What Treatment Works for Children With Selective Mutism?

Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse

Status: Completed

Conditions: Selective Mutism

Treatments: Behavioral: Interventions at home, in the kindergarten/school

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00554749

15968 (Other Identifier)

1.2006.2116

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this pilot study is to explore the outcome of a manual based treatment for children with Selective Mutism

Full description

Objectives:

The main aim of this pilot study is to increase our knowledge on interventions for Selective Mutism (SM), a childhood condition characterized by a persistent lack of speech in specific situations despite the ability to comprehend and use language. A survey on the treatment offered this group in Norway 1997-2000 showed great variations in therapeutic approach and the overall outcome was poor. Correspondent with the notion of SM as a variant of social anxiety, several case studies have described successful treatments using behaviour techniques (BT's) such as stimulus fading and shaping. In addition, the author's clinical experience is that "defocusing in communication" (e.g. regulation of gaze contact; sitting beside instead of in front of the child, avoiding direct questioning, talking about interesting but impersonal topics) represents another important toil in getting the mute child to start talking. However, to date there are no randomized controlled SM treatment studies, and in fact we know little of what works best to help these children. Our research group has developed an assessment- and treatment manual for children with SM.

In this exploring pilot study referred children with SM aged 3-5 years (n=7) will be given an intervention according to the treatment manual. The intervention is conducted at home and in the kindergarten or at school and includes stimulus fading techniques with weekly sessions. Therapists will be members of the research group or local therapist under supervision.

Enrollment: 7 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 9 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children with a clinical diagnosis of Selective Mutism (SM)

Exclusion criteria

• Children with Mental Retardation (IQ<50)
• Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
• Children with SM in active treatment
• Children with SM on medication
• Children whose parents are non-Norwegian speaking

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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7 participants in 1 patient group

1 Behavioral intervention

Other group

Description:

Behavioral intervention in all seven subjects Weekly sessions in the home and the kindergarten using defocused communication and stimulus fading interventions

Treatment:

Behavioral: Interventions at home, in the kindergarten/school