This webinar explains strategies for progressing comfort, confidence and communication for children, teens, and young adults in real world scenarios, such as stores, restaurants, parties and doctor visits. Specific strategies and interventions to help the child or teen feel less anxious, build social comfort and progress into verbal communication within all real world settings will be highlighted.

*All registrants will receive a copy of the recording after the event*

Join the SMart Center and SMRI’s President and Director and Selective Mutism expert, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (Dr. E) live for this webinar! To help the child, adolescent, or young adult who is suffering in silence, parents, professionals and educators need to understand that individuals with SM often have difficulty communicating nonverbally. Some may whisper or make sounds through a parent or buddy, or some may shut down and therefore, not communicate at all when they sense an expectation to speak. In addition, social comfort and communication will vary depending on the setting and individuals present in that setting. This webinar begins with the characteristics of Selective Mutism and the importance of understanding a person’s unique needs when developing strategies/interventions for the real world. Information on how to determine a person’s social communication baseline skills (i.e., is the person noncommunicative, nonverbal, in the verbal transition stage—whispering, making sounds, etc.—or verbal?) in particular social settings will be discussed.

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional Area). Click Here for Time-Ordered Agenda and Learning Objectives