SMiRA is pleased to announce the publication of the results of its latest research.
This project has been led by SMiRA Trustees Shirley Landrock-White and Victoria Roe.
This research highlights a number of conclusions, notably:
- Physical freezing of both the throat and other parts of the body may be important factors in preventing speech and movement in children with SM,
- A quarter of all children with Selective Mutism (SM) within the study were also autistic,
- Autism should also be considered a possibility and investigated when children present with SM symptoms,
- Due to the heterogeneous nature of SM, overlapping symptoms with autism and high levels of co-existing disorders, such as Social Anxiety Disorder, it is advisable to undertake a multidisciplinary assessment for SM.
Many thanks to Lindsay Lenton and Prof. Chris A. Rogers (University of Bristol) for their contributions to this project.
SMiRA would also like to express its grateful thanks to:
- The Communication Consortium Grants Programme and the Rayner’s Special Educational Trust for funding the project.
- The participants who invested their time in responding to the survey.
The Research findings can be found via the following links:
At the MDPI website: Physical Freezing in Children and Adolescents with Selective Mutism
Download the PDF Version: Physical Freezing in Children and Adolescents with Selective Mutism
The QR code on the banner at the top of the page also links to this research paper on the MDPI website.
