Clinical trial NCT00554749: What Treatment Works for Children With Selective Mutism?
Official title: What Treatment Works for Children With Selective Mutism? A Treatment Pilot Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Selective Mutism
Keywords: Selective mutism
Children
Treatment
Lead sponsor: Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Ullevaal University Hospital
First posted: 2007-11-07
Enrollment: 7
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Maximum age (years): 9
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this pilot study is to explore the outcome of a manual based treatment for children with Selective Mutism

Detailed description: Objectives:

The main aim of this pilot study is to increase our knowledge on interventions for Selective Mutism (SM), a childhood condition characterized by a persistent lack of speech in specific situations despite the ability to comprehend and use language. A survey on the treatment offered this group in Norway 1997-2000 showed great variations in therapeutic approach and the overall outcome was poor. Correspondent with the notion of SM as a variant of social anxiety, several case studies have described successful treatments using behaviour techniques (BT's) such as stimulus fading and shaping. In addition, the author's clinical experience is that "defocusing in communication" (e.g. regulation of gaze contact; sitting beside instead of in front of the child, avoiding direct questioning, talking about interesting but impersonal topics) represents another important toil in getting the mute child to start talking. However, to date there are no randomized controlled SM treatment studies, and in fact we know little of what works best to help these children. Our research group has developed an assessment- and treatment manual for children with SM.

In this exploring pilot study referred children with SM aged 3-5 years (n=7) will be given an intervention according to the treatment manual. The intervention is conducted at home and in the kindergarten or at school and includes stimulus fading techniques with weekly sessions. Therapists will be members of the research group or local therapist under supervision.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Children with a clinical diagnosis of Selective Mutism (SM)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children with Mental Retardation (IQ\<50)
* Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
* Children with SM in active treatment
* Children with SM on medication
* Children whose parents are non-Norwegian speaking

Primary outcomes:
measure: School Speech Questionnaire (SSQ)
timeFrame: 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Number of Children Who Obtained the Different Treatment Modules (Level of Speaking;Level 1 Through to 6)
timeFrame: 6 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Oslo
country: Norway
facility: Centre for child and adolescent mental health, Eastern and Southern Norway
Study officials:
affiliation: Centre of child and adolescent mental health, Eastern and Southern Norway
name: Hanne Kristensen, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: