Lily was diagnosed with Selective Mutism when she was four. Her parents struggled to find the proper help locally, mainly due to lack of awareness. "My advice to people with Selective Mutism is to be brave, to try new things, even when it's hard and don't ever give up." | Child Mind Institute

No one knew that she had Selective Mutism #messystories #storytime | Messy Stories

Lily had selective mutism — she had never spoken a lot, and her struggles intensified when she entered preschool. Her family came to the Child Mind Institute for an intensive treatment program called Brave Buddies. Afterwards, her mother said, she talked to more people in a week then she had in her whole life. Selective mutism, or SM, is a condition in which a child who is comfortable talking at home is unable to speak in other, more public settings, including school. You see kids with this anxi

Brave Buddies℠ is our intensive group behavioral treatment program designed to help children 3-12 years old with selective mutism speak in school and other public places. ⁣ ⁣ Due to COVID-19, our Brave Buddies summer program will be offered virtually. ⁣ ⁣ Sign up for our August program: https://childmind.org/center/brave-buddies/ | Child Mind Institute