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Ruth Perednik
Selective Mutism Treatment Center, Jerusalem Municipality
Ruth Perednik discusses effective treatment methods for selective mutism (SM). She describes the characteristics of children with SM and their families, as well as the treatment method she developed over twenty years of specialization. SM is a rare disorder, recognized in DSM-IV. It afflicts mostly children, but some of those suffering from SM do not get better as they become adults. It is sometimes confused with ADHD; children suffering from SM are frequently moody, prone to sleep problems, desire routine, and are often perceived by others as rude, probably because they seem to be able to be able to speak when they wish to. Many are above average in intelligence, creative, and sensitive to others thoughts and feelings.
NAJP: Ruth, how did you first get involved in treating selective mutism?
RP: About twenty years ago my son, then four years old, stopped speaking in kindergarten. We had just moved from Argentina to Israel, and my son was confronted with new surroundings and a new, unknown language. At that time (only twenty years ago!) precious little was known, even by mental health professionals, about selective mutism, and my son was misdiagnosed and mistreated (in both senses of the word). After much searching (pre-internet days) I found a leaflet written by Maggie Johnson and Alison Wintgens (2001) about selective mutism, and I set about treating my son myself, both at school and at home. Once I became interested in the subject, a steady flow of concerned parents contacted me and I began to help them too.
At the same time, I was considering which subject to research for my thesis in psychology. Together with Professor Yoel Elizur of The Hebrew University, I researched the incidence of SM in immigrant families, found it to be significantly higher than that found in native families, and the paper was published and widely cited (2003). Since then the treatment of children with SM has been my main interest and occupation.
NAJP: Some kids are introverted and shy, how do you differentiate between a shy child, one that is quiet, and one diagnosed as being selectively mute?
RP: The difference is the consistent inability to speak in the situations in which the SM occurs....