Unspoken Words: A Selective Mutism Podcast by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum

Dr Elisa Shipon-Blum speaks with parents of teenagers with Selective Mutism and answers some of their questions. The discussion is moderated by CommuniCamp Director and Outreach Coordinator LisaMarie Vargas. Thank you to both parents who joined the show and for engaging in a thoughtful discussion with Dr. E and LisaMarie! Topics: (00:27) Participant introductions (1:16) How is treatment different...

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum welcomes Jennifer Brittingham, LPC back to the podcast to discuss the general approach to providing effective school-based accommodations and interventions and why it’s important to have them. Just like past episodes when Dr. E and Jen get together, the two long-time colleagues cover A LOT of material. Timestamps: (1:43) The Importance of Accommodations and Training (6:49) Ap...

This bonus episode features a live Q&A panel that was recorded at a recent CommuniCamp. In this episode, Dr. Elisa Shipon Blum moderates a five-guest panel of former patients and parents of patients who share their journey overcoming Selective Mutism. The Q&A panel is one of our most popular sessions at CommuniCamp. It offers camp attendees much needed support and hope. - Timestamps: (1:17...

The holiday season is here! Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum sits down with co-host Alex Collins to answer some 'Ask Dr. E' questions on how to best prepare yourself, child or teen heading into the holidays. (0:00) Intro (1:37) Prepare your child/teen for the holiday season (4:35) Communicating with relatives (19:01) Holiday parties  (29:35) School performances / shows (32:37) Overall communication s...

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum welcomes Jennifer Brittingham, LPC, back on the podcast to discuss the prevalence of eating, sleeping, toileting, and behavioral difficulties associated with Selective Mutism – otherwise known as the ‘Quad’. Get out your pen and paper, because this 99-minute episode is jam-packed! (0:00) - Intro (1:19) - What is the QUAD (4:07) - Results from the SMart Center's study on t...

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum uses this month’s podcast episode to explain the reasons to consider the use of medication as an adjunct in the treatment of Selective Mutism. The SMart Center receives questions on this topic all the time. “Should I use medication?” “For how long should I use medication?” “What type of medication should I use?” “What’s the dosing of medication to use?” “When can I ween off?”...

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum welcomes Jennifer Brittingham LPC, a SMart Center lead clinician and school consultant to the podcast to discuss all things back to school! From preparing your child/teen and their teachers, to the comfort-building strategies that help with progression of communication, to how to educate the school, to determining IEP & 504 plans, this episode is jam-packed! (2:01) - How...

We received A TON of questions after our two-part episode on The Social Communication Bridge® . So, we decided to record a BONUS episode and answer some of them! In this bonus episode, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum answers the following questions: (0:38) Because children with SM are not speaking, shouldn’t the emphasis be on helping them to speak, perhaps even offering incentives to speak? (6:37) My son’s...

The discussion on Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum’s Social Communication Bridge® continues . In Part 2, Dr. E and co-host Alex Collins discuss: How to ‘transition’ from nonverbal to verbal communication Key strategies used to ‘bridge’ a child or teen into speech, in the school environment. How to bridge up or down in social settings to reduce anxiety And much, much more! Ask Dr. E any questions you may...

Learn all about Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum’s popular visual tool, The Social Communication Bridge © .   The Bridge is used within Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT®), where Selective Mutism is understood as a social communication anxiety disorder. In Part 1, Dr. E and co-host Alex Collins discuss: How and Why the Social Communication Bridge® was developed How to determine an individual'...

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum continues her conversation with Board Certified Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist Vera Joffe Ph. D., P.A..  In PART 2, Dr. E and Dr. Joffe discuss: bilingual/multiculturalism being an immigrant social anxiety auditory processing and more! Ask Dr. E any questions you may have from the episode. Learn more about guest Vera Joffe, Ph. D., P.A.: http://www.verajoffe.com/...

Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum welcomes Board Certified Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist Vera Joffe Ph. D., P.A. to the podcast. Dr. E and Dr. Joffe chat about: The why's of Selective Mutism Factors that can lead to the development and maintenance of Selective Mutism, such as, speech and language, timidity, sensory processing, etc. Strategies and treatment recommendations Ask Dr. E any questi...

Welcome to Unspoken Words: A Selective Mutism Podcast By Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum! Before we launch,  listen to this trailer to get an idea of what to expect from Unspoken Words. Dr. E can't wait to share her knowledge on this podcast with the world!   To learn more about the SMart Center, please visit  http://www.selectivemutismcenter.org

On this episode of Unspoken Words , Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (‘Dr. E’) goes into detail about the philosophy and strategies that make up S-CAT®, her evidence-based Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® approach. Dr. E also unpacks the WHYs of Selective Mutism that are essential to understanding what is causing and maintaining the condition. This whole person approach respects an individual’s unique...

In the very first episode of Unspoken Words, Dr. Shipon-Blum describes how she got to where she is today and why Selective Mutism (SM) is such a misunderstood diagnosis. She introduces herself, as well as, her cohost for this episode, Alex Collins, who is a former patient of the SMart Center and a current intern for Dr. E. Topics discussed in this episode include: how Dr. E personally views SM thr...