SMiRA’s Statement on Understanding and Supporting Selective Mutism 2025
In the light of recent discussions regarding the nature of Selective Mutism (SM) we at the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association (SMiRA), the national UK charity for SM, are sharing this update regarding our understanding of the nature of SM and how, in our view people with SM should be supported.
Can you help to save SMiRA?
Since its inception as a Registered Charity over 31 years ago SMiRA has prided itself on offering free information and advice to those with an interest in Selective Mutism. We have always operated on a shoe-string budget, supported by donations and fundraising by members. We are run by a team of passionate, dedicated volunteers which includes parents, health professionals and those with SM themselves.
SMiRA is much more than ‘just a facebook group’ or a website. We are currently conducting important and much-needed research. In the UK we feed into other communication-based organisations and eventually into Government, as the country’s leading SM charity. Further afield, we have supported new groups in other countries, some where SM may have only recently become recognised, and we are a respected source of information worldwide.
All this has come at a cost. Following Covid and the more recent cost-of-living crisis our funds have been depleted, with donations and fundraising dropping to a trickle. If SMiRA is to survive beyond this year we need to act NOW! Following a crisis meeting of our team, we will be designating April as a main month of fundraising, when we hope members will join with us by organising events or pushing for donations. Needless to say, we are happy to accept funds at any time and you are very soon likely to see posts across our groups setting out the various ways you can help – some of them even come at no cost to yourselves!
Our Fundraising sub-group (SMIRA - Fundraising sub-group | Facebook) now contains a list of activities that might be suitable for those wishing to organise events. We would also encourage members to consider making monthly donations to SMiRA, whatever the amount. These can be set up via our Donate page
Statement from SMiRA regarding the use of the term ‘Situational Mutism’
Recently, SMiRA has had a number of enquiries about whether the term “situational mutism” is now preferred over “Selective Mutism”. We are aware of some grassroots change and some trainers advising the use of ‘situational” as the preferred term.
We are releasing this statement to clarify our position, as the UK’s national charity for selective mutism.
Currently, "Selective Mutism" is the official medical term which MUST therefore be used in all diagnostic reporting and signposting. "Situational mutism" is not a recognised diagnosis and may make it harder for affected families to find support groups, access disability benefits and so on.
"Selective" is a medical term which means "some of the time; in some situations" as opposed to "pervasive" which means "all of the time; in all situations". This is a different use of the root word “select” and does not imply "selecting" meaning making a choice.
It takes many years for labels like these to be changed by the World Health Organisation and other diagnostic manuals and is not done lightly. Whilst selective mutism remains the official term, it should be used. An explanation can be given to those who don't understand, that SM is "situational" but they should then also be advised on the true meaning of "selective" as used in this context.
The use of different, unofficial names and labels for Selective Mutism, makes it harder to raise awareness, campaign, and educate people in how they can support people with the condition.
Until such time as there is an official change of name, SMiRA’s strong recommendation is the use of the official term ‘Selective Mutism’. People may wish to add “sometimes known as situational mutism”, especially if this is the family's preference.
To download a pdf copy of this statement, please click here
Are you the parent or carer of a child or young person between the ages of 5 and 16?
SMIRA is running a new research study. This study aims to capture up-to-date information on speaking behaviours in ALL children and young people in the UK, not just those with SM. It is an online questionnaire and will take 10 minutes per child to complete.
Please click the link below to take part:
Selective Mutism Awareness Month
October is Selective Mutism Awareness Month! Not only that, it's also SMiRA's 30th Birthday!
This year we are asking our followers to do '30 things for 30 years' to raise awareness and - hopefully - a bit of money for SMiRA. This could be 30 anything - 30 skips with a rope, a 30 minute sponsored silence, bake and sell 30 cupcakes...etc. etc. I'm sure you get the idea!
We appreciate that times are hard for everyone this year and SMiRA is no exception. We were hit hard with a drop in donations last year and if this continues our very existence could come under threat. Every little bit helps......please..
Online Presentations
SMiRA is organising a series of online presentations for Selective Mutism Awareness Month:
The use of Medication in Selective Mutism
Tuesday 1st November, 8.00pm GMT : from Elisa Shipon Blum
A live presentation by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety & Related Disorders Treatment Center (SMart Center); President: Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI); Founder & Director Emeritus Selective Mutism Association (SMA).
It is expected there will be a short Q & A session at the end of the presentation.
Please Note: There will be no recording available after this event.
£7.50
Click here for more info and tickets
New - SMIRA Associate Members
SMiRA's team is excited to announce our new Associate Members! All are experienced within their own field and add another level of expertise to our team. We look forward to working with them in the days ahead.
Libby Hill - Speech & Language Therapist
Gino Hipolito - Speech & Language Therapist
Angela May - Speech & Language Therapist
Anita McKiernan - Speech & Language Therapist
Lucy Nathanson - Child Therapist
Ruth Perednik - Psychologist
Andy Smith - Autism Advocate
Anna Biavati Smith - Speech & Language Therapist
Marcin Szczerbinski - Psychologist/Lecturer/Researcher
SMIRA statement regarding the use of the terms ‘reluctant speaker’ and ‘reluctant talker’
"SMIRA has noticed an increase in the terms 'reluctant speaker' and 'reluctant talker' being used as synonyms for Selective Mutism. We find the use of these terms is unhelpful, as they may be misleading, promoting the mistaken belief that people with SM may be refusing to speak, rather than being unable to do so.
Many of our families feel that 'Selective Mutism' as a name for the condition is not ideal, as there is still confusion over the word ‘Selective’. In SM, ‘Selective’ is being used as a medical term to mean affecting some things and not others. It does not refer to selecting, as in making a choice. This is an important distinction.
The name 'Selective Mutism’ has international recognition and diagnostic criteria within the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM 5) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11).
SMIRA believes that until such time as the name is changed officially it should be the term used. There is increasing evidence from research to suggest that SM varies widely in complexity, in how it presents and in the factors that contribute to its occurrence. It has become clear that SM cannot be simply divided into types or described as a spectrum and therefore all cases that fit the diagnostic criteria should be entitled ‘Selective Mutism’ or ‘SM’. However, at present, we will continue to use the descriptors ‘Low Profile Selective Mutism’ and ‘High Profile Selective Mutism’ as defined in the Selective Mutism Resource Manual 2nd Ed., Handout 3, Johnson & Wintgens (2016). SM is currently still an often overlooked and misunderstood condition, so we feel that the use of these terms helps to ensure that it is clear that young people do not have to be completely silent in their challenging spaces to "qualify" as having SM.
Over the past thirty years SMIRA has striven to raise awareness of SM as an anxiety disorder in which the person is unable to speak (either at all or freely) rather than refusing to speak, and to dispel myths and challenge misinformation around the nature of SM whenever possible, and we will continue to do so vigorously into the future.”
To download a pdf copy of this statement, please click here
News Archive
Looking for an older article? It may be in our News Archive.
Can you help to save SMiRA?
Since its inception as a Registered Charity over 31 years ago SMiRA has prided itself on offering free information and advice to those with an interest in Selective Mutism. We have always operated on a shoe-string budget, supported by donations and fundraising by members. We are run by a team of passionate, dedicated volunteers which includes parents, health professionals and those with SM themselves.
SMiRA is much more than ‘just a facebook group’ or a website. We are currently conducting important and much-needed research. In the UK we feed into other communication-based organisations and eventually into Government, as the country’s leading SM charity. Further afield, we have supported new groups in other countries, some where SM may have only recently become recognised, and we are a respected source of information worldwide.
All this has come at a cost. Following Covid and the more recent cost-of-living crisis our funds have been depleted, with donations and fundraising dropping to a trickle. If SMiRA is to survive beyond this year we need to act NOW! Following a crisis meeting of our team, we will be designating April as a main month of fundraising, when we hope members will join with us by organising events or pushing for donations. Needless to say, we are happy to accept funds at any time and you are very soon likely to see posts across our groups setting out the various ways you can help – some of them even come at no cost to yourselves!
Our Fundraising sub-group (SMIRA - Fundraising sub-group | Facebook) now contains a list of activities that might be suitable for those wishing to organise events. We would also encourage members to consider making monthly donations to SMiRA, whatever the amount. These can be set up via our Donate page
Statement from SMiRA regarding the use of the term ‘Situational Mutism’
Recently, SMiRA has had a number of enquiries about whether the term “situational mutism” is now preferred over “Selective Mutism”. We are aware of some grassroots change and some trainers advising the use of ‘situational” as the preferred term.
We are releasing this statement to clarify our position, as the UK’s national charity for selective mutism.
Currently, "Selective Mutism" is the official medical term which MUST therefore be used in all diagnostic reporting and signposting. "Situational mutism" is not a recognised diagnosis and may make it harder for affected families to find support groups, access disability benefits and so on.
"Selective" is a medical term which means "some of the time; in some situations" as opposed to "pervasive" which means "all of the time; in all situations". This is a different use of the root word “select” and does not imply "selecting" meaning making a choice.
It takes many years for labels like these to be changed by the World Health Organisation and other diagnostic manuals and is not done lightly. Whilst selective mutism remains the official term, it should be used. An explanation can be given to those who don't understand, that SM is "situational" but they should then also be advised on the true meaning of "selective" as used in this context.
The use of different, unofficial names and labels for Selective Mutism, makes it harder to raise awareness, campaign, and educate people in how they can support people with the condition.
Until such time as there is an official change of name, SMiRA’s strong recommendation is the use of the official term ‘Selective Mutism’. People may wish to add “sometimes known as situational mutism”, especially if this is the family's preference.
To download a pdf copy of this statement, please click here
Are you the parent or carer of a child or young person between the ages of 5 and 16?
SMIRA is running a new research study. This study aims to capture up-to-date information on speaking behaviours in ALL children and young people in the UK, not just those with SM. It is an online questionnaire and will take 10 minutes per child to complete.
Please click the link below to take part:
Selective Mutism Awareness Month
October is Selective Mutism Awareness Month! Not only that, it's also SMiRA's 30th Birthday!
This year we are asking our followers to do '30 things for 30 years' to raise awareness and - hopefully - a bit of money for SMiRA. This could be 30 anything - 30 skips with a rope, a 30 minute sponsored silence, bake and sell 30 cupcakes...etc. etc. I'm sure you get the idea!
We appreciate that times are hard for everyone this year and SMiRA is no exception. We were hit hard with a drop in donations last year and if this continues our very existence could come under threat. Every little bit helps......please..
Online Presentations
SMiRA is organising a series of online presentations for Selective Mutism Awareness Month:
The use of Medication in Selective Mutism
Tuesday 1st November, 8.00pm GMT : from Elisa Shipon Blum
A live presentation by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety & Related Disorders Treatment Center (SMart Center); President: Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI); Founder & Director Emeritus Selective Mutism Association (SMA).
It is expected there will be a short Q & A session at the end of the presentation.
Please Note: There will be no recording available after this event.
£7.50
Click here for more info and tickets
New - SMIRA Associate Members
SMiRA's team is excited to announce our new Associate Members! All are experienced within their own field and add another level of expertise to our team. We look forward to working with them in the days ahead.
Libby Hill - Speech & Language Therapist
Gino Hipolito - Speech & Language Therapist
Angela May - Speech & Language Therapist
Anita McKiernan - Speech & Language Therapist
Lucy Nathanson - Child Therapist
Ruth Perednik - Psychologist
Andy Smith - Autism Advocate
Anna Biavati Smith - Speech & Language Therapist
Marcin Szczerbinski - Psychologist/Lecturer/Researcher
SMIRA statement regarding the use of the terms ‘reluctant speaker’ and ‘reluctant talker’
"SMIRA has noticed an increase in the terms 'reluctant speaker' and 'reluctant talker' being used as synonyms for Selective Mutism. We find the use of these terms is unhelpful, as they may be misleading, promoting the mistaken belief that people with SM may be refusing to speak, rather than being unable to do so.
Many of our families feel that 'Selective Mutism' as a name for the condition is not ideal, as there is still confusion over the word ‘Selective’. In SM, ‘Selective’ is being used as a medical term to mean affecting some things and not others. It does not refer to selecting, as in making a choice. This is an important distinction.
The name 'Selective Mutism’ has international recognition and diagnostic criteria within the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM 5) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 11).
SMIRA believes that until such time as the name is changed officially it should be the term used. There is increasing evidence from research to suggest that SM varies widely in complexity, in how it presents and in the factors that contribute to its occurrence. It has become clear that SM cannot be simply divided into types or described as a spectrum and therefore all cases that fit the diagnostic criteria should be entitled ‘Selective Mutism’ or ‘SM’. However, at present, we will continue to use the descriptors ‘Low Profile Selective Mutism’ and ‘High Profile Selective Mutism’ as defined in the Selective Mutism Resource Manual 2nd Ed., Handout 3, Johnson & Wintgens (2016). SM is currently still an often overlooked and misunderstood condition, so we feel that the use of these terms helps to ensure that it is clear that young people do not have to be completely silent in their challenging spaces to "qualify" as having SM.
Over the past thirty years SMIRA has striven to raise awareness of SM as an anxiety disorder in which the person is unable to speak (either at all or freely) rather than refusing to speak, and to dispel myths and challenge misinformation around the nature of SM whenever possible, and we will continue to do so vigorously into the future.”
To download a pdf copy of this statement, please click here
News Archive
Looking for an older article? It may be in our News Archive.
