Selective mutism assessment advice

[Whitewalkernightwalker]

NC for this.
DC is in reception. I have suspected selective mutism for awhile now, going back to before school. She says she is scared to talk in front of the class and rarely initiates social communication. She has a couple of friends and will play/talk in context, on a limited basis. She will talk with teachers (eg reading) but otherwise has limited eye contact. She is a different person at home. I don't know when school services will see her, I am trying to find out with no success.
Can anyone recommend a private therapist in London?

Are the teachers not helping you access support??

I have discussed with Senco/teacher, they agree it needs to be looked at but DC does not fit into high priority unfortunately. The SLT should be seeing her at some point but I have no updates on timeframes. I don't want to let it go longer and risk DC struggling further if left with no support.
Hence I will get some private input, but just want an opinion on whether I should go for SLT or psychologist, etc in the first instance, as we don't have a formal diagnosis. DC is wonderfully articulate at home, so I have no concerns over speech/language per se.

Funnily enough I have just returned from an NHS SLT appointment with my DS who is nearly 4 and due to start school in September.

Just thought I would share this with you in case it was any use in terms of expectations. About a year ago he stopped talking at nursery (he does 2 days a week) and for months didn't say a word, just nodded or shook his head, or did thumbs up or down. He would speak when I was there picking him up from nursery, and would even talk as normal to the adults and other children when I was there. At home there were no concerns over his talking, and with other children out of nursery etc, although he is shy if a stranger was to talk to him for example.

Gradually with the help of nursery he started whispering to one of his friends, then whispering to adults, and roaring with the toy dinosaur he takes there. He has now got to the stage where he is talking to all adults and children and is even participating in circle time which is amazing. They do say that he will still get blocked at times of anxiety and will find it hard to talk to them if he is upset about something.

Techniques we used - his keyworker came to our home to play with him (he still said nothing to her but talked to me in front of her). He was keen on a toy dinosaur at nursery which they allow him to take home with him and we do a diary of what he has been doing with the dinosaur with photos etc which his keyworker went through with him. Nursery were great at trying to reduce his anxiety and making sure there were activities that he particulalry enjoyed set up for when he arrived.

I am concerned this is going to repeat itself at school hence the SLT appointment today. I don;t know about in your area but for us (South West) they have no funding to offer any therapies other than advice for selective mutism. She checked his understanding was there which he did by pointing at various pictures. He didn't say a word to her when we were there, only spoke to me to whisper that he needed the toilet. But there was nothing more they could do other than to say to make sure that the SENCO is full informed before starting school and to try and reduce anxiety as much as possible surrounding school and ask all staff to do the same. No direct questions etc, no encouraging to talk and no making a big deal of it when he does talk.

Luckily his DS6 already attends the school so he is familiar with it and will hopefully have the same lovely teacher who he had who I can work with.

This is probably all no use to you but just wanted to say that private therapy definitely looks like the way to go by the seem of it.