Using Communication Cards to Teach Greetings to an Elementary School Pupil With Selective Mutism

Abstract

In the present study, communication cards were used to teach an elementary school second-grade girl with selective mutism to express greetings and gratitude spontaneously in school. After the intervention, she spontaneously expressed greetings and gratitude to her teacher, student volunteers, classmates, and other teachers. Gestures, conversation by writing, and utterances were also observed; in other words, her communication modes were transformed. The guidance method used in the present study was assessed positively by the teachers and the girl's guardians. The present results suggest that guidance in communication using non-spoken language may be useful for students with selective mutism as a first step toward their making utterances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)