ASHA -Selective Mutism, Anxiety and Communication

This is a self-paced course. It is ASHA approved for CEUs.

Description: The characteristics of selective mutism will be discussed, as well as strategies that can be used during therapy sessions to support communication.

Presented By: Rosemarie Griffin MA CCC-SLP, BCBA and Kelly Melhorn MA BCBA

Rosemarie Griffin MA CCC-SLP, BCBA
Rosemarie Griffin, MA, CCC/SLP BCBA, is an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Product Developer and Host of The Autism Outreach Podcast. She divides her time between a public school and her own private practice. She is passionate about helping individuals with autism find their voice and become more independent communicators. This passion has driven her to create her own business, https://www.abaspeech.org, where she provides ASHA approved courses, therapy materials and free resources for parents and professionals alike.

Kelly Melhorn MA BCBA
In 2018, our daughter was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder I had never heard of – Selective Mutism. She was always a bright, talkative, outgoing child at home, but when she was in public, she was withdrawn and couldn’t speak. SM is an anxiety disorder that prevents people from communicating in certain situations. Their brain perceives
speaking as a dangerous situation and they freeze, are unable to speak, gesture, and/or make eye contact. Through our journey I realized just how many people from around the world were affected by Selective Mutism and couldn’t get the help they need. Whether it is a child diagnosed with SM, a parent supporting their young child or teen with SM, or an adult who never got a diagnosis, it can be very difficult to find easily understood information that can help. In 2020, Selective Mutism H.E.L.P. (Home Educational Learning Program) was created to give anyone from around the world useful information about Selective Mutism. Through free Online Summits, anyone can get information about Selective Mutism from top professionals from around the world. Through a free Podcast, people can hear our story and learn tips and strategies that may work for their child. Through Parent Training, a parent can get one on one support as they guide their child through overcoming their SM.

Disclosures:

Financial: Rosemarie will receive a percentage of payment from the sales of this course.
Non-financial: Rosemarie is the founder of ABA SPEECH LLC

Financial: Kelly will receive an honorarium.
Non-financial: Kelly is the founder of Selective Mutism H.E.L.P. LLC

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives 

● Participants will be able to list at least three characteristics of Selective Mutism 2.
● Participants will be able to define the differences between Selective Mutism & Autism
● Participants will be able state why speech can be difficult due to high anxiety
● Participants will be able to list three ways to therapeutically support a person with Selective Mutism

Course Agenda 

0- 10 minutes Introduction
10-25 minutes Characteristics of SM vs Characteristics of Autism
25-35- minutes Overview of how speech is produced when in a relaxed state
35-55 minutes What happens to sound production when in a high state of anxiety and what strategies can be utilized to move someone with SM from nonverbal communication to verbal communication.
55-60 minutes Summary

To complete the course, view the webinar, complete the evaluation form. You will get a notification that your request has been sent for ASHA CEUs. 

ABA SPEECH is committed to providing equal opportunities in accordance with all applicable laws. If you are in need of a disability-related accommodation, please contact rose@abaspeech.org. We will review your request and respond in a timely manner. Please note that we will require a minimum of 4 weeks to provide a reasonable accommodation for your request.

Visit https://abaspeech.org/course or email us at rose@abaspeech.org if you have questions.

ABA SPEECH is committed to providing equal opportunities in accordance with all applicable laws. If you are in need of a disability-related accommodation, please contact rose@abaspeech.org.