Hsiu-Ying Ransburg, MSW, LCSW, LCAC has the expertise and has successfully treated many children and teens with selective mutism.  She is the mother of a child who has successfully overcome selective mutism.  She is the international and Indiana State coordinator for selective mutism and is passionate about helping the children find their voices and their families find the hopes and solutions.

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Why Can’t My Child Talk in School? Is Shy Just Shy?    

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Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder, characterized by an inability to speak in certain social settings with people whom they do not know well, for example, school, restaurants, stores, and other public settings.  Children with selective mutism usually talk comfortably in some situations, often with their families at home.  This disturbance is often marked by high social anxiety, in fear of others hearing their voice and hyper-sensitive to the remarks or reactions from others. 

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Early intervention is key to remediation.  Waiting and hoping for the child to grow out of it will only reinforce the ingrained mute behavioral patterns.  Selective mutism requires holistic interventions and collaborative team approach with children, parents, teachers, mental health professionals, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and other school personnel. 

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Hsiu-Ying works closely with multidisciplinary team members, assisting them to strategize and implement the exposure practice of brave communication with a child in school and community. She is confident that selective mutism is a treatable condition and many children have successfully overcome it with effective treatment interventions. 

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Treatment Interventions Include but Are Not Limited to:

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• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

• Stimulus Fading

• Shaping

• Self-Modeling

• Non-Directive and Directive Play Therapy to Elicit Speech

• Systematic Desensitization

• Systematic Exposure-based Therapy

• Contingency Management

• Cognitive Behavioral therapy

• DirFloortime

• Relaxation, Social Skill, and Communication Trainings

• Motivational Interviewing

• Social Communication Anxiety Treatment (S-CAT)

• Coaching and Consultation