Abstract
This study aspires to describe psycho-educational support for Foundation Phase (FP) learners presenting with selective mutism (SM). As the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS -curriculum) requires that learners within the FP engage in speaking and listening activities in class. This process allows learners to be assessed both formally and informally to determine what the learner has learnt in class before, during and after a lesson. This poses as a major challenge, particularly for learners with SM, when analysing the speaking aspect of the assessment process. Therefore, it was imperative to illicit a response as to what psycho-educational support can be provided for FP learners presenting with SM?
Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety-based disorder that affects verbal communication in specific contexts, such as schools (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Children who experience the condition are commonly misperceived by their teachers as quiet, shy or even oppositional (Johnson, Jemmett and Firth, 2015). Due to this level of confusion around SM, there is a lack of clarity around the role which schools hold in supporting children with the condition.
A qualitative methodology approach was utilised with an interpretivism paradigm to understand the holistic support required by young learners presenting with SM. A phenomenological research design was used to examine the human experiences of the participants in this study who have been exposed to or/and treated learners with SM. Data was collected from in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews conducted with nine participants that were purposively sampled. Professionals, working with learners presenting with SM were selected and interviewed based on their expertise and experience in the field. The raw data was analysed through a thematic content analysis process which entailed transcription, and coding into themes.
Findings indicate that the underlying premise of SM is the anxiety component that manifests in unfamiliar environments or with unfamiliar people, suggesting that the underlying anxiety manifests as SM within different domains and contexts. These domains appear to be impacted and affected by the manifestation of the anxiety and affects the learner in school, class or in an unfamiliar environment.
Furthermore, the findings highlighted the importance of sensory integration and modulation and explored their influence on the therapeutic strategies used in supporting learners with SM. The role of relevant stakeholders pertaining to support and intervention was viewed from a systemic perspective which provided critical insight on the need for these interventions in an attempt to mitigate long term effects of the disorder especially when left untreated. The study contributes to the understanding of SM in FP and draws specific attention to the classroom environment. This was a key factor within the study as it looked into how SM affects the process of learning and assessment, hence there is a need for additional research pertaining to effective strategies to support learners from an educational standpoint. Based on the above the study highlighted the need for further research, targeted interventions strategies, the amendment of policies as well as an integrative support approach of all relevant stakeholders supporting learners with SM.