SM strategy: - Fade Out

•  
• Who: Homeroom teacher, specials teacher, talking buddy, Amy
• Location: Homeroom classroom
• Environment: Door closed, other classmates can be in the classroom and quietly occupied
• Worry Level: 2
• Purpose: Gradually fading out a person that Amy is comfortable with keeps her relaxed and continuing the conversation without that person
• What’s Happening: After the specials teacher sits down, Amy starts to talk and engages with the special ed teacher. The homeroom teacher finds an excuse to walk away. When Amy is getting comfortable with the special ed teacher, the homeroom teacher can find another special ed teacher into join the game. Repeat fading in strategy.

Strategy and Scene

Fade-Out

• After Amy is comfortable, homeroom teacher finds an excuse to walk away but the rest of the group still continues to play.
• “What should I do now?”
• “Amy, please show me what I should do.”
• “Jada, help me move the card. Amy, do you agree? Tell me yes or no.”
• “Whose turn is it?” “How do I know if I’m about to win?”
• Sportscaster strategy 

The original person should not just leave the group, he or she should give an excuse to Amy for leaving and say that she will be right back.

• Specials teacher takes a seat and the group continues to play together, the teacher still using the sportscaster strategy:
• “You are getting close to the end of the game!  I think someone is going to win soon!  It is very close, oh and Jada wins the game!”
• At this point, Amy’s voice is probably lower than before
• The specials teacher has to continue the game and could start an interesting conversation topic about the game
• After they are comfortable and know each other, they can start to talk about more topics outside of the game. Favorite things, after school plans, family, etc.
• Keep the conversation going
• After the homeroom teacher walks away, have the talking buddy say:
• “Amy, tell Mrs. A the joke you told me before. It was so funny!”
• Amy tells the joke to Mrs. A.

The room is relatively quiet, with most of the class reading or doing their own work. Amy is playing games at the back of the room, with her talking buddy Katie and Mrs. Bartrim. They’d been playing for a while now, and Amy was completely comfortable -- almost all the stress she usually carried was gone. In times like these, she doesn’t have to worry about expectations and others’ opinions -- all her anxieties are forgotten.

Mrs. Bartrim, as though noticing that she is relaxed, then speaks up.

“Sorry girls, but I have a meeting I need to attend. Are you two fine on your own?”

Immediately Amy tenses and closes up. Any change of environment tends to trigger her anxiety, even though she had been comfortable just moments before. She

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.” Mrs. Bartrim smiles.

Katie, noticing Amy’s obvious discomfort, pokes at her to get her attention.

“Hey Amy, what move should I play next? Should I reroll the dice, or play the chance card?” She says enthusiastically, trying to distract her friend.

“Reroll,” Amy mumbles, turning back to the game.

“Hey, tell me that joke you told the other day!” Katie prods, keeping the conversation up.

Amy smiles, then starts. “So, what do you call-”

Unfamiliar people entering is not the only change in environment that may trigger children with selective mutism to close up. Familiar people suddenly leaving can also spike anxiety in them. When leaving their environment, one should use the ‘fade out’ technique, by giving a valid excuse as to why they’re leaving, and let the child know that they will be back soon. Having another person use the sportscaster method is also useful. Prompt the child to engage in conversation, and distract them so that their attention shifts from the leaving person to whoever is still there. If the child’s stress level does not decrease with time, or if the ‘fade out’ is not successful, it is best to stay in the environment (if possible) and re-attempt later, when the child is distracted or focused elsewhere.

作者俊華,艾米媽 。 如有需要，加微信：junwang08837，艾米媽邀你進 “選擇性緘默症家長分享群”。

選擇性緘默症包括語言恐 Speech Phobia，感知障礙 Sensory Disorder, 社交恐懼 Social Anxiety 。 關鍵詞： 孩子為什麽不說話，孩子在外麵不說話，孩子不敢說話，和陌生人不說話，社交恐懼，孩子在幼兒園和學校不說話，害羞，敏感，膽子小，懦弱，怕生，內向，沒自信，固執，不敢吃飯，不敢去廁所，不敢和小朋友玩，，在家講話，出門不講話。隻和爸爸媽媽說話， 不敢參加集體活動。