Preparing Children with Selective Mutism to go Back to School

As fall quickly approaches, parents often begin to worry about their child’s or teen’s ability to reintegrate back into the school environment. Returning from breaks from school can be especially difficult for individuals with selective mutism, given the changes in consistency that come with not attending school for a significant period of time. This article offers recommendations for parents of children with selective mutism in regard to creating a greater likelihood of having a successful return to school after summer break.

After weeks of getting to sleep in, having extra free time, and not having to complete homework, it is not surprising that children and teens might not want to return to school. As such, it is crucial to help the child fall back into a sense of routine before school begins so that this transition is not so jarring. This includes following a sleep routine that aligns with the school day (e.g., progressively beginning to wake up and go to bed earlier if they were not doing so over the break). Additionally, practicing schoolwork in bite-sized pieces may be helpful (e.g., spending 30 minutes a day completing math problems at home).

For children with selective mutism, it is also important to complete brave practices related to returning to the school environment. This may involve a myriad of role-plays and setting up the home environment to mimic the school environment. For instance, you may have your child practice answering a teacher’s question or asking to go to the bathroom. If you have multiple children, you may consider completing group exposures such as sitting in a circle and answering questions similar to circle time at school. Additionally, for some children, it may be beneficial to drive to the school campus itself to regain familiarity and practice exposures in this setting (e.g., speaking in the hallway or completing role-plays on the playground) before there are a plethora of other individuals on campus, which may feel overwhelming. Other helpful brave practices to complete in preparation include talking to the teacher before the beginning of the school year, continuing community exposures, and scheduling playdates with peers.

All in all, returning to school can be a daunting task—especially for children with selective mutism. Thriving Minds is here to support families through this transition. Please contact one of our locations to set up an initial consultation. Intensive camps, such as Confident Kids Camp (CKC), are also available to aid in increasing the likelihood of success returning to school.