Refusal to Speak: Treatment of Selective Mutism in Children / Edition 1

by Sheila Spasaro, Charles Schaefer

Overview

Selective mutism in children is characterized by persistent refusal to speak in one or more social situations (e.g., at school or among strangers), notwithstanding the demonstrated ability to use language at home. The range of treatment options has recently expanded to include promising behavioral, psychopharmacological, and multi-modal approaches in addition to psychodynamic and family systems therapy. Toward overcoming the traditional intractability of the disorder, the authors exhort clinicians - psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, counselors, social workers - to familiarize themselves with all of the options in order to expand their repertoires and individualize treatment strategies. Comprehensive in scope, this book presents the major therapeutic approaches and offers alternatives to professionals working with selectively mute children.

A Jason Aronson Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765701251
Publisher:	Aronson, Jason Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/1999
Series:	Child Therapy Series
Pages:	317
Product dimensions:	6.38(w) x 9.36(h) x 1.07(d)

About the Author

Sheila A. Spasaro, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with the Rockland County, New York Chapter of NYSARC, and maintains a consulting psychology practice in Dutchess County, New York. Charles E. Schaefer, Ph.D., is professor of psychology and director of the Psychological Services Center, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hackensack, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Part 1 An Introduction to the Treatment of Selective Mutism Part 2 Part I: Assessment and Treatment Planning Chapter 3 Practical Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Selective Mutism Chapter 4 When to Intervene in Selective Mutism: The Multimodal Treatment of a Case of Persistent Selective Mutism Part 5 Part II: Behavior Therapy Chapter 6 Intervention with the Selectively Mute Child Chapter 7 Elective Mutism: Special Treatment of a Special Case Chapter 8 Combining Self-Modeling and Stimulus Fading in the Treatment of an Electively Mute Child Chapter 9 An Adapted Language Training Strategy in the Treatment of an Electively Mute Male Child Part 10 Part III: Psychodynamic Therapy Chapter 11 Elective Mutism: Origins in Stranger Anxiety and Selective Attention Chapter 12 Electively Mute Children: A Therapeutic Approach Part 13 Part IV: Psychopharmacologic Approaches Chapter 14 Elective Mutism as a Variant of Social Phobia Chapter 15 Phenelzine Treatment of Elective Mutism: A Case Report Part 16 Part V: Group and Family Therapy Chapter 17 Elective Mutism in Children: A Family Systems Approach Chapter 18 Group Treatment for Elective Mute Children Chapter 19 Sibling Group Play Therapy: An Effective Alternative with an Elective Mute Child Part 20 Part VI: Multimodal Treatment Chapter 21 Elective Mutism Chapter 22 "Speech Is Silvern, But Silence Is Golden": Day Hospital Treatment of Two Electively Mute Children Chapter 23 Case Study: Fluoxetine in the Multimodal Treatment of a Preschool Child with Selective Mutism

What People are Saying About This

Neil Bockian

Refusal to Speak embodies a rare blend of scholarly thoroughness and clinical practicality. In treating as perplexing and difficult a condition as selective mutism, it is important to gain as broad and comprehensive a view as possible. I appreciate the astute and integrative interventions described throughout the book; practitioners from a variety of clinical orientations will find a great deal of guidance within these pages. The interventions described with clarity would make excellent didactic material. Drs. Spasaro and Schaefer have woven together a superb edited volume.

Lawrence A. Dana

Refusal To Speak: Treatment of Selective Mutism in Children is of significant value to professionals working with children who present with this extraordinary behavioral pattern. The book pulls together the available literature and then goes one step further. The material is organized into chapters written from behavioral, psychodynamic, psychiatric, and family systems perspectives. This allows practitioners from a wide variety of philosophies to benefit from the material. I highly recommend this book to my colleagues who work with children.

Editorial Reviews

Refusal To Speak: Treatment of Selective Mutism in Children is of significant value to professionals working with children who present with this extraordinary behavioral pattern. The book pulls together the available literature and then goes one step further. The material is organized into chapters written from behavioral, psychodynamic, psychiatric, and family systems perspectives. This allows practitioners from a wide variety of philosophies to benefit from the material. I highly recommend this book to my colleagues who work with children.

Lawrence A. Dana

Refusal to Speak embodies a rare blend of scholarly thoroughness and clinical practicality. In treating as perplexing and difficult a condition as selective mutism, it is important to gain as broad and comprehensive a view as possible. I appreciate the astute and integrative interventions described throughout the book; practitioners from a variety of clinical orientations will find a great deal of guidance within these pages. The interventions described with clarity would make excellent didactic material. Drs. Spasaro and Schaefer have woven together a superb edited volume.

Neil Bockian

Refusal To Speak: Treatment of Selective Mutism in Children is of significant value to professionals working with children who present with this extraordinary behavioral pattern. The book pulls together the available literature and then goes one step further. The material is organized into chapters written from behavioral, psychodynamic, psychiatric, and family systems perspectives. This allows practitioners from a wide variety of philosophies to benefit from the material. I highly recommend this book to my colleagues who work with children.--Lawrence A. Dana

Refusal to Speak embodies a rare blend of scholarly thoroughness and clinical practicality. In treating as perplexing and difficult a condition as selective mutism, it is important to gain as broad and comprehensive a view as possible. I appreciate the astute and integrative interventions described throughout the book; practitioners from a variety of clinical orientations will find a great deal of guidance within these pages. The interventions described with clarity would make excellent didactic material. Drs. Spasaro and Schaefer have woven together a superb edited volume.--Neil Bockian

From the Publisher