Understanding and Treating Selective Mutism will provide an extensive overview of selective mutism from a clinical perspective. This introductory seminar will describe diagnostic assessment, evidence-based treatments, and the role of school consultation in the treatment of selective mutism. Cultural considerations will be shared in addition to virtual treatment recommendations given the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Learning Objectives:
This workshop is designed to help participants:

1. List the diagnostic criteria for selective mutism and describe two common comorbidities.
2. Identify differences in symptom presentation in children versus adolescents.
3. Describe two evidence-based treatments for selective mutism.
4. Compile and prepare exposure hierarchies to increase brave behavior.
5. Describe three common school-based interventions for students with selective mutism.

About the presenter:

Dr. Kaitlyn Wilbur-Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Director of Selective Mutism Services at the Boston Child Study Center (BCSC). She specializes in the treatment of anxiety, mood, and disruptive behavior disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Dr. Wilbur-Smith is intensively trained in and provides evidence-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT). Dr. Wilbur-Smith is a Certified PCIT Therapist by PCIT International and is clinically trained in treatment adaptations for selective mutism (PCIT-SM) and anxiety (PCIT-CALM).

Dr. Wilbur-Smith earned a Master of Arts in clinical practices and a Doctorate of Psychology from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT. She completed an APA-accredited predoctoral internship at Franciscan Children’s in Brighton, MA followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Boston Child Study Center.

In order to receive CEs for this homestudy, the entire video must be viewed. There will be a quiz and an evaluation. Once those are completed a certificate will be distributed.