Situational / Selective Mutism – Key Guides & Toolkits

1. Bucks Healthcare NHS Trust – Situational Mutism: Settings & Parents Pack (PDF)

A widely used UK guide with strategies for schools, graded exposure, and communication supports.
🔗 https://www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/cyp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/11/Situational-Mutism-Settings-and-Parents-Pack_V3.pdf

2. MoodCafe / Health & Social Care Partnership – SM Toolkit for Young People & Families (PDF)

A practical, family-friendly toolkit including anxiety supports and “sliding-in” steps.
🔗 https://www.moodcafe.co.uk/media/2a3llqck/situational-mutism-families.pdf

3. Solihull Council – Situational Mutism Information Pack (PDF)

Clear explanation of situational mutism, school strategies, and key do/don’t guidance.
🔗 https://www.solihull.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-10/Situational-Mutism-Information-Pack.pdf

4. SMIRA – Information for Professionals

Specialist national charity offering training, leaflets, and expert guidance.
🔗 https://www.selectivemutism.org.uk/information/information-for-professionals/

5. Here to Help (SJOG) – Situational Mutism Fact Sheet (PDF)

Short overview linking mutism with sensory overload and autism.
🔗 https://here2help.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Final-Situational-Mutism.pdf

6. Aberdeenshire Council – Selective Mutism Practice Guidelines 2024 (PDF)

Comprehensive practice guidance with step-by-step intervention plans.
🔗 https://asn-aberdeenshire.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Selective-Mutism-Aberdeenshire-updated-2024.pdf

7. NHS East Sussex – Selective Mutism Factsheet (PDF)

Simple downloadable factsheet for parents and early years settings.
🔗 https://www.eastsussexchildren.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Selective-Mutism.pdf

Autism & Communication Resources (UK)

8. Autism Education Trust (AET) – Good Autism Practice Resources

Evidence-based training and school-friendly strategies for communication needs.
🔗 https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/resources/

9. National Autistic Society – Communication Differences

Clear overview of expressive, receptive, and social communication differences in autism.
🔗 https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/communication

10. Speech & Language UK – Understanding Communication Needs

Parent-friendly guidance explaining why some children may struggle to speak in certain environments.
🔗 https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/resources/

Anxiety & Emotional Regulation Tools

11. YoungMinds – Anxiety in Children

Helpful for parents wanting to understand anxiety-based communication barriers.
🔗 https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/anxiety/

12. Anna Freud Centre – Helping Children with Anxiety

Research-backed advice on supporting emotional and communication shutdowns.
🔗 https://www.annafreud.org/parents-and-carers/self-care-for-parents/

13. Zones of Regulation – Official Resources

Useful for schools supporting children whose anxiety affects speech.
🔗 https://zonesofregulation.com/resources.html

Educational & School-Focused Support

14. Worcestershire Speech and Language Therapy – Selective Mutism School Advice

Short, accessible guidance for teachers and SENCOs.
🔗 https://swft.nhs.uk/application/files/2115/4595/9280/Selective_Mutism.pdf

15. NHS Northern Care Alliance – Selective Mutism School-Aged Pack (PDF)

One of the clearest UK guides for planning classroom intervention.
🔗 https://www.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2022-05/Selective%20Mutism%20pack.pdf

Key Professional Authority

16. Maggie Johnson & Alison Wintgens – The Selective Mutism Resource Manual (2nd Ed.)

Often described as the “gold standard” text in the selective/situational mutism field.
Maggie Johnson is widely considered a leading expert — almost a guru — in SM practice. Her work has transformed how clinicians and schools understand anxiety-based communication shutdowns. She pioneered gentle, evidence-based approaches such as graded exposure and the “sliding-in” technique, now used across the UK.
🔗 https://www.selectivemutism.org.uk/information/information-for-professionals/