Almost EVERYONE is a good candidate for CommuniCamp™! We welcome children and teens, ages 3 to 17, and we never require any child/teen to speak to be able to join. We welcome all stages of communication! We do, however, have a few screener questions that allow us to help guide the appropriate pre-camp appointment(s) for your child.
CommuniCamp™ Screener Questions
1) Is your child functioning at grade level or no more than 2 years behind socially, emotionally, and/or academically?
2) Does your child speak in at least one setting but mute in another?
3) Does your child not have aggressive tendencies towards other children & adults?
4) Does your child not have disruptive tendencies towards other children & adults?
If you answered YES to all the questions above, your child is likely an excellent candidate for CommuniCamp™!
If you answered NO to any of the above, you are not ruled out for camp, but, an individualized treatment approach may be more appropriate prior to attending camp! An intake appointment will help determine best recommendations for care. For new families to the SMart Center, a Selective Mutism Evaluation / Interview is required prior to joining us for CommuniCamp™.
CommuniCamp™ for Teens
It can often be challenging for older children and teenagers with Selective Mutism and social anxiety to agree to participate in a group treatment program like CommuniCamp™. This is a widespread barrier to treatment, so rest assured you and your child are not alone!
CommuniCamp™ for Teens delivers the motivation for success and will address all aspects of life, including (but not limited to):
- Starting and joining conversations.
- Making friends.
- Participating in class.
- Job interview skills.
- Text/email/social media.
- Asking others for help.
- Standing up for themselves.
- Talking to strangers (like servers) without anxiety.
- Initiating conversations with strangers.
- Building self-confidence.
- Understanding themselves.
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