‌games‌‌and‌‌video‌‌games‌‌can‌‌be‌‌interactive‌‌and‌‌collaborative,‌‌they‌‌are‌‌great‌‌for‌‌a‌‌student‌‌to‌‌ 

silently‌‌work.‌ ‌Have‌‌students‌‌solves‌‌jokes/riddles,‌‌they‌‌can‌‌do‌‌so‌‌quietly‌‌but‌‌find‌‌it‌‌exciting‌‌and‌‌ 

competitive.‌ ‌This‌‌could‌‌also‌‌be‌‌a‌‌great‌‌way‌‌to‌‌review‌‌material.‌ ‌Treasure‌‌hunts‌‌get‌‌students‌‌up‌‌ 

and‌‌exploring‌‌without‌‌having‌‌to‌‌vocally‌‌communicate.‌ ‌Art‌‌projects‌‌and‌‌coloring‌‌can‌‌be‌‌another‌‌
 

good‌‌tool‌‌for‌‌quiet,‌‌stimulating‌‌class‌‌time.‌   ‌ ‌