Selective Mutism: How to manage a transition to a new class
- Lucy Nathanson
- Apr 23, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
As we approach the end of the academic year, we have had a lot of parents asking us about how to manage the crucial 'transition'. We know that moving to a new class, year or school is a challenging time for all children, but even more so for children with selective mutism. This article is packed with tips, additional resources and links to help you to make the transition as smooth as possible for your child with selective mutism.
Here are our top transition tips:
1. Have a meeting with the SENCO, teacher etc about the transition. Ensure that everyone understands the importance of it being planned and handled carefully.
Discuss the small steps programme that will be in place from September, has a new keyworker been allocated?
2. Talk casually in a relaxed but excited way to your child about their new class. Discuss what activities and lessons they might do in their new class. Who do they think their new teacher will be? If they feel comfortable doing so, they could write their new teacher a letter introducing themselves and saying what their interests are, or even draw them a picture. You can download our free letter template here.
3. Allow the child to play/draw in the new classroom with a familiar person before September (e.g. with a parent or a staff member they are verbal with) - the key is that we want to help them to feel comfortable in the new classroom before September. Arrange for the sessions to take place in the empty classroom. If allowed, the child can take photos of the new classroom to look back at over the summer.
4. If it's a new school - visit the school as many times as possible before September, walk around the empty school - turn it into a treasure hunt game of finding where things are e.g. classroom, colouring pencils, playground, toilets, lunch hall etc. You could play 'i spy' in the classroom, or see whether you can see something starting with each letter of the alphabet. Make it fun!
5. Familiarise the child with their new teacher and TA - ideally staff should meet the child in their current classroom (one at a time) before another meeting in the new classroom. Ideally the new staff should hear the child's voice before September (if the child is ready for this step). Perhaps the new teacher could do a home visit? This should be discussed at the school meeting.
6. Ensure that new staff have watched my videos: 'My Child Doesn't Talk at School, An Overview of Selective Mutism', 'What is Selective Mutism?' and 'The Do's and Don'ts When Interacting with a Child with Selective Mutism', at the very least - the more knowledge they have of selective mutism (prior to meeting the child) the better. Here are links to these videos:
7. It may be useful to lend a copy of my book 'Understanding Selective Mutism: A Beginner's Guide' to the new teacher and class staff. This book is a concise 30 page guide that allows the reader to gain a quick understanding of selective mutism, to avoid any misconceptions. You can find the book here.
8. Have playdates over the summer at your house with your child's new class mates. The more familiar the child is with new peers, the more comfortable they will feel when transitioning to the new class.
If the child will have the same peers as previously in their new class, the summer is a great opportunity to have playdates to strengthen existing talking relationships with friends, or perhaps fade in peers at home who the child has not yet spoken to.
9. To be as prepared as possible, new school staff can complete my selective mutism online training programme. The aim of this course is to create a supportive school environment where all staff have an understanding of selective mutism. A video outlining what this course covers can be accessed here:
10. I would really recommend sharing my book "A letter to my teacher - why I can't speak at school" with your child's teacher ideally before they meet your child. This book will help them to understand your child ahead of time. Click here for UK/EU orders and here for worldwide orders (or find on your local Amazon page).
Here is a Facebook live video about transition with more tips:
12. Do your best to not make your own anxiety known. Your child will no doubt feel anxious about moving to their new class so respond in a calm, relaxed manner as though you are confident that they will do their best - because after all, they will.
If you would like to discuss your child's specific situation in more detail, contact us here to book an Online Session with one of our Selective Mutism therapists.
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