Individual Treatment for Selective Mutism

Individualized Intensive S-CAT® Program: SMart Center Gold-Standard

This evidence-based treatment program is our most popular and most successful approach to the treatment of Selective Mutism. This comprehensive, Social Communication Evaluation and treatment program is designed for children, teens, and adults who have social communication challenges such as Selective Mutism, social anxiety, extreme shyness, social communication (pragmatic) disorder, and other related challenges. More than 6,000 individuals worldwide have been successfully treated with the Individualized Intensive S-CAT^® Program.

How Does It Work?

The Individualized Intensive Treatment Program is available in a one-day or multi-day format and uses Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum’s evidence-based methodology of Social Communication Anxiety Treatment^® (S-CAT^®) to provide a holistic, all-encompassing evaluation of the individual’s social communication challenges.
S-CAT^® treatment is based on our assessment and understanding of the contributing factors and/or co-occurring challenges into the development and maintenance of Selective Mutism, Social Anxiety, and related challenges.
Based on this evaluation, the clinician will recommend tailored strategies, tactics, and school-based accommodations. Treatment begins on the same day as the evaluation. Following the initial session, families receive a detailed, step-by-step written treatment plan with proven techniques to implement at home, the real-world, and within the school setting.
Follow-up consultations are recommended approximately every 3-4 weeks and can be conducted in-person, over the phone, or via web conference. Continued care also can include direct school staff training and/or consultations.

Read about children/teens who overcame Selective Mutism with this program, read about the effectiveness of S-CAT^® and our research, and meet our staff.
Please contact us to receive more details and to get started

Individualized Therapy Track (Jump Start) S-CAT® Program

For those seeking treatment for Selective Mutism without entering our Gold-Standard Intensive Program, we offer a more incremental approach, Jump Start. This program involves one of our trained clinicians evaluating and treating you or your loved one for a range of social communication-related issues. Jump Start sessions implement S-CAT^® treatment principles but they do not include the full S-CAT^® program components such as an indepth assessment, the length of time spent at the SMart Center and the detailed, step-by-step written treatment plan. *Please contact us to receive more details and to get started

Insurance Policy & Financial Assistance

For information on our insurance policy, please email: SMartCenter@SelectiveMutismCenter.org.
The SMart Center’s Mr. B Scholarship Program awards financial assistance to qualifying families. Click here to learn more about how it works.

Individual Treatment for General Mental Health

*For children, adolescents, and adults of all ages, we provide evidenced-based therapy for individuals and host weekly group therapy for coping with anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, social skills development, art therapy, psychoeducation, parent support groups to assist their knowledge and understanding of their child’s diagnosis/treatment, family therapy sessions to improve communication and family dynamics, and speech and language therapy.

Diagnoses we treat:

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Specific Phobias
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Adjustment Disorder
Oppositional-Defiant & Conduct Disorders
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Contact us at info@smartcentercounseling.org to get started! You can also visit http://www.smartcentercounseling.org/ for more information.

Reasons to Choose the SMart Center

Because our practitioners are world experts in the field.

• The SMart Center director, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (Dr. E), pioneered early, effective treatment approaches to Selective Mutism.
• Dr. E's Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® (S-CAT®) program is acknowledged as a gold standard for treating SM and is increasingly being used in treatment for a range of other social communication issues.
• Dr. E and our other practitioners have ample experience using S-CAT® to treat children, teenagers, and adults.

Because our S-CAT® therapy is proven and extensively researched..

• More than 5,000 children have been successfully treated to overcome their social communication difficulties using the S-CAT® program.
• Research done at the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI) showed that children made statistically significant improvements in their ability to speak in school and other social settings with each treatment visit with the SMart Center.
• The SMart Center is the only center in the world implementing the S-CAT® program.
• Research on S-CAT® shows that children significantly improve their communication skills after each visit to the SMart Center compared to what can feel like an endless mill of visits with the psychologist, therapist or speech pathologist.

Because we get fast results.

• 3-7 visits is the average number of sessions at the SMart Center.
• Our structured, step-by-step approach saves you money while delivering results.

Because SM and social communication issues are all we do, all day, every day.

• Unlike generalist medical practices, our center is dedicated to treating children, teenagers and adults suffering only from selective mutism, social communication anxiety, and related disorders.
• When you come to the SMart Center, you are getting specialists who know what you're dealing with and who can get results for your loved one.

Because we treat the whole child/individual.

• We take a holistic approach to treating your child or loved one.
• Our treatment is based on the understanding that social communication issues are a symptom, not the root cause of what is causing your loved one to be mute or socially anxious.
• We develop an individualized approach for each patient, tailoring our S-CAT® program to their unique needs.

Learn About Our School Services

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