Question: “Since my child is so anxious in school and is so relaxed/normal at home, perhaps I should home school my child. Is this a good idea?”

Answer: “Unless schooling is done where there is consistent social interaction among same aged peers, I am against home schooling for children/teens with Selective Mutism. A parent’s good intention of helping their child by providing a comfortable, isolated setting is often postponing the inevitable—having to eventually socialize with others. If a child is home schooled in an isolated fashion and not around peers (which is necessary to build relationships and develop social skills), what is going to happen as the child ages and has to interact in the real world and social demands become more intense? However, if home schooling is done where there are other groups of children who meet at different homes throughout the week and the child is consistently exposed to the day-to-day interactions of the give-and-take of socializing and conversation, then home schooling may be an option, especially if your only other choice is a large classroom setting where there is little individualized attention.”

To effectively overcome Selective Mutism and all anxieties, an individual needs to be involved in a treatment program, such as those rooted in evidenced-based Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® (S-CAT®), like Individualized Intensives and CommuniCamp. Developed by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, this holistic or “whole-person” treatment approach is designed to reduce anxiety, build self-esteem, increase social comfort and communication in all settings. 
As a physician, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (“Dr. E”) views SM as a social communication anxiety where mutism is merely a symptom. The key to an effective treatment plan is understanding factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of SM as well as understanding a child’s baseline stage of social communication on the Social Communication Bridge©. Then, working as a team, the treatment professional, parents, and school staff members help the child build coping skills to combat anxious feelings and to progress across the Social Communication Bridge©.