Hello all, I am in the UK and have a daughter with SM. She has just turned
13 and has never spoken to any of the teachers, and until recently had not
spoken to anyone outside the home for more than 4 years.

It has been very difficult over the years, but one thing I have realised is
that there is absolutely no way of speeding up the process of overcoming SM.
Her last years at primary school were very bad, she did not speak to anyone
at all and was unable to participate in any kind of group activity. I tried
incentives, school helpers, all sorts of things, but got nowhere. She
rejected any kind of help or therapy.

However since starting high school in September 2004, she has gone from
strength to strength. It's a very slow process, but last October she began to
speak to a few of her friends. Although she still hasn't spoken to the staff,
they encourage her to communicate non-verbally through pointing and writing
things down. This is something she would not have considered before, so they
are pleased that at least there is some progress.

We still have a long way to go, but I think the main factor in her
improvement is being in a very supportive environment where people do not make
an
issue of her SM but just accept that's the way she is and there is no pressure
on
her to speak. As she grows more confident in herself she is able to do new
things and I now feel that one day she will be able to function normally in
society, this was unthinkable a couple of years ago. As long as I can see
continuous small improvements I am no longer so worried about her. She talks
to
me a lot about her concerns and I am sure that feeling supported and safe is
really important to her. After all, SM is an anxiety-based thing and
pressure to speak can be counter-productive.

Hope this gives some hope to those of you with young SM children. I believe
it does get better, though it may take years!

Anne





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