Elective Mutism: A Handbook for Educators, Counsellors and Health Care Professionals

268 Pages·1994·5.182 MB·English

by  Norman H. Hadley (auth.)

ELECTIVE MUTISM
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION
VOLUMES
Series Editor:
R.Malatesha Joshi, Oklahoma State University, US.A.
AdvisoryBoard:
Alfonso Caramazza, TheJohns Hopkins University, US.A.
George Hynd, University ofGeorgia, US.A.
C.K.Leong, University ofSaskatchewan, Canada
JohnMarshall, University ofOxford, UK.
Gabriele Miceli,UniversitaCattolica DelSacro Cuore,Italy
Loraine Obler, City UniversityofNew York, US.A.
Sandra Witelson, McMaster University, Canada
The purpose of the Neuropsychology and Cognition series is to bring out volumes
that promote understanding in topics relating brain and behavior. Itis intended for
use by both clinicians and research scientists in the fields of neuropsychology,
cognitive psychology,psycholinguistics, speech and hearing, as well as education.
Examples of topics to be covered in the series would relate to memory, language
acquisition and breakdown, reading, attention, developing and aging brain. By
addressing the theoretical, empirical, and applied aspects of brain-behavior
relationships, this series will try to present the information in the fields of neuro
psychology andcognition inacoherent manner.
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesare listedattheendofthisvolume.
NORMAN H. HADLEY
DepartmentofEducationalPsychology, Memorial University ofNewfoundland,
St.John's,Newfoundland,Canada
Elective Mutism:
A Handbook for Educators,
Counsellors and
Health Care Professionals
Springer-Science+Business Media, B.Y.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hadley, N. H. (Norman Harvey)
Elective mutism a handbook for educators, counsellars, and
health care professionals I by Norman H. Hadley.
p. cm. -- (Neuropsychology and cognition ; 5)
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
1. Mutism, Elective. I. Title. II. Series.
[DNLM: 1. Mutism--in infancy & childhood. 2. Mutism--psychology.
3. Mutism--therapy. 4. Psychotherapy--methods. 5. Socia1
Environment. W1 NE342DG v. 5 I WM 475 H 1312e 1994J
RJ506.M87H3 1994
618.92'84--dc20
DNLM/DLC
for Library of Congress 93-27859
ISBN978-90-481-4306-1 ISBN978-94-015-8283-4(eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-94-015-8283-4
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© SpringerScience+BusinessMediaDordrecht1994
OriginallypublishedbyKluwerAcademicPublishersin1994.
SoftcoverreprintofthehardcoverIstedition1994
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyrightowner.
Lovingly Dedicated to My Wife, Catherine
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD xv
PREFACE xxi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xxv
CHAPTER 1. ELECTIVE MUTISM: NATURE AND CHARACTER-
ISTICS I
Historical Introduction 1
Reluctant Speech 1
Elective Mutism 2
Symptom Functions of Elective Mutism 3
Childhood and Adolescent Elective Mutism 4
Progressive Mutism 5
CHAPTER 2. PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS OF SILENCE 6
Grammatical Pauses 6
Non-Grammatical Pauses 6
Decision-Making Silences 7
Rate of Speech Production 9
Silence-Speech Ratio 9
Discussion 9
Conversational Rhythms 10
Turn-Taking in Group Conversations 13
Discussion 14
Visual Behavior in Turn-Taking 14
Discussion 15
Gender Differences in Conversational Style 17
Identifying Interruptions 17
Support and Elaboration as Interruption 18
Topic Change as Interruption 19
Duration of Speaking Episodes 19
Differences in Meaning Attributed to Utterances 19
Listening Styles 20
Matching Problems 20
Suggestions 20
Tag Questions 21
vii
viii TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mime: The Universal Language of Silence 21
Discussion 22
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNICATION AND ELECTIVE MUTISM 24
Synonyms of Silence 25
Language Development 25
Functions of Conversation 25
Silence of Anonymity and Confidentiality 26
Therapeutic Uses of Silence 27
Therapists' Experiences of Clients' Silence 27
Practitioners' Responses to Silence 28
Persistent Silences 29
Messages Conveyed by Therapists' Silence 29
CHAPTER 4. PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ELEC-
TIVELY MUTE PERSONS. PART 1 30
Physical HealthlIllness 30
Interplay of Geography and Language of Origin 31
Disparity of Physique 31
Mouth Trauma 32
Discussion 32
Persons to Whom Electively Mute Persons Speak 33
Discussion 33
Telephone Use 34
Sound of Elective Mute's Own Voice 34
CHAPTER 5. PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ELEC-
TIVELY MUTE PERSONS. PART 2 36
Identical Twins 36
Intellectual Assessment 36
Salient Characteristics of the Mother 37
Use of Silence 37
Dependency 38
Passivity 38
Resentment 38
Behavior Management of Children 38
Dominance in the Mother 39
Family Secrets 39
Implications for the Development of Elective Mutism 40
Salient Characteristics of the Father 40
CHAPTER 6. PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ELEC-
TIVELY MUTE PERSONS. PART 3 42
Dependency 42
TABLE OF CONTENTS ix
Relation to Behavioral Inhibition 42
Stubbornness 43
Aggression 44
Protection from Other Problems 44
Family Problems 44
Sexual Abuse and Elective Mutism 45
Elective Mutism: An Integrative Response 45
Discussion 46
Reactions to Elective Mutism 47
Silence User's Response to Therapist's Verbalizations 47
Reactions of School Personnel 47
Discussion 49
Reactions of Peers 49
Physical and Nonverbal Presence in Elective Mutism 50
Discussion 50
CHAPTER 7. THEORIES OF ELECTIVE MUTISM 52
Introduction 52
Fear-Reducing Elective Mutism and Attention-Getting-
Manipulative Elective Mutism 52
Research 52
Discussion 54
Self-Desensitization Theory 55
Trauma Theory 56
Research 56
Bullying at School 57
Family Models of Communication 57
Observational Learning Theory 57
Family Secrets Theory 58
Note":': Rule-Governed Behavior 59
Self-Control Theory 63
Language-Vocal Differences Theory 64
~~~h M
Hostility Theory 64
~~~~ ~
Integration Theory 65
CHAPTER 8. FEIGNING THE SILENCE USER ROLE 66
Introduction 66
Inconsistent Responding 66
Overplaying the Malingered Response 67
Malingering and Defensiveness 67
Feigning a Behavioral Deficit 68
Note":': Deception in Children 68
x TABLE OF CONTENTS
Legal Aspects of Elective Mutism 70
Malingering 71
Relative Punishments for Speaking and Electing to Be Silent 72
Child-Adolescent Elective Mutism 72
75
CHAPTER 9. DIRECT OBSERVATION OF BEHAVIOR
Molar and Molecular Description 75
Interpretations 75
76
Identifying Behavioral Episodes
77
Types of Episodes
Reporting Observations 78
CHAPTER 10. SCATIER PLOT: APPLICATIONS FOR ELECTIVE
80
MUTISM
80
Introduction
80
Scatter Plot Construction
80
Scatter Plot Data
80
Interobserver Agreement
81
Charting
81
Visual Analysis of Scatter Plot Data
83
Self-Monitoring Produced Reactive Effects
83
Observing the Target Behavior in Another Person
83
Discussion
84
Treatment Planning
Recording Multiple Behaviors: Multiple Cell Scatter Plot
85
Technique
86
Discussion
CHAPTER 11. WHY-QUESTIONS: BEYOND DIRECT OBSERVA-
89
TION
89
Foci ofWhy-Questions
89
Surface and Contrasting Meanings 90
Therapeutic Use of Why-Questions 90
Adaptive and Defensive Functions
91
Interpretation as Translation
91
Interpretation as Creation ofMeaning
CHAPTER 12. ASSESSMENT OFELECTIVELY MUTE BEHAVIOR 93
Delay in Referral 93
Interviewing Electively Mute Persons 93
Discussion 94
Quantitative Measures 95
Direct Observation ofSpeaking Episodes ofElectively Mute
Persons 96