About this course

Learning Objectives

• Describe the golden rules and key philosophies of Selective Mutism and its application in school.
• Explain the Social Communication Bridge® and how to determine appropriate strategies for progression across the Bridge for consistent speech with peers, teachers, and within groups.
• Describe process and modifications for assessing communication abilities in children with Selective Mutism.
• Review the psychological assessment process and special considerations for children/teens with Selective Mutism.
• Describe the relationship between SM, its related disorders, and the various co-occurring symptoms.
• Identify key accommodations and interventions to include in a 504 or IEP Plan to address common comorbid conditions.
• Describe the roles of assessment and differential diagnosis in the development of effective accommodations/interventions.
• Explain key concepts in determining which strategies to use based on the child’s individual presentation.
• Discuss key interventions & skills to help the child progress into speech.
• Explain how the Social Communication Bridge® can be used to develop step-by-step strategies to help the child begin speaking in school.

Learning Levels

• Beginner
• Intermediate

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Elisa Shipon-Blum, DO

  President & Director, SMart Center

  Elisa Shipon-Blum DO, is the President & Director of the Selective Mutism, Anxiety and Related Disorders Treatment Center (SMart Center) located in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. She is the President of the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI) a foundation established to study Dr. Shipon-Blum's theories and treatment methodologies on Selective Mutism. In addition, Dr. Shipon-Blum is the Founder and Director Emeritus of the international organization, the Selective Mutism Association.

  Dr. Shipon-Blum practices in Jenkintown, PA, and has developed the evidenced-based Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® (S-CAT)® from her years studying and researching individuals with Selective Mutism. She consults worldwide with families, treating professionals, and educators, and has helped over four thousand children from around the world overcome Selective Mutism.

  Dr. Shipon-Blum lectures throughout the country and internationally on the topic of Selective Mutism, performs school evaluations and trainings for treating professionals, educators, and parents, and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the treatment and understanding of Selective Mutism. She has been a featured expert on national television programs such as 20/20, CNN, Inside Edition, and Good Morning America as well as other local, national, and international television and radio broadcasts. In addition, she has been featured in Time Magazine, People Magazine and has interviewed with newspapers across the USA and Internationally, such as the New York times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Diego Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Palm Beach Post.

  Dr. Shipon-Blum is presently involved in multiple collaborative research projects with top researchers and clinicians. In addition to her research, she has written numerous articles and books on Selective Mutism and anxiety including ‘Easing School Jitters for the Selectively Mute Child, the Ideal Classroom Setting For the Selectively Mute Child, Understanding Katie, the Summer Vacation and Back to School Guide. She has also produced numerous DVDs on the topics of treatment and assessment of Selective Mutism, and the development of school accommodations and interventions for mute children.

  Dr. Shipon-Blum (or Dr. E as her patients refer to her) prides herself on being 'down to earth' and 'easy to speak to’ and resides with her family in the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Notably, she is also the mother of a now adult, Sophie, who suffered from and overcame Selective Mutism and is the inspiration for the work she does each day. * Sophia is now a physician specializing in family medicine/integrative medicine.

• 

  Jenna Blum, PsyD

  C&A Director and Lead Clinician, SMart Center

  Dr. Jenna Blum received her Doctor of Psychology from Chestnut Hill College’s Psy.D. Program. She also received her Master of Science from Chestnut Hill College in August 2020. Prior to graduate school, she received a B.A. at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA in 2018 where she majored in Psychology and minored in Creative Writing.

  Dr. Jenna holds many titles at the SMart Center. Not only is she a Lead Clinician, but she is also the Supervisor and Director of CommuniCamp Counselors. Dr. Jenna has experience working with children, teens and adults with a wide array of acute and chronic mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, autism and learning challenges. She also co-facilitated anxiety and depression groups for children and adolescent groups and has administered full-battery psychological assessments including autism spectrum disorder (ADOS). She also co-created virtual CommuniCamp which is modeled after SMart Center’s popular in-person intensive group treatment and parent education program, CommuniCamp. Dr. Jenna is certified in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Second Edition (ADOS-2), the Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model (TREM) – a weekly intervention for women with trauma – Jenna is trained in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) – an intervention to treat children between ages 2 and 7 with disruptive behavior problems. Overall, Dr. Jenna’s academic training has been grounded in the use of Psychodynamic Therapy and Family Systems practice but also implements Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.

• 

  Jennifer Brittingham, LPC

  Lead Clinical Counselor & School Consultant, SMart Center

  Jennifer Brittingham is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who completed her master’s degree in the Clinical Counseling Psychology Program at Arcadia University in 2008.

  Jennifer has been part of the Smart Center Team since 2005. She conducts S-CAT® Program evaluations and treatment to families, S-CAT® Parent coaching and training sessions to families across the country and abroad and provides school consultation and training to school districts and other organizations both on-site and via web workshops.

  In addition to her work with clients and families, Jennifer provides clinical training to doctoral trainees at the Smart Center and professionals who participate as counselors at the Smart Center’s intensive group treatment, CommuniCamp.

  Jennifer graduated from Arcadia University with her M.A. in Clinical Counseling Psychology in 2008 and was a Pennsylvania Counseling Association Graduate Leader from 2007 to 2008. Prior to her work at the SMart Center, Jennifer has worked as a case manager for children with intellectual disabilities, college counselor, as well as a college drug and alcohol counselor and support group leader.

Disclosure

References

• Fried, E. I. (2022). Studying mental health problems as systems, not syndromes. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(6), 500-508. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221114089
• Gensthaler, A., Dieter, J., Raisig, S., Hartmann, B., Ligges, M., Kaess, M., ... & Schwenck, C. (2020). Evaluation of a novel parent-rated scale for selective mutism. Assessment, 27(5), 1007-1015. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191118787328
• Khanna, M. S., & Kendall, P. C. (2009). Exploring the role of parent training in the treatment of childhood anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(5), 981.
• Klein, E. R., Armstrong, S. L., Skira, K., & Gordon, J. (2017). Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT) for children and families with selective mutism: A pilot study. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 22(1), 90-108.
• Shipon-Blum, E. “What is SM?” Selective Mutism ‘In The School’ Conference, 8 May 2017 Holiday Inn Philadelphia- Cherry Hill NJ.
• Vogel, F., Röse, C., & Schwenck, C. (2024). Symptoms of selective mutism beyond failure to speak in children and adolescents. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02415-9
• Tomohisa Y, Yumi I, Inoue M (2022) Long-term outcome of selective mutism: factors influencing the feeling of being cured. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-02055-x
• Wong, P. (2010). Selective mutism: A review of etiology, comorbidities, and treatment. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 7, 23–31.
• Milic MI, Carl T, Rapee RM (2020) Similarities and differences between young children with selective mutism and social anxiety disorder. Behav Res Ther 133:103696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2020.103696