#298: What You Need to Know About Selective Mutism with Chelsea Gamache

Selective mutism isn’t a choice, defiance, or simply being shy. It’s about being unable to speak when speaking is socially expected because anxiety can make communication feel incredibly difficult. Chelsea Gamache brings such an important perspective to this topic, both as a BCBA and as someone diagnosed with selective mutism at age five. We talk about what selective mutism can actually look like, including whispering, using an altered voice, or communicating freely at home while being unable to speak at school or in the community. One of my biggest takeaways is the importance of meeting learners where they are. We can use behavioral principles like positive reinforcement, gradual exposure, shaping, stimulus fading, and visual supports, but we also have to understand the anxiety component. Communication should never become something we pressure out of a learner. #autism #speechtherapy What’s Inside: Why selective mutism is different from shyness, defiance, or choosing not to speak How pressure to communicate can make people and environments feel unsafe Using gradual exposure, reinforcement, shaping, and stimulus fading compassionately Why collaboration, family involvement, and learner autonomy matter Mentioned In This Episode: Chelsea on TikTok Outloud the Selective Mutism Podcast SMART Center I Am Brave Child Mind Institute Boston Child Study Center Selective Mutism Association Say It With Me by Rose Griffin AAC Mastery for SLPs and BCBAs Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection