I am an energetic girl who gets lots of compliments on my sense of humor. I love watching YouTube, making slime, riding hoverboard, my electric scooter, bikes & jumping on the trampoline with my friends. But, when I’m at school, parties, or meet someone new, I get nervous & cannot talk. I have this annoying thing called Selective Mutism, which is a social communication anxiety disorder; where I can talk & interact when I’m comfortable, at places like home. I become anxious & mute in social settings where I sense an expectation for speech & communication, such as in school.

Below are some recommendations on how to interact with me:

• When you see me, do not come up to me & try to make me speak.
• Avoid initial attention on me, I prefer a causal “hello”, but initiate direct contact with others first.
• Avoid direct eye contact in the beginning. Have a “no big deal approach.”
• Get on my level, try to identify with my interests.
• Joke & have fun, but please don’t apply pressure to speak.
• Never try to be the one who gets me to speak. IT NEVER WORKS.
• Ask Direct, Choice questions: “yes or no” rather than open ended thought-provoking questions.
• If I don’t initially respond to you, please give me time. I’m not ignoring you, but may feel nervous. You can ask again by rephrasing the question.
• If possible, let’s spend some time together focusing on a prop (toy, tablet, book, etc…) rather than staring at each other.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and getting to know me! I’m working hard to overcome Selective Mutism. I may need time to respond to you, but with your patience, I will begin to point, nod, use the iPad or write a response to you. Then I will begin to use my mom, sister, or friend as a whisper buddy to help me get used to hearing my voice around you. With time and effort, I may read to you from a script and eventually not only respond to you, but ask you questions. Thank you so much for your understanding and patience!

Here’s a link to my communication board, goal sheets, a short video I made for the class last year, e-books, & more: https://www.4shared.com/folder/I96r2XCQ/Skylar.html

To learn more about Selective Mutism go to: www.SelectiveMutismCenter.org