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Lydia Gonzales From: California Website: E-mail: Gonzales_Lydia@hotmail.com	This is a great website. I never knew that Selective Mutism existed. I read GHOST GIRL by Torey Hayden a few months ago and found this subject very, very interesting. I was in the bookstore searching for a "health" topic to do a presentation in a college health class and I found another one of HAYDENs books. I think I have discovered a great topic. I would like to help get the word out on Selective Mutism. It would great if you could e-mail me with other information and websites regarding selective mutism. I am also interested in your 20/20 segment that aired on June 14, 1999. I didn't get to see it, but the segment might be what I'm looking for to share w/ others when presenting this topic in class. Thanks... Added: October3, 1999
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Edward G. Kontos From: Headmaster, Burke School Website: E-mail: ed.kontos@worldnet.att.net	We have a child in our pre-Kindergarten class that has all the signs of selective mutism. We are trying to help the family find medical and therapeutic a**tance in the Boston Mass. area. If you have any referrals for us, please e-mail me. Thanks for your help! Added: September 28, 1999
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Brenda From: Nebraska Website: E-mail: btotten@mother.esu1.k12.ne.us	I am a special education teacher who is working with a seventh grade student who is selectively mute. He has suffered with this problem, in school only, since he was in kindergarden. I have worked with him for three years now. The first year he began to say one word at a time, if no other students were around. The second year he would say letters or words with no one around. Now, for a reward, he will say one word with others around. This is where the progress has stopped. I am asking for any suggestions. Added: September 24, 1999
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A.Rose From: Florida Website: E-mail: Roslynn324@aol.com	Hi! my name is Adina and I am attending a four year college. When I look back at my high school years, I feel so digusted with myself. I could not even speak up to anyone. Although, I did not let it interfere with my academic progress. Now that I am in college, I feel much happier. I am speaking to the professors and other students. I even got involved in two clubs. I realize that my mother who is the Co-founder of this organization, Sue Newman always wants the best for me.She gave me the best advice that I could never forget about speaking and reaching out to people. "That is how anyone can make friends" Silence is not golden, but I am sure that anyone who signed this guestbook regarding their children, will see a miracle! I wish everyone the best of luck with school situations. Added: September 24, 1999
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JOSEPH LOCKE From: PENNSYLVANIA Website: E-mail: JL@CSA-ENG.COM	MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WE BELIEVE HAS 'SM'. WE ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO FIND SOME ONE THAT CAN HELP HER. AND AFTER READING ALL ABOUT 'SM' ON YOUR WEBSITE I BELEIVE WE KNOW MORE. WHEN WE SAW THE 20/20 SHOW WE REALLY THOUGHT WE HAD A CHANCE TO GET HER HELP. APPARENTLY NOT MANY PEOPLE WATCHED THE SAME SHOW. I NEED A COPY BUT REALLY CAN'T AFFORD IT. PLEASE HELP. Added: September 23, 1999
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Beth From: WI Website: E-mail: kbstcyr@jvlnet.com	I have a little girl whom I've had in preschool for just over a year now. All last year we (the a**tant and I) barely got a word out of her. She is the child of a kindergarten teacher and is very smart in all areas of academics. The thing that I found interesting was that she would talk to me on the phone if I called her parents. As a matter of fact she would beg mom to let her speak. After the asst. teacher gave her a ride to mom's school one day she would speak to her a limited amount at preschool. The babysitter claims that she has no such problems at her house. This year she speaks a limited amount to me. I am the only teacher at preschool now with no asst. I would love to help her overcome this if I can. To family and friends she is a bubbly talkative child. At first we thought maybe it was because mom and dad (both teachers) told her to be good and encouraged her to act a certain way at school. I'm not sure what the cause, but I welcome any suggestions for getting her to open up to me. I don't think I have done anything to make her feel anxious. I don't get upset with her, just wish she would feel that she can confide in me and feel comfortable like she does with others. Added: September 22, 1999
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Karen From: Website: E-mail: scokar35@eclipse.net	I am an adult who had selective mutism and social anxiety as a child. My school days were a living hell and now I have a daughter who also has this. My older daughter is a social butterfly yet my younger daughter has this disorder. This leads me to believe that perhaps there is a physiological element that can be treated with diet, vitamins or possibly medication. If there are any professionals that can help or possibly need a case study please contact me. Added: September 18, 1999
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Barbara Polo From: Staten Island. NY Website: E-mail: polo@lsa.net	You are right about selective mutism being under-diagnosed. My daughter, who is now 22, suffered from it as a child. She Talked up a storm at home or with her grandparents, but she wouldn't utter a sound to aunts and uncles (whom she did not know as well as her doting grandparents). She also did not speak to neighbors or their children. She attended pre-school two afternoons a week at the age of four; she did not speak either to the teacher or the kids. She began kindergarten not speaking. But a few months into kindergarten, a very out-going child befriended her and she began, little by little , to speak. She remained EXTREMELY shy all through childhood. At EVERY parent-teacher conference I heard. "I wish Kristen would raise her hand more. If I call on her, she always knows the answer." She was in honors cla, but if the teacher based part of the grade on class participation (usually 10%), she lost out. Other teachers (who may have once been shy themselves) did not factor her silence into the grade. As the years went by, she became less and less shy. But in public situations, she is still on the quiet side. However, her shyness is no longer debilitating. She recently graduated from college with a degree in psychology and is working for a well-respected medical center as a research study atant. And, most importantly, she is a happy young woman. While we were going through her speaking problems, I had no idea that anyone else ever had this, nor did I suspect this condition actually had a name. Years went by and then, about 5 years ago, I first heard the term "selective mutism." Talk about hitting the nail on the head! Bingo! That was it and "it" had a name! I am very grateful that she was able to overcome it, and so much the better at years of age, than 7, or 8, or 9. The only thing we tried to do to help her, and maybe it did, was to give her violin, then flute lessons. When she played in her small music groups, it put her out there to perform, BUT NOT VERBALLY, which she would not have been able to do. She gradually got less and less anxious performing in front of people. My husband and I do feel that it helped her. While we believed in music study for its own sake, our initial impetus for starting her on lessons was "to bring her out a little." I hope this might help someone else in a similar situation. Added: September 17, 1999
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Stacy From: Website: E-mail: maguire@prodigy.net	I am a ped.OT and have a 4 YO girl on my caseload whom I believe has SM. Who do I refer to to help her? Psych? Speech? Any input would be greatly appreciated Added: September 11, 1999
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rose sostenuto From: ny Website: E-mail: rts243@aol.com	Its just a miracle. My son would not talk in school only. When he was in kindergarden a boy made fun of my sons speech My son is very shy and his feelings was hurt. The school put myself and my family through a living nightmare. It affected him academically and socially Who could have thought one mean child could have affected my child The teachers were no help they thought it was emotional I kept saying it was this one kid who made fun of my sons speech I had tutors experts speech teachers Everyone had to put there two sense in But I as the mother knew it was about peer presure. My gut feeling kept telling me it was about this one very mean kid that kept bothering my son.I fought with the school over and over I finally agree to put my son in another school. Thats when the miracle happened on the first day of school my son talked not only to the teachers but to the children. I started to cry and I kept thanking his new teacher. It took the new school less than 4 hours to make my son talk what the old school didnt do in 4 years. I am writing this letter because maybe a parent should always listen to their gut feelings not to some of these so called experts who think they know why the child is not talking. It took something so simple has switching school to get him to talk. Now its finally time that my son can get a good education and not feel uncomfortabe learning. Finally I feel he can talk and enjoy his school. I have great confidence in the teachers. And now for the first time in 4 years i can relax and just let my son be a kid. Added: September 11, 1999

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