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Selective mutism experiences anyone?
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<blockquote data-quote="susiestar" data-source="post: 604635" data-attributes="member: 1233"><p>I am a bit short on time, so I am sorry if I repeat what someone has said.</p><p></p><p>I strongly urge your sister and the rest of the family to read "The Out of Sync Child" by Kranowitz and also "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun" by Kranowitz. The first will explain sensory integration disorder very clearly and will explain various treatment options. One of the best options is brushing therapy combined with gentle joint compressions. This MUST be taught by an experienced Occupational Therapist (OT) because if done incorrectly it can cause serious problems. Done properly this therapy is incredible. Truly incredible. It actually will "rewire" the brain, creating new pathways for the brain to handle sensory input from the nerves. While sensory issues never really go away, they can become much better and less of an obstacle to everyday life. I have seen truly incredible changes in people with sensory issues. My youngest went from being totally incapable of attending school every day because he would be so overwhelmed with things that he would sit and sort of vibrate on overload for a day or more if forced to do more than he could handle. In spite of a truly incredible IQ and being far more advanced intellectually/academically than his same age peers, he missed at least one and sometimes as many as three days every single school week up through second grade. He missed more than 1/4 of the school year, and we were blessed with a school that 'got it' and didn't make a big deal over it. Technically they could have made us go before a judge for educational neglect, but with documentation from the docs and specialists, plus being able to literally see how he would just shut down and be unable to cope when pushed too far with sensory stimuli, they just ignored some of his absences so it would not trigger the system to report us to the courts. They knew he was learning, and that we were doing all we could, and that was enough.</p><p></p><p>I also have sensory issues that have impacted my life. I very much wanted to go to a top ranked cooking school, but I simply cannot eat fish or organ meats. I get very physically ill from the smell and even more from the taste. There is no way to overcome this, and we tried about everything. It drove my folks nuts, but it was not something I did by choice nor did I have any real control over it. Even sneaking those things into food that didn't taste like them did not work. I still got very ill. So I chose another route for my education. As I get older, I find some sensory issues getting more pronounced, which is a real PITA.</p><p></p><p>I have a little bit of selective mutism history. I flat out did not speak in school for an entire school year. Sixth grade, to be precise. I had abominable teachers and the year before one nun loathed me for reasons I did not ever understand. She did all sorts of awful things to me, stopping short of actual physical abuse that would leave evidence because the entire school was a bit terrified of my parents (mostly because a teacher attacked my older bro a few years before then and my dad scared the living heck out of the man over it - the entire situation was ugly and my dad took it to a level that truly terrified a very sadistic teacher). So they used emotional abuse on me when it was clear that I was smarter than most of my teachers. I had learned that it did not matter what I said at school, I would not be believed if I said something was wrong and I would be belittled and humiliated if I said anything. So I didn't. Not to a single adult and mostly not to any of the kids. the teachers had the other kids calling me names and treating me like I was the lowest life form in existence. Eventually I was silent enough and mean enough that they just left me alone for the last few mos of school. Even the priest was almost afraid to ask me anything because I would just stare at him and then go back to whatever book I was reading.</p><p></p><p>It was not an easy time. No one told my parents anything. My mom didn't believe me years later when I finally told her. Then she ran into an old classmate from back then and asked a few questions. She was shocked at how bad things were and that I truly did not talk to anyone for any reason. </p><p></p><p>I would not really push the girl to speak. If it is possible, they should try to find a smaller group for her to be in during the day. It seems like there may be just too many people for her to be able to cope. She likely needs to feel safe and in time it will get better. I don't mean to not introduce other situations, or people, but to do so in controlled ways so that she can have small successes in smaller groups to build her confidence. Attempting to force her to speak to get anything will most probably cause her to go even deeper into herself around other people. I know it happened to me, and I saw this as the result when a girl in one of the sp ed classes at the elem school here was forced to speak or she could not go to the bathroom, have lunch, etc.... She simply stopped functioning at all. She would curl into a ball under a table or in a closet and stay there all day, even wetting or soiling her pants rather than ask to go to the bathroom. </p><p></p><p>Some children have luck with sign or wtih cards showing photos/words of what they want rather than asking. I do not know if this is truly effective, but it is better than having them refuse to communicate at all, I guess. I observed this at school with a little boy, but I don't know the background of the child or the diagnosis's.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="susiestar, post: 604635, member: 1233"] I am a bit short on time, so I am sorry if I repeat what someone has said. I strongly urge your sister and the rest of the family to read "The Out of Sync Child" by Kranowitz and also "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun" by Kranowitz. The first will explain sensory integration disorder very clearly and will explain various treatment options. One of the best options is brushing therapy combined with gentle joint compressions. This MUST be taught by an experienced Occupational Therapist (OT) because if done incorrectly it can cause serious problems. Done properly this therapy is incredible. Truly incredible. It actually will "rewire" the brain, creating new pathways for the brain to handle sensory input from the nerves. While sensory issues never really go away, they can become much better and less of an obstacle to everyday life. I have seen truly incredible changes in people with sensory issues. My youngest went from being totally incapable of attending school every day because he would be so overwhelmed with things that he would sit and sort of vibrate on overload for a day or more if forced to do more than he could handle. In spite of a truly incredible IQ and being far more advanced intellectually/academically than his same age peers, he missed at least one and sometimes as many as three days every single school week up through second grade. He missed more than 1/4 of the school year, and we were blessed with a school that 'got it' and didn't make a big deal over it. Technically they could have made us go before a judge for educational neglect, but with documentation from the docs and specialists, plus being able to literally see how he would just shut down and be unable to cope when pushed too far with sensory stimuli, they just ignored some of his absences so it would not trigger the system to report us to the courts. They knew he was learning, and that we were doing all we could, and that was enough. I also have sensory issues that have impacted my life. I very much wanted to go to a top ranked cooking school, but I simply cannot eat fish or organ meats. I get very physically ill from the smell and even more from the taste. There is no way to overcome this, and we tried about everything. It drove my folks nuts, but it was not something I did by choice nor did I have any real control over it. Even sneaking those things into food that didn't taste like them did not work. I still got very ill. So I chose another route for my education. As I get older, I find some sensory issues getting more pronounced, which is a real PITA. I have a little bit of selective mutism history. I flat out did not speak in school for an entire school year. Sixth grade, to be precise. I had abominable teachers and the year before one nun loathed me for reasons I did not ever understand. She did all sorts of awful things to me, stopping short of actual physical abuse that would leave evidence because the entire school was a bit terrified of my parents (mostly because a teacher attacked my older bro a few years before then and my dad scared the living heck out of the man over it - the entire situation was ugly and my dad took it to a level that truly terrified a very sadistic teacher). So they used emotional abuse on me when it was clear that I was smarter than most of my teachers. I had learned that it did not matter what I said at school, I would not be believed if I said something was wrong and I would be belittled and humiliated if I said anything. So I didn't. Not to a single adult and mostly not to any of the kids. the teachers had the other kids calling me names and treating me like I was the lowest life form in existence. Eventually I was silent enough and mean enough that they just left me alone for the last few mos of school. Even the priest was almost afraid to ask me anything because I would just stare at him and then go back to whatever book I was reading. It was not an easy time. No one told my parents anything. My mom didn't believe me years later when I finally told her. Then she ran into an old classmate from back then and asked a few questions. She was shocked at how bad things were and that I truly did not talk to anyone for any reason. I would not really push the girl to speak. If it is possible, they should try to find a smaller group for her to be in during the day. It seems like there may be just too many people for her to be able to cope. She likely needs to feel safe and in time it will get better. I don't mean to not introduce other situations, or people, but to do so in controlled ways so that she can have small successes in smaller groups to build her confidence. Attempting to force her to speak to get anything will most probably cause her to go even deeper into herself around other people. I know it happened to me, and I saw this as the result when a girl in one of the sp ed classes at the elem school here was forced to speak or she could not go to the bathroom, have lunch, etc.... She simply stopped functioning at all. She would curl into a ball under a table or in a closet and stay there all day, even wetting or soiling her pants rather than ask to go to the bathroom. Some children have luck with sign or wtih cards showing photos/words of what they want rather than asking. I do not know if this is truly effective, but it is better than having them refuse to communicate at all, I guess. I observed this at school with a little boy, but I don't know the background of the child or the diagnosis's. [/QUOTE]
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