Unspoken Words: A Child's View of Selective Mutism
Sophia Blum is the daughter of the international expert, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum.  Sophia, or Sophie as many refer to her as, suffered from Selective Mutism during her earlier years. Rather than ignore and minimize her social communication anxiety, Sophie chose to 'embrace' her challenges by working hard to overcome her silence, but also by helping others.  She volunteered as a pen pal and authored the 'Ask Sophie' column on the SMart Center website and newsletters. Sophie speaks at national and local conferences to share her story. During high school Sophie worked in the SMart Center product purchasing department.  Sophie graduated with honors from Abington Friends School in June '12. She now attends Franklin & Marshall College and is pursuing a career in medicine. Sophie's Mom, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, is the President & Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety Research & Treatment Center (SMart Center) located in the Northern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  She is the Founder of the Selective Mutism Group (SMG) and a Director of the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI)  a foundation established to study Dr. Shipon-Blum's theories and treatment methodologies on Selective Mutism.  Dr. Shipon-Blum is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology & Family Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Dr. Shipon-Blum practices outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has developed the evidenced based treatment, Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT)®. She consults worldwide with families, treating professionals, and educators, and has helped thousands of children  overcome Selective Mutism. Dr. Shipon-Blum lectures throughout the country performs school evaluations and trainings for treating professionals, educators, and parents, and is considered one of the worlds leading experts in the treatment and understanding of Selective Mutism.  She has been a featured expert on national television programs such as 20/20, CNN, Inside Edition, and Good Morning America, etc. She he has been featured in TIME Magazine, People Magazine and has interviewed with newspapers such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Diego Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Palm Beach Post, etc. Dr. Shipon-Blum has authored research papers, numerous articles, books and produced DVD's on the topic of Selective Mutism. Dr. Shipon-Blum treats children at the SMart Center in the NE Suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.