Behavior Observations for Linking Assessment to Treatment for Selective Mutism (Report‪)‬

Selective mutism is a childhood disorder that most school psychologists and educational providers will come across at least once in their careers. Selective mutism is associated with significant impairment in educational settings where speaking is necessary for academic and social skill development. Effective treatments for selective mutism typically involve shaping or stimulus fading procedures. Choosing an effective treatment strategy for a child with selective mutism is dependent upon careful analysis of data gathered during the assessment process. This article focuses on behavior observations as a primary source of data for effective decision making regarding treatment for selective mutism. Previous literature on behavior observation and selective mutism is reviewed and guidelines are presented for decision making based on observational data. This article presents two case studies that illustrate the use of observational data for treatment decision making. In addition, the role of behavioral observations to inform selective mutism treatment decisions in practice and the need for future research on this topic are discussed. Selective mutism is a disorder that is typically noticed during childhood and characterized by a child's almost complete lack of speaking in certain situations or settings but adequate speaking in other situations and settings, most often at home and/or with family members. The classroom is often the setting where a child's lack of speech becomes most noticeable and may be most problematic due to academic and social expectations in school. In mental health settings, the prevalence for selective mutism is reportedly low, with a prevalence of less than 1% (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Elizur & Perednik, 2003). It is likely that the observed prevalence of selective mutism in schools may be higher, however, as the classroom is the setting in which impairment may be most likely observed (Bergman, Piacentini, & McKracken, 2002; Kumpulainen, Rasanen, Raaska, & Somppi, 1998). It seems likely that psychologists working in schools will come across at least one child with selective mutism sometime in their careers.