Selective Mutism Outside of School Playdate: Go to Museum

• Who: Amy, talking buddy
• Location: Please Touch Museum
• Environment: A lot of movement, new experiences, different people, may be loud and chaotic
• Worry Level: 3
• Purpose: Have a playdate that is both interesting and new to Amy and her friend that doesn’t require a lot of talking
• What is Happening: Amy and her friend are at an interactive museum. The museum will have many fun activities the two can enjoy themselves with.

Strategy and Scene

• Keep Amy Busy - Allow the two girls to play with themselves and give them space
• Talking buddy - Set up a playdate with one of her friends to go together to the museum
• Create opportunities to talk - Make sure that Amy is comfortable and then let her and her friend be alone. “That statue looks very cool! Do you want to see it up close?”

“Please Touch Museum” is a renowned museum located in Philadelphia. What made this particular museum unique was that young children are able to play and touch everything that is displayed. Parents no longer had to push the children's’ hands away, saying “Don’t touch this” or “don’t touch that!”  

In the summer, Amy went to the “Please Touch Museum”. She went on a weekday, because on weekends, the museum was very crowded; when there is a lot of people around, Amy tended to get anxious and shy around others. She brought her friend, Sophia, as a playmate. When they initially entered, they made a beeline to the “Alice in Wonderland” station, where they played hide and seek. “You first!” said Amy. Sophia giggled and ran away to hide while Amy turned her back and counted. “30 . . . 29 . . 28 . . .”

When Amy finally turned around, Sophia was nowhere to be seen. She walked around, searching and following Sophia’s voice. “Over here!” Amy immediately turned around, thinking about where the sound came from. When she continued to look for Sophia, she came across a tea party filled with strangely clothed animals. There sat a strange bunny with a large stopwatch hanging from his belt, along with many other animals. “Hey Sophia!” Amy exclaimed, “Come look at this tea party!” Sophia immediately reappeared and left her hiding place.

After “Alice in Wonderland”, Amy and Sophia visited “Please Touch Garden”, where lines of different plants and fruits filled the space. Amy and Sophia watered the plants and looked around at the variety of vegetables. “Look, a tomato! I love eating tomatoes” said Sophia. “Well, I love green peppers!” exclaimed Amy. Overhearing their conversations, the gardening manager came up to them and said, “You know what, these vegetables and fruits are watered by the children that come to this museum. When they are ripe and tasty, they are taken up to the ‘Please Touch Restaurant’ upstairs”. Amy and Sophia looked up at him in surprise and excitement. Immediately, they felt hungry, and subsequently, ran upstairs for lunch at the “Please Touch Restaurant”.

作者俊华,艾米妈 。 如有需要，加微信：junwang08837，艾米妈邀你进 “选择性缄默症家长分享群”。

选择性缄默症包括语言恐 Speech Phobia，感知障碍 Sensory Disorder, 社交恐惧 Social Anxiety 。 关键词： 孩子为什么不说话，孩子在外面不说话，孩子不敢说话，和陌生人不说话，社交恐惧，孩子在幼儿园和学校不说话，害羞，敏感，胆子小，懦弱，怕生，内向，没自信，固执，不敢吃饭，不敢去厕所，不敢和小朋友玩，，在家讲话，出门不讲话。只和爸爸妈妈说话， 不敢参加集体活动。