Selective Mutism Documentary

**Carpet Monkeys** · 16-01-2010, 08:25 PM

I'm not sure if any of you care for children or have children who are Selective Mutes, my DS has it but only at school.

I've been informed that there is a documentary called "My Child Won't Speak" all about Selective Mutism. It will go out at 10.35pm, BBC1 on Tuesday 2nd February 2010.

**sarah707** · 16-01-2010, 08:35 PM

Thanks for this!

**PixiePetal** · 16-01-2010, 08:44 PM

Thanks, it's something that has always interested me

**Zoomie** · 16-01-2010, 09:28 PM

Thanks for this.

I've recently read some fiction books about it, so it has become intesting

**tashaleee** · 16-01-2010, 10:50 PM

Thanks - will hopefully remember to watch this

**sonia ann** · 16-01-2010, 11:27 PM

I'm interested in this....my husbands brother is in his mid 40's and has downs syndrome and is also a selective mute. He never speaks although he is physically able to as we have heard him swear occasionally

He has never spoken right from childhood apparently. I for one would like to find out more about this

**Heaven Scent** · 17-01-2010, 12:18 AM

You won't believe this but I yes I had it when I was little.

I was slapped by my preschool teacher for doing something I didn't do and I never spoke to her again not did I speak to anyone in her household and when I started in primary school I wouldn't speak there either - my poor sister who was 5 years older than me had to come an sit in my class room to answer the teachers questions. My mother never knew why I had it until I was about 17 and in secondary school - I won a competetion for writing an essay the title was "Memories of my Childhood" and it came out in that. Apparently the teacher used to call to our house to chat to my mum about her concerns that I'd stopped talking.

I never really got over it for years - I'm still not great when I don't know people I tend to rush and can't keep up because I get so worked up and often just want to finish speaking so I'm not the centre of attention - I get tongue tied a lot and forget words and names.

I'll be sky plusing that thank you!!!

**Dare4Distance** · 17-01-2010, 12:23 AM

I'll be watching that. I had selective mutism when I was a kid, I never spoke to anyone at school, I spoke fine at home and when out at other places but at school I said NOTHING, not even one word.

**Carpet Monkeys** · 17-01-2010, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Dare4Distance

I'll be watching that. I had selective mutism when I was a kid, I never spoke to anyone at school, I spoke fine at home and when out at other places but at school I said NOTHING, not even one word.

Do you know why you didn't talk at school? What age were you when you started to talk to teachers? At the moment with my DS age 6 with a making very slow progress and it's getting quite frustrating for myself, DH and his teacher.

Zoomie - would you mind telling me what books you have been reading please?

**carol cameron** · 17-01-2010, 03:31 PM

I know that the author Torey Hayden has done lots of work in the past with children who didn't speak and her books are very readable. I think you might be interested in one called Silent Boy (or something like that) It was originally called Murphys Boy but was re-printed and re-titled. You can pick it up in paperback in most of the supermarkets like asda or morrisons I think. I would be interested to know what book Zoomie read too. Thanks for letting us know about the tv programme .Cx

**PixiePetal** · 17-01-2010, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by carol cameron

I know that the author Torey Hayden has done lots of work in the past with children who didn't speak and her books are very readable. I think you might be interested in one called Silent Boy (or something like that) It was originally called Murphys Boy but was re-printed and re-titled. You can pick it up in paperback in most of the supermarkets like asda or morrisons I think. I would be interested to know what book Zoomie read too. Thanks for letting us know about the tv programme .Cx

I have a lot of the Tory Hayden books - really interesting and inspirational - what a woman!

**Dare4Distance** · 17-01-2010, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by lkl_fawcett

Do you know why you didn't talk at school? What age were you when you started to talk to teachers? At the moment with my DS age 6 with a making very slow progress and it's getting quite frustrating for myself, DH and his teacher.

Zoomie - would you mind telling me what books you have been reading please?

I spoke at school and was completely normal till I was about 10, then we moved house and moved schools, I was a bit shy when we started the new school but I did talk a bit. We moved again though not long after and hence moved schools again. We did this quite a few times. I actually went to 7 schools. After moving a couple of times I just stopped talking.

After leaving school I was always pretty shy around people but I've gotten better. I am still very quiet around people I don't know though.

**MarpleJollytots** · 17-01-2010, 05:10 PM

When i was doing my NNEB a girl in my class had this problem,after a couple of weeks she really took to me,i had bumped into her in a bakers shop one saturday when she was with her Gran,i had just bought myself a Ginger bread man and i got her one too.As i gave it too her i did a funny voice as if the Ginger bread man was talking and this big grin appeared on her face.I wasnt in school that week after that i was back at college,but mum had told school she had been telling her dolly all about the talking Ginger bread man that week.(She always spoke to Dolly but only if she thought no one was listening)When i found out on return to school myself and the teacher went out at lunch time and bought a big box of mini Ginger bread men.For the next two weeks i would take her to do some one to one reading in another class ,i never spoke to her during that time the ginger bread man did !!!!On my last day of placement i did reading with her and Ginger bread man exsplained i was going back to college and then to work in another school.Walking back to the class she just looked up at me and said "Can i keep the Ginger bread men "? (We had an endless supply of them in the class)I went back to the class in tears trying not to let her see,i told the teacher and she burst into tears.She never spoke again after that for a long time, tho i still went up to the school on a monday morning as i wasnt in college on Mondays.She didnt start talking untill year 2 at school.I still think about her all the time.

**Carpet Monkeys** · 17-01-2010, 07:40 PM

I'm thinking that my DS has been through quite a bit in his little life so far, moving from the UK to Singapore, falling over and splitting his tongue and having to have it stitched back together again just before starting nursery in Singapore. Moving back to the UK, attending a different school over 3 miles away from the primary school his sister went to, endless school appeal, and finally got him in last March. His teacher went from Year 1 to Year 2 and for continuity of care he has stayed with her. However, we've had a mini breakthro this week when he mouthed a word directly to a TA from another class, there was no voice just the mouthing of the word.

I only know about this documentary as I was approached about appearing on it, but we thought it would bring too much attention to him and decided to pass on it.

**Carpet Monkeys** · 19-01-2010, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by carol cameron

I know that the author Torey Hayden has done lots of work in the past with children who didn't speak and her books are very readable. I think you might be interested in one called Silent Boy (or something like that) It was originally called Murphys Boy but was re-printed and re-titled. You can pick it up in paperback in most of the supermarkets like asda or morrisons I think. I would be interested to know what book Zoomie read too. Thanks for letting us know about the tv programme .Cx

I've just been to Asda and would you believe it but this book fell off the shelf as I was walking down the aisle, totally weird, I picked it up totally oblivious to what it was called put it back on the shelf and then had a second look ..... I just had to buy it and to top it off it was only a pound. There were other titles there for a pound by the same author too.

**Carpet Monkeys** · 31-01-2010, 04:13 PM

Just thought I would bump this up to remind you all - as it's on this Tuesday, so set your V+ or Sky+ to record. I have! I'm hoping that watching it will give us new ideas on how to deal with it!

**Carol M** · 31-01-2010, 04:58 PM

Just read an article about this in todays Mail on Sunday.
Interesting.
Carol

**Carpet Monkeys** · 03-02-2010, 10:02 PM

Well, what can I say, all through the documentary I was saying to myself 'that's L', 'L does that'. I found it very informative and it's spurred me on even more to get some further help. I'm aiming to find a speech therapist who has an understanding on SM and see if we can get a referral to them.

Just in case you missed it ..... here is a link to BBC iplayer.

TheBTeam · 03-02-2010, 10:16 PM

Wow it was a really interesting program, i watched it because i knew of a young girl that wouldnt speak to anyone at all and yet they knew she could speak and was taught makaton as a means to communicate until she would start speaking.

Having watched the program I am not sure she had the same thing but it made me go to bed late and be up and tired this morning, but was worth it.