PORTRAIT OF A CHILD selective mutism

Kindergarten programs in Texas began with economically disadvantaged non-English speaking children.  It was never my intent to teach kindergarten, but circumstances resulted my being there one day enrolling little boys and girls.  The children who came to my door were the children of migrant farm workers.

One little girl seemed angry.  She did not cry to go home, but she definitely let her mother know she did not want to stay.  She seemed frightened and anxious about the new situation.  Furthermore, she had never been around an Anglo (non-Hispanic) woman before.  This was yet another frightening unknown for her to deal with.  She adopted a look of perpetual unhappiness.  Some of the other children were her playmates in the neighborhood, but she ignored them inside the classroom.  She refused to speak or make eye contact with anyone.

After a few weeks, she relaxed outside at recess and began to talk to her friends and to play with them.  She was still a selective mute inside the classroom, in the lunchroom, and around any adults.  The only time she spoke was on the playground.

I had no experience in how to deal with her.  I acted on the assumption that I needed to do whatever I could to make her feel accepted and secure and to be patient with her.  I was inexperienced in the field of kindergarten.  I was frustrated with the experienced teacher in the next classroom who knew all of the answers and felt compelled to give me the benefit of her advice.  (She was also frustrated because I did not often follow her advice.)  She felt that I should “make” the child talk.  I never knew how she thought I should make her, but I knew that whatever I did along those lines would only make things worse.

I was careful to include the girl in both group and individual work.  I did not make a big deal out of things which she refused to do.  I just let her know that she had the opportunity to participate.  I went right on without comment when she chose not to participate.  Example:  We had small groups for learning English.  The group would repeat an English word in unison several times.  Then I had them repeat it one by one in turn around a small circle.  I always called on her in turn, waited just a second or two, and then went on to the next child without comment.  Most of the time, she would silently do group activities such as art or manipulatives.  If she did not, she was allowed to sit near me or the aide.  She gradually became more comfortable with me and finally allowed me inside her body space.  She would inch closer and closer to me when the children were singing, playing games or doing other physical activities.

At Thanksgiving, we did a little play in the auditorium with the other classes.  She seemed genuinely frightened that she might have to participate.  The size of the room was probably overwhelming.  The other children were marching in a circle singing a song when the advice giver came over to me scowling and told me that I needed to make her “get up there with the others.”  By this time the child was almost behind me and very close.  I just shook my head and told my associate, “She is OK here beside me.”  The woman was not happy, but I felt that forcing the little girl to do this might possibly result in physical resistance on her part and further traumatize her.  I felt it would negate whatever comfort she had with me.

The aide would often try to coax her in Spanish to participate, but she would just look down at the floor.  The aide took her cues from me and did not push her to do anything.

Her mother was concerned that this might be a permanent thing.  I assured her that her daughter was learning by observation and could do nonverbal skills well.  I had no clue where this was going, but I did not want to discourage the mother.  Each week I gave her the English words we were working on so they could practice at home.  Fortunately, the mother had a good understanding of English.

About a month before the end of the school year we had a breakthrough.  The child very quietly came up to me and whispered a request.  I was stunned, but I did not show it and acted like it was an everyday thing, not something new.  My instincts told me that if I called attention to it, she might go mute again.  She gradually spoke more and more.  I was unsure how to handle the reaction of the children.  They watched me closely and I decided on an attitude of “we are really happy that (name) is talking in the room.”  Again, I did not make a big deal of it.  She knew that we were all proud of her, but I did not want to embarrass her as she did not like attention.

During the last week of school, my aide paid me the greatest compliment of the year.  She said, “I have been thinking.  May I tell you something?  I think that if (name) had been in the other room instead of in ours that she would never have talked.”  I thanked her and gave her credit for her help.  I don’t think that she realized how deeply I appreciated that comment.