Unique Event Helps Rid the Silence for Kids with Selective Mutism

In the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, families from across the US will learn how to rid the silence" at the Second Annual SMG~CAN Family Retreat and Conference, hosted by the Selective Mutism Group~Childhood Anxiety Network (SMG~CAN). The event will take place July 11-12, 2003, at the Holiday Inn Select Bucks County, and conclude with a fun and educational family picnic at Willow Grove Picnic Grounds on Sunday July 13, 2003.

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) - In the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, families from across the US will learn how to rid the silence" at the Second Annual SMG~CAN Family Retreat and Conference, hosted by the Selective Mutism Group~Childhood Anxiety Network (SMG~CAN). The event will take place July 11-12, 2003, at the Holiday Inn Select Bucks County, and conclude with a fun and educational family picnic at Willow Grove Picnic Grounds on Sunday July 13, 2003.

Selective Mutism (SM) is a debilitating anxiety disorder. Children with SM cannot speak in social settings although they can speak normally in comfortable environments - usually at home. SM is more common than autism and other well-known disorders, but less well-known and less researched; the SMG~CAN is working to change this.

Most SM children demonstrate mutism in social settings when toddlers, but are assumed to be just shy". Upon entrance to school, many are misdiagnosed with autism, learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, or oppositional defiant disorder (because their silence is misinterpreted as refusal to speak). Some children with SM attend school for years without speaking a word and may be unable to communicate even nonverbally, which is stressful for the child and perplexing to parents and teachers.

SMG~CAN, a division of the non-profit organization the Childhood Anxiety Network, is the premier source of information and support for families and schools dealing with SM. SMG~CAN provides extensive information at its website, www.selectivemutism.org, and offers online chats, discussion forums, parent mentoring services, and advice from childhood anxiety experts.

SM can be overcome with proper treatment, but lack of awareness means that families often face years of struggle before finding help. Living with SM can be quite incapacitating. I began this effort more than ten years ago while desperately searching for help for my daughter," says SMG~CAN founder and President, Robert Helta. Now parents, treating professionals and school personnel can learn accurate and up-to-date information through our website and outreach efforts like our annual retreat."

This event provides a lifeline for people dealing with Selective Mutism and is the only event of its kind allowing children and adolescents with SM and their families and teachers to share needed information and support," says Dr. Christine Stanley, Executive Director of SMG~CAN. When parents and schools fully understand SM, we see real improvement. After last years retreat with over 220 attendees from around the country, we received many reports of children making remarkable progress, because the children and families began to see that there was hope."

Childhood anxiety experts presenting at this years conference include Dr. Deborah Beidel, co-Director of the Maryland Center for Anxiety Disorders, and Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, CEO and Executive Medical Director of the SMG~CAN, President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety Research and Treatment Center (SMART Center) in Philadelphia. The SMART Center conducts research on SM and offers therapy for children and consults for schools and medical professionals.

Anyone knowing a child diagnosed with SM, or a child who does not speak in select settings, is urged to attend. For more information, please view the conference details at http://www.childhoodanxietynetwork.org/sp/wel.htm or contact Becca Slade at sminfo@selectivemutism.org, or 215-887-5748.

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