Overcoming Extreme Shyness
Part One: Overcoming Extreme Shyness
Is your child painfully shy? Or even worse, does she never speak in public? Imagine a young child who is typical in every way while he's at home with family - playing, talking, laughing. Then he gets to school and doesn't speak a word, or even look at anyone. What's worse, his parents may not even know about it!
Shyness comes in all forms, from the child who is just nervous talking around others, to the extreme condition called "selective mutism," in which children who are physically able to speak normally develop an incapacitating fear of speaking in certain social situations. Selective mutism, which was previously misinterpreted as deliberate silence, is now considered a social phobia that affects a child's ability to function in the world. We'll take you through the actual treatment for children with selective mutism, and show how they, as well as the more typical shy child, can be guided to successful verbal communication outside the safety of home.
