Picture Books Speech Therapy Selective Mutism

Picture books are engaging tools for speech therapy with children with selective mutism.

updated 1/23 When we encounter a child with selective mutism, we can be tempted to use treatment approaches during speech therapy that view selective mutism as a knowledge deficit. This would mean we treat the child like they don’t know they have to use a loud voice-so we educate them. I’ve been there, done that, made that mistake in my speech therapy sessions. I’ve written social stories for these students on using a loud voice at school. Using this approach will most likely contribute to the child’s anxiety, not diminish it. A more meaningful approach, one that recognizes that selective mutism is an anxiety disorder, is to use picture books to establish a connection with the child and begin a conversation about the sources of anxiety for the child at school.

This blog post is about picture book intervention during speech therapy with children with selective mutism. Each book I feature has been independently selected and reviewed. If you make a purchase using the links included, I may earn a small commission. Looking to individualize your treatment plan or do a selective mutism screening or evaluation? Check out my set of informal evaluation tools to use when evaluating students for selective mutism. There are two versions: one for elementary and one for older students.

You might also find this prior post helpful School Accommodations for Children with Selective Mutism.

Why picture books for children with selective mutism?

Picture books about selective mutism can help the child feel less alone in their journey.
Picture books can be relaxing to a child with selective mutism and can be a non-threatening way to introduce the topic in speech therapy.
They can be used to help explain selective mutism to other children without making it a huge deal. The books should not be read to an entire class without careful consideration and the student’s permission!
Books can be a useful educational tool to teach other children how to communicate with the child with selective mutism. For example, the book “Charli’s Choices (link further on in post) can be used to teach other children how to use forced choices when they communicate with their friend. Have a friend join your student for speech therapy and read the book with them.
These books can be a great starting point to having a discussion with the child about the sources of their anxiety at school.

Here are five books written for children with the diagnosis of selective mutism.

My friend Daniel doesn’t talk

Author: Sharon Longo

Formats: Paperback and Kindle editions

This book can give your student (or parents of the child with selective mutism) hope that there is a child out there who is patient enough to be their friend. In the book, Ryan, an outgoing child, meets Daniel, a boy who is too afraid to talk in school or other places outside of his home. Ryan befriends Daniel, defending him in school to the other children. As their friendship grows, Daniel feels comfortable enough to talk to his new friend. Ryan’s tendency to ‘talk too much’ enables him to help Daniel in the classroom. This beautifully illustrated story book is for children with social anxiety or selective mutism. It is also a helpful tool for friends of children like Daniel to understand why these children are unable to talk in certain settings.

Maya’s Voice

Author: Wen-Wen Cheng

Formats: Kindle and paperback

Maya is a bright-eyed, inquisitive little girl who loves to share her sweet voice at home. She also loves the color, “red-pink.” When Maya starts school, she loses the confidence to use her voice and goes about her school day in silence. With time, patience and understanding, Maya progresses from using head nods and shakes to verbalizing yes and no to speaking to her friend at school!

Lola’s Words Disappeared

Author: Elaheh Bos

Format: Paperback

I love the whimsical illustrations in this book! Lola is a curious child who loves jokes and riddles. She is excited to start school but finds she is afraid to talk at school. Her cheeks get hot, her tummy sick and she feels a little scared. Now Lola must find new ways to give her words the courage to return. This book contains fun and practical introduction to different techniques of anxiety management, specifically used for children with selective mutism. There is also an accompanying activity book. This series explores six anxiety reduction and management techniques. Lola’s Words Disappeared was created in collaboration with Dr. Tamara Soles, Psychologist.

Charli’s Choices

Author: Marian B. Moldan, LCSW-R

by Sophia Blum(Author), Dr Elisa Shipon-Blum (Editor)

Format: paperback

This book is written by a teenager who suffered from Selective Mutism. The images and text may be more appealing to older children. This book is for children with Selective Mutism as well as for parents, professionals and teachers to help them understand a child’s unspoken journey. Sophia Blum is Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum’s daughter and wrote this book to help others understand. ‘Unspoken Words’ begins with a letter to children helping them to know they are not alone and others feel as they do. The book also includes a letter to parents, professionals and teachers reading the book as well with the goal of helping them understand what a child with SM feels like, may be wanting to say, but can’t regarding various social settings, such as in public, with guests at home, friends who visit and with teachers/peers at school. The bulk of the book includes well-written and insightful sayings that children may be saying or actions they may be taking and then explains what they really may be meaning.