Treatment of Selective Mutism: A Best-Evidence Synthesis

School Psychology Quarterly

Pionek Stone, B., Kratochwill, T. R., et al. (2002).

School Psychology Quarterly, 17(2), 168-190.

This review investigates the effects of behavioral, biological, or combination treatment approaches on communication in children with selective mutism.

Spencer Foundation (MD)

Not stated

Not further specified

114

The findings of the review indicate that treatment is more effective than no treatment and "children who experience selective mutism benefit from from therapeutic intervention at least in published studies" (p. 184). "Treatment programs that draw upon techniques from applied behavior analysis (such as positive reinforcement, contingency management, shaping, and stimulus fading) or a combined behavioral approach (such as modeling with positive reinforcement) appear to be successful in treating selective mutism" (p. 187). No differential effects were found between these two models. The effectiveness of other behavioral models (e.g., neobehavioristic interventions incorporating desensitization techniques and interventions based on social learning theory that teach social skills and adaptive behavior) could not be determined due to a lack of quantifiable data.