Expert Chat Overview

As one of the many benefits of being a part of the SMG online community, we offer a monthly "Expert Chat." These moderated chat sessions offer our members the unique opportunity to talk directly to an expert in Selective Mutism or other related topics. Through this forum, you can chat with professionals who have worked with children and teens who have struggled with SM, as well as other anxiety disorders and behaviors. You can also chat with experienced parents, advocates and former SM sufferers themselves who can share insight into the struggle of SM.

Some of the many topics we have offered in these "Expert Chat" sessions include:

• Sensory Integration and Occupational Therapy
• School Interventions
• Relaxation Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Speech and Language Issues
• Parenting a SM Child
• Family Dynamics
• Tomatis Therapy
• Sibling Issues
• Safety Issues
• Social and Extracurricular Activities
• Bilingual Issues
• Medication

Recent experts have included Dr. Greg Markway, Dr. Angela McHolm and Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, all well-known for their work in the field of anxiety disorders and SM.

Are you a professional and feel that you have expertise to offer in an Expert Chat Session with our SMG members? If so, contact Gail Kervatt with your name, contact information, CV and potential Expert Chat topic.

Are you a SMG member who has some ideas about topics you'd like to see in future Expert Chats?
If so, contact us with your idea!

For information about upcoming Expert Chats, click here.

To join the SMG community so that you can take advantage of this exciting member benefit, click here, or the "join now" button below.

Expert Chat Room Rules

Expert Chats are an exciting benefit to our members. They allow members to exchange questions, information and ideas with an experienced parent or an expert in the field of childhood anxiety and/or SM. Experts are chosen carefully to provide educated information over a variety of topics that will be especially relevant to our SMG members. However, to insure safety and that the chat sessions are informative and friendly for all, we adhere to the following rules:

• Strong language, insults and vulgarity are prohibited.
• Allow the "Expert" to answer an attendee's question before asking or typing in another one.
• Please try to refrain from any attendee-to-attendee exchanges during the first hour.
• Please do not insert references to personal businesses or personal email addresses unless prior permission has been granted.
• Feel free to stay and chat with other attendees after the scheduled one hour and after the moderator and "Expert" have exited the chat room.
• Have fun while we all learn from each other!

Expert Chat Instructions:

Prior to the chat, please register for the chat session. Your name will then appear on the board as a chat participant.

After you connect to the link:

• Right after you finish filling this in, you will be in the system.
• In the main window, you can then log in with your username and password.
• There is a place near the bottom of the screen where you can choose which chat room you want to enter. We always use the default room for these chats, so it should automatically be set for that. Click on "chat" at the bottom of the screen.
• You should see a mostly blank screen but it will indicate that you have entered the chat room. Near the bottom is the window where you type, and then hit send and your message should appear on the main screen. Now you should be set, so all that is left is to enjoy the expert chat session!