Browsing by Author "Jussila, Liisa"

Objectives. Selective mutism is a condition that develops during childhood. Selective mutism means a person’s inability to communicate in certain social situations, such as attending kindergarten. However, there are no extensive studies of people who deal with children with selective mutism on a daily basis. This thesis concentrated on early childhood educators’ experiences in interacting with children who have selective mutism. Furthermore, this thesis examined the participants’ perceptions on how selective mutism manifests in the early stages of a person’s development and in the environment of early childhood education. As well as their perceptions on diagnosing selective mutism and multi-professional cooperation. Methods. Eleven participants with a professional background in early childhood education participated in a semi-structured interview. The participants shared their own experiences and perceptions of the subject at hand guided by the frame of the interview. The recorded conversations where transcribed into academic material which was then processed with inductive analysis. Results and Conclusions. The participants experienced that the long-term nature of selective mutism, paucity of communication, and developing a relationship with the child caused challenges when working with selectively mute children. They felt that a broad professional and general knowledge of selective mutism helped them overcome these challenges. The interviewees agreed that selective mutism had a negative impact on the child’s opportunities to influence the matters that concerned them. Childhood educator professionals have a key role in identifying the symptoms of selective mutism in its early stages and intervening before it becomes a chronic issue for the child; therefore, childhood educators need systematic training and information about the disorder. The results of this thesis can be utilized when designing a more cohesive path to rehabilitation for children with selective mutism, planning education paths and implementing clinical cooperation with early childhood education professionals. Furthermore, the results indicate that the most effective way to prevent long term negative effects of selective mutism is to identify and deal with the problem early on in a child’s development. In addition, the results of this thesis indicate that rehabilitation measures during early childhood combined with a confidential relationship between the educator and the child are essential in overcoming selective mutism, so the child will be able to rehabilitate and communicate in kindergarten.