Current research into the causes and treatment of anxiety disorders
focuses on neuropathways and middle ear function. The Selective
Mutism Group "Expert Chat" on Thursday, March 17th at 9 PM will
feature Valerie Dejean of The Spectrum Center, Bethesda, MD. In 1991
Valerie Dejean trained in Paris, France with Dr. Alfred Tomatis,
becoming the first occupational therapist in the world to use the
Tomatis Method of Listening Therapy in combination with sensory
integration. Today she is a successful entrepreneur and master
clinician responsible for clinics in Bethesda and New York, and
outreach programs in Chicago. The Spectrum Centers have provided this
unique combination of therapies for thousands of children and adults
with a variety of disabling conditions, including auditory processing
problems, PDD and autism, learning disabilities and selective mutism.
In 2002 Ms. Dejean was authorized by the international Tomatis
organization in Luxembourg to teach three-week long certification
courses for professionals in North America. She has been an invited
lecturer at international, national and state conferences and has
appeared with Katie Couric on the Today Show in 2003 and on World
News Tonight with Peter Jennings in 1996. Articles about her unique
treatment method have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers.
Ms.Dejean is a graduate of Boston University and is certified in
Sensory Integration and Neuro-Developmental Therapy.

In 2004 Ms. Dejean founded the Spectrum Institute, a 501 (c) (3) not
for profit organization dedicated to research on sensory processing
for those who face challenges in realizing their full potential in
society.

Chat instructions

Prior to the chat:
Please go to the link below and register (this way you will be set up
so that you can then sign in with your password and your name will
show up on the board).

To enter the chat room:
http://childhoodanxietynetwork.org/ipw-web/chat/mychat/

Go to the link above and about half way down the screen, click
on "Register".
A window will pop up where you will enter your information (name,
username, etc....The username is what will show up on the screen, so
please enter your full name there). Make up a password that you can
easily remember, and type it in.

Right after you finish filling this in, you will be in the system.
So, in the main window, you can then log in with your username and
password. There is a place near the bottom of the screen where you
can choose which chat room you want to enter. We always use the
default room for these chats, so it should automatically be set for
that.

Then click on "chat" at the bottom of the screen. You should see a
mostly blank screen but it will indicate that you have entered the
chat room. Near the bottom is the window where you type, and then
hit send and your message should appear on the main screen.

I hope some of you can attend the online chat and learn from "The
Expert". All the best.
Gail