Specialty
Selective Mutism
Steady, evidence‑based work with children whose voices go quiet outside the home.
You’re not the only one
Meeting you where you are
Selective mutism is an anxiety‑based condition, not defiance and not shyness. A child who talks freely at home and goes silent at school is not choosing the silence; speech is unavailable in that setting. Because it presents as compliance, it goes unrecognized for years. A quiet child who causes no trouble is graded, grouped, and assessed as though the silence were a measure of what they know. It is not. It is a measure of where they can reach what they know.
Most families arrive here after months of wondering whether what they’re seeing is a phase, a personality, or something that deserves a closer look. That question is worth answering carefully.
Understanding this
What families often notice
No two children present the same way, and the pattern matters more than any single moment. We look at what happens at school, at home, and in the spaces in between.
- Consistent failure to speak in specific settings (typically school) despite speaking freely at home
- Onset in early childhood
- Interference with academic and social functioning
If some of this sounds familiar, that is reason enough to have a conversation. It is not a conclusion, and it is not a diagnosis.
Our approach
How we work with this
Careful assessment paired with consultation to the school team so the child isn’t punished for a condition. Assessment establishes what the child knows using measures that do not require a spoken response, and documents where and with whom speech is available. I then consult with the school team on how participation is graded, how the child is assessed, and what accommodations belong in writing. Treatment of the anxiety itself belongs with a treating clinician, and I coordinate with them where a family has one.
- 1
Listen first
We start with your story before any measures come out.
- 2
Map the profile
Careful assessment of strengths, challenges, and context.
- 3
Translate findings
Plain-language framing your family and school can use.
- 4
Stay in it
Follow-through so recommendations become real support.
Nothing here is rushed. We move at the pace of the child in the room, and we say plainly what the findings do and do not support.
Modalities
The tools we draw on
Cognitive-behavioral framing
A structured, research-supported approach to changing what a child does and how they interpret it.
Neurodiversity-affirming lens
We describe how a brain works, not what’s wrong with it, and build supports around actual strengths.
Family-systems consultation
Children don’t change in a vacuum. The adults around them are part of the plan from the start.
School collaboration
Direct communication with teachers and IEP teams turns findings into daily classroom support.
What we help with
- School‑based accommodations
- Family coaching
- Communication supports
- Anxiety differentiation
Why families choose us
What makes this different
Independent and honest. We don’t soft-pedal findings or inflate them. Reports say what the data says.
Grounded in the research. Every assessment choice is tied to current cognitive and educational science.
Built with families. You’re a partner in the process from the first call to the last recommendation.
Strength-first, deficit-honest. We name what’s hard without losing sight of what’s working.
Questions parents ask
Frequently asked
No. Shyness is a temperament trait; selective mutism is a diagnosable anxiety condition.
Crescent Psychological Services
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Anxiety in School‑Age Children
Refusal, perfectionism, and the ways worry hides in a bright kid’s day.
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Neurodiversity‑Affirming Care
Assessment that respects who your child is, not what a checklist says they should be.
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Start with a conversation
Restore your peace.
You do not have to carry this by yourself. Tell us what’s happening, and let’s figure it out together.
Marcia Lynn Miller, LEP #3015 · Independent practice
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