By Shanti Swadia (SMA Student Advisory Board) & Taylor Hicks-Hoste (SMA President) August 2026 Dear SMA Community, With a new school year fast approaching, many families and teachers are preparing… Continue reading Starting the School Year Strong: A Student’s Perspective on Selective Mutism
Author: Andrew Weitzen
Summer Camp and Selective Mutism: Tips To Help Your Child Feel More Confident
by Zoe Geldis, SMA Student Advisory Board July 2026 Dear SMA Community, While many children may look forward to summer camp, it can be a major source of anxiety for… Continue reading Summer Camp and Selective Mutism: Tips To Help Your Child Feel More Confident
Every Voice Matters: Helping Raise Awareness About Selective Mutism
June 2026 Dear SMA Community, One of the Selective Mutism Association’s core missions is to increase awareness and understanding of selective mutism (SM). Although awareness has grown significantly over the… Continue reading Every Voice Matters: Helping Raise Awareness About Selective Mutism
The Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Children and Teens with Selective Mutism
April 2026 Dear Selective Mutism Community, Participation in extracurricular and socially enriching activities plays an important role in the emotional, social, and developmental growth of children and teens. Research consistently… Continue reading The Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Children and Teens with Selective Mutism
Scripts as a Scaffold: Supporting Speech While Confidence Grows
March 2026 Dear Selective Mutism Community, Often, my clients with Selective Mutism (or their family members) share concerns that they “will say the wrong thing” or that they “don’t know… Continue reading Scripts as a Scaffold: Supporting Speech While Confidence Grows
Challenging Anxious Selective Mutism Thoughts
Our thoughts are powerful and can have a strong impact on our emotional and behavioral responses in challenging situations. Individuals with anxiety often fall into characteristic “thinking traps” in which… Continue reading Challenging Anxious Selective Mutism Thoughts
2025 Annual Appeal
Each year, individuals living with SM walk into classrooms, workplaces, clinics, and social settings unable to speak—not because they won’t, but because they can’t. Selective Mutism is often misunderstood, underestimated,… Continue reading 2025 Annual Appeal
Incorporating Brave Practices at School
October 2025 Dear Selective Mutism Community, Students in the United States spend approximately 35-40 hours per week at school. This highly social and verbal setting is often difficult for students… Continue reading Incorporating Brave Practices at School
Untangling Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety: Similarities, Differences, and Implications for Treatment
July 2025 Dear SMA Community, Perhaps understandably, symptoms of Selective Mutism are often mis-labeled as Social Anxiety. It’s easy to see the similarities—in both conditions, the person impacted can freely… Continue reading Untangling Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety: Similarities, Differences, and Implications for Treatment
Harnessing Motivation: Navigating the Challenges of Selective Mutism and Anxiety Treatment
April 2025 Dear SMA Community, Navigating the journey of overcoming selective mutism and anxiety can feel like climbing a steep mountain. It’s challenging, sometimes overwhelming, and progress might not always… Continue reading Harnessing Motivation: Navigating the Challenges of Selective Mutism and Anxiety Treatment