How to help children who stop talking

There are children who suddenly stop talking , from one day to the next. Without apparent reasons. This disorder is known as selective mutism. It usually happens when the child wants to escape from a situation or people who generate stress or anxiety. In the event this happens, what can parents do t

There are children who suddenly stop talking, from one day to the next. Without apparent reasons. This disorder is known as selective mutism. It usually happens when the child wants to escape from a situation or people who generate stress or anxiety.

In the event this happens, what can parents do to help? Here are some tips to help your child vuelva to talk again and lose all their fears. How can we help children who stop talking? How can we help children stop talking

Children with selective mutism usually show a high level of emotional distress

and present issues important to personal, academic and social level especially adaptation level. Therefore, it is important that we help them overcome it. Thus, we must: 1.

Avoid overprotective attitudes : not justify the child to others, not express understanding or insist or press him to respond. Thus we only dedicate an excess of attention to the problem and reinforce mutism.2.

Avoid actions that can maintain the behavior of the child : not accept valid gestural responses, not give the possibility to respond in a non-verbal way, not allow others to ask for things, etc.3.

Do not threaten him with negative consequenceslike punishing him, telling him that he is going to repeat the course ... Not comparing him with siblings, classmates or other children. 4. Teach the child

appropriate ways to initiate and maintain verbal interactions with others: how to greet, how to ask to play, how to approach ... 5.

Plan social situations in which the people with whom the child speaks are present habitually and people with whom not, until getting to talk to them little by little. 6.

Reinforce the circle of friends that the child has and expand it, also increasing the adult's control over the child's interactions with their peers to avoid being isolated. 7.

Help progressively integrate with others : for example, the child can come with a group of other children and played with them for a while until the child is integrated and then we're retreating slowly.8.

Help him to get out doing masked speech activities : make games that need to be talked about but without his face being seen as puppets, puppets, talking on the phone inside a house, talking games in his ear ...9.

Positively reinforce the verbal approaches of the child towards other people (both children and adults): we congratulate you for doing it, we tell you the advantages of playing with other children and having friends ... 10.

Search for professional help what as soon as possible to avoid the prolongation of the problem and to make a complete evaluation of the case and design the best treatment program for each child. Aroa Caminero

Psychologist
Centro de Psicología Álava Reyes