Scottish Selective Mutism Group (SSMG)

Scottish Selective Mutism Group (SSMG) This page has been created to disseminate information about SELECTIVE MUTISM. Please do not mention specific schools, NHS or names of children.

Children with selective mutism (SM) can speak well in some situations, but remain silent in others. Children usually talk freely at home, with family members, but find themselves unable to talk outside their home. Some children can only talk with their parents and brothers and sisters. Most children with SM are girls, and boys with SM often have other difficulties with communication and learning.

Children with SM often describe themselves as feeling physically unable to speak: even feeling a physical blockage in their throat, though none in fact exists. Children may have no other identifiable problems and make progress at school in areas where speaking is not required, though their inability to talk in school presents them, and the adults who work with them, with significant challenges. Selective Mutism was originally known as elective mutism, as professionals believed that children were choosing not to speak, and were therefore thought to be challenging and manipulative. The term Selective Mutism reflects current understanding that the children’s silence is not something they can control. It can be seen as a type of extreme social anxiety or phobia.

Join our WhatsApp Channel ✨If you’d like to stay updated and see everything in one place, you can now join our WhatsApp ...
15/01/2026

Join our WhatsApp Channel ✨

If you’d like to stay updated and see everything in one place, you can now join our WhatsApp group for updates.

I’ll be sharing news, reminders, and support there especially if you’re thinking about joining us this year and want to stay in the loop 💛

Join here:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbCAVUlGU3BD0Sv5U228

Follow Steps To Brave Talking Therapy & Support's WhatsApp channel. This channel is intentionally simple.

• I’ll be the main one posting
• Members won’t be chatting with each other (you can do so in the Facebook group)
• Reactions and polls only (so I can understand what you need)
• Posts will be informative

Think of this as a noticeboard rather than a conversation.

If you need to speak to my team you can contact us at +44 7724 517039

Being here is already enough.. Join 23 followers for the latest updates.

If you’ve been meaning to sign up… this is your reminder!”My special Selective Mutism Awareness event is almost here a s...
26/10/2025

If you’ve been meaning to sign up… this is your reminder!”

My special Selective Mutism Awareness event is almost here a space to learn, connect, and support SMIRA.

🎥 You’ll get the recording for a full month, so you can watch in your own time.

💬 You’ll learn new insights, meet other parents who get it, and ask your questions.

And remember every penny goes to SMIRA.

👉 Grab your spot here: https://bit.ly/SMAwarenessWebinar

Let’s make this a day of learning, hope, and community

25/10/2025

October is Selective Mutism Awareness Month 💜

To mark it, I’m hosting a special fundraising webinar at the end of the month. The small registration fee will go directly to SMiRA (Selective Mutism Information & Research Association)—together we can raise awareness and make a difference.

📣 Reserve your spot today and join us in supporting brave voices: https://bit.ly/SMAwarenessWebinar

Progress doesn’t always sound like words.Sometimes it’s a smile, a wave, a giggle, or a step closer to a friend.These ar...
12/10/2025

Progress doesn’t always sound like words.

Sometimes it’s a smile, a wave, a giggle, or a step closer to a friend.

These are not small things, they are the body’s way of saying, “I feel safe enough to try.”

When we look at the whole child their movement, posture, and energy we see bravery everywhere.

We see tension softening, shoulders relaxing, eyes brightening.

These are the first signs that the voice will soon follow.

The Brave Muscle Method was born from moments like these when I realised that before a child can speak bravely, they must feel brave in their body.

If you’re supporting a child with selective mutism, remember: every calm breath, every shared laugh, every small step counts.

Share this post and remind another parent that courage often begins in silence.

For more stories, videos, and tools, visit my YouTube channel and connect with other parents in my Facebook group, both fully dedicated to selective mutism:
https://youtube.com/?si=_y-MgwchnKTqCtVI

Practical awareness for Selective mutism What should you do when a child doesn’t reply to your greeting?Do: say hello wa...
11/10/2025

Practical awareness for Selective mutism

What should you do when a child doesn’t reply to your greeting?

Do: say hello warmly, then carry on naturally.
Don’t: repeat the question or say, “You’re shy, aren’t you?”

These small moments matter. They teach a child whether the world feels safe or pressured.

Selective mutism is an anxiety response, not a behaviour to fix but a fear to understand.

When we see the whole child how they stand, move, and breathe we realise that progress begins long before words.

Please share this post. The more people understand, the more compassion replaces confusion.

A little boy once told me, “My words are hiding behind my knees.”It stopped me in my tracks.That single moment changed h...
10/10/2025

A little boy once told me, “My words are hiding behind my knees.”
It stopped me in my tracks.

That single moment changed how I saw everything.

His words weren’t just poetic they were literal.

His body was holding the fear.

His muscles, posture, and breath all carried the tension that silenced his voice.

That’s when I realised: speech therapy alone isn’t enough.

We have to look at the whole child movement, regulation, and emotion because voice lives in the body, not just in the mouth.

That’s the heart of my Brave Muscle Method: helping children feel safe in their bodies so their voices can emerge naturally, without pressure.

Sometimes the bravest sound is silence.

Share this if you believe that safety comes before speech and that true therapy starts with understanding the whole child.

You can find more stories, parent tools, and videos inside my Facebook community and on my YouTube channel dedicated to selective mutism:

WELCOME to the bright side of learning how to support your child's speech, language, and communication. Is your child anxious and speaks at home but not outside? Have you ever heard of Selective Mutism? I am a SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPIST specialized in SELECTIVE MUTISM, with the passion to share k...

Have you ever wondered why a child with selective mutism can talk freely at home but not at school?It’s not about confid...
09/10/2025

Have you ever wondered why a child with selective mutism can talk freely at home but not at school?

It’s not about confidence it’s about safety.

When the brain detects even a small social threat, the nervous system can trigger a freeze response.

Breathing becomes shallow, muscles tighten, and the voice literally shuts down.

That’s why my work always starts with the body helping children regulate movement, rhythm, and breath before expecting words.

I explain this in more depth in my YouTube video “Why Selective Mutism Is More Than the Fear of Talking.”

You can watch it here:
https://youtube.com/?si=_y-MgwchnKTqCtVI

Please share this post to spread awareness every share helps create safer spaces for brave voices to grow

Parents of children with selective mutism often live in two worlds.At home, their child laughs, sings, and talks non-sto...
08/10/2025

Parents of children with selective mutism often live in two worlds.

At home, their child laughs, sings, and talks non-stop.
Outside, they freeze shoulders tight, eyes wide, voice gone.

They hear, “She’ll grow out of it,” or “He just needs confidence.”

But deep down, they know this isn’t about willpower. It’s about fear stored in the body.

These parents carry invisible weight guilt, worry, exhaustion and often feel they must defend their child’s silence.

Yet they are the steady anchor in their child’s storm, creating calm, safe spaces where words might one day reappear.

When we understand that progress begins long before speech in how a child breathes, moves, and feels safe in their body, everything changes.

Share this post to help more families feel seen, supported, and hopeful.

If this resonates, you’ll find more resources, stories, and practical tools inside on my YouTube channel dedicated to selective mutism:
https://youtube.com/?si=_y-MgwchnKTqCtVI

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