Variations in Parent and Teacher Ratings of Internalizing, Externalizing, Adaptive Skills, and Behavioral Symptoms in Children with Selective Mutism.

Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder that impacts communication. Children with SM present concerns to parents and teachers as they consistently do not speak in situations where there is an expectation to speak, such as at school, but speak in other settings where they feel more comfortable, such as at home. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parents' and teachers' perceptions of children with SM on behavioral rating scales and language measures. Forty-two children (22 boys and 20 girls, ranging from 2.4 to 13.8 years, with a mean age of 7.1 years) took part in this study. Parents and teachers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3) measuring internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, adaptive skills, and behavioral symptoms. Frequency of speaking and language abilities were also measured. Parents and teachers both identified withdrawal as the most prominent feature of SM but parents saw children as significantly more withdrawn than did their teachers. Both rated children similarly at-risk on scales of functional communication and social skills. Higher adaptive skills (including functional communication and social skills) were positively correlated with vocabulary, narrative language, and auditory serial memory according to teachers. Parent and teacher rating scales provide valuable information for diagnosis and progress monitoring. Children with SM can benefit from mental health practitioners who can identify and enhance their emotional well-being.

Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT) for children and families with selective mutism: A pilot study.

This research assessed the feasibility of Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT) developed by Elisa Shipon-Blum, a brief multimodal approach, to increase social communication in 40 children aged 5-12 years with selective mutism (SM). SM is a disorder in which children consistently fail to speak in specific situations although they have the ability to do so. Key features of this approach are the SM-Social Communication Comfort Scale (SCCS), transfer of control (ToC), a nonchalant therapeutic style, and cognitive-behavioral strategies over a brief time frame. Following 9 weeks of treatment, children showed significant gains in speaking frequency on all 17 items from the Selective Mutism Questionnaire (SMQ), a standardized measure of SM severity. Children also showed decreased levels of anxiety and withdrawal as reported by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). SM initial symptom severity and family therapy compliance, but not duration of SM, contributed to treatment outcomes.

Effective communication with patients.

This brief article aims at heightening awareness about communication with various patients, including strategies to assist in improving communicative effectiveness. It assists us as health care professionals to go back to basics and reflect on how we communicate. Several researchers have provided insight into ways that communication may be enhanced. Walter, Bundy, and Donan (2005) suggested personally greeting the patient, introducing oneself, engaging in talk about clinical concerns, and then discussing next steps toward healthcare solutions. Schillinger (2003) implored that health related jargon be avoided and that all messages be clear and simple. Illustrations in the form of black-white line drawn pictures also tend to assist in patient comprehension. Lawton and Carroll (2005) suggested that effective communication requires assessing what the patient knows about their illness. Seidel's model (2004) stated that healthcare providers listen to the patient's story and elicit information through questioning with sufficient time allotted to provide answers. He also discussed the importance of providing a short summary of what the patient conveyed and giving additional information so they learn more about what is happening to them and can become an active participant in making decisions. It is important that patients understand what we as healthcare professionals say to them. Wisner (1999) further conveyed that it is not words alone that communicate. Body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice often provide additional clues influencing communicative effectiveness. Without a doubt, communication, directly impacts service delivery and quality of care in healthcare today. Listen to your patients, they have much to say.

Classroom-Based Assessment of a Collaborative Intervention Program With Kindergarten and First-Grade Students.

The Maximizing Academic Growth by Improving Communication (MAGIC) comprehensive classroom teacher and speech-language pathologist collaborative intervention program was developed and initially implemented in 12 kindergarten and first-grade classes to determine whether children receiving this language-enriched program performed significantly better than control peers on a curriculum-based test and on teacher reports of classroom communication. Results indicated that weekly classroom intervention resulted in significantly higher scores on the subtests of listening and writing for the children involved in the MAGIC program. Students in the treatment groups demonstrated significantly higher abilities in understanding vocabulary and cognitive-linguistic concepts in addition to increased writing skill development for producing relevant sentences with correct mechanics and spelling.