Scottish Selective Mutism Group (SSMG)

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

Steps To Brave Talking Therapy & Support – WhatsApp channel 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.

come and join me here
https://www.facebook.com/selective.mutism.therapy.and.support

Selective Mutism Therapy & Support Anna Biavati is the director of Selective Mutism Support and is a multilingual therapist, specialist in

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

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 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 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:

Selective Mutism the Brave Muscle Method 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 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-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