Our Brave Voices

Our Brave Voices Empowering school teams & families across New England with expert support to help children with selective mutism find their brave voices.

Book your free intro call today: https://ourbravevoices.com/contact/

🟢 What Should You Do When Peers Answer for a Student with Selective Mutism?Here’s the tricky part: 💚Most classmates who ...
06/05/2026

🟢 What Should You Do When Peers Answer for a Student with Selective Mutism?

Here’s the tricky part: 💚

Most classmates who answer for a student with selective mutism aren’t trying to be unkind. In fact, they’re often trying to be helpful, supportive, or protective.

But when peers consistently speak for a student, it can unintentionally reduce opportunities for that student to practice using their own voice.

Our goal isn’t to eliminate support.

✨ Our goal is supported independence.

Here are a few school-friendly strategies:

✅ Gently coach peers: “Let’s give them a moment to think.”

✅ Structure turn-taking so everyone has a chance to participate.

✅ Use partner practice before whole-group sharing.

✅ Celebrate and reinforce when the student communicates directly—even if it’s a whisper, or a single brave word.

Remember: Every communication opportunity matters. Small moments of independence add up to big progress over time. 🌱

💬 Want simple ways to involve peers without increasing pressure? I’ve got you. ~Annie

🇺🇸 Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave service members who gave their lives in service to our country.Memori...
05/25/2026

🇺🇸 Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave service members who gave their lives in service to our country.

Memorial Day is more than a long weekend — it is a day of gratitude, reflection, and remembrance for the sacrifices made by so many families. ❤️🤍💙

As we spend time with those we love today, may we also hold space for the individuals and families carrying loss, memory, pride, and grief.

Wishing everyone a meaningful and gentle Memorial Day. 🇺🇸✨

🟢 What to Do When a Student with Selective Mutism Shuts Down After Being Called OnWhen a student freezes, looks away, go...
05/22/2026

🟢 What to Do When a Student with Selective Mutism Shuts Down After Being Called On

When a student freezes, looks away, goes silent, or appears “shut down” after being called on, it’s important to remember:

👉 Shutdown is often a sign of overload — not defiance.

For students with anxiety or selective mutism, being unexpectedly placed in the spotlight can trigger a nervous system response that makes speaking feel impossible in that moment. 💛

Instead of increasing pressure, we can increase safety while still supporting participation and growth. 🌱

✨ Helpful classroom supports:
• Reduce or heavily modify cold-calling
• Use preview systems (“I’ll come back to you in a minute”)

• Allow alternative response pathways when needed
• After a difficult moment, rebuild with a smaller, safer step next time

Progress happens when students experience success without overwhelm. Small, supported steps build brave talking over time. 🗣️💪

💬 Need low-pressure participation ideas that still support classroom expectations? I’m happy to share! ~Annie

✨ What To Do When a Student Doesn’t Respond to Attendance ✨This is one of the MOST common moments educators encounter wi...
05/08/2026

✨ What To Do When a Student Doesn’t Respond to Attendance ✨

This is one of the MOST common moments educators encounter with students who struggle to speak at school 💛

A student hears their name during attendance… and freezes.
No response.
No eye contact.
Sometimes panic.

The goal is NOT to remove the expectation entirely 🚫
The goal is to adjust the response pathway so the student can participate successfully ✔️

Here’s what helps 👇

🟢 Preview before attendance
“During attendance, you can say ‘here,’ wave, or give me a thumbs up.”

🟢 Offer response choices
Gesture → whisper → verbal response
(Communication exists on a ladder!)

🟢 Allow supported responding
A quiet voice near the teacher still counts.
Proximity and co-regulation matter.

🟢 Acknowledge effort — not volume
Instead of: “Say it louder.”
Try: “Nice job letting me know you’re here.”

These small shifts reduce panic while still supporting participation and brave communication over time 🌱

Students build confidence through repeated successful experiences — not pressure.

💬 Want a simple attendance support plan you can hand directly to teachers? I’ve got one.

✨ What “Brave Talking” Actually Looks Like ✨When we talk about brave talking, we’re not talking about big, bold, all-at-...
05/01/2026

✨ What “Brave Talking” Actually Looks Like ✨

When we talk about brave talking, we’re not talking about big, bold, all-at-once speech.
We’re talking about small, doable, steps that build confidence over time 💛

Here’s what that can look like in a school setting:

🟢 Speaking to a trusted adult during a quiet moment
🟢 Practicing a response with a peer before sharing with the group
🟢 Saying one word during attendance
🟢 Asking for help with a rehearsed phrase
🟢 Sharing an idea in a small group

These moments might seem small—but they are huge steps in building safety, trust, and communication 🌱

When school teams notice and support these steps, students don’t just “start talking”…
They build the confidence to communicate across people, places, and situations 🤝

💬 Curious what brave talking could look like for a student on your team? I’d love to help you think through simple, supportive next steps. ~Annie

🟢 Who Is the Keyworker? 🤝When supporting students with selective mutism, one question often comes up… who takes the lead...
04/25/2026

🟢 Who Is the Keyworker? 🤝

When supporting students with selective mutism, one question often comes up… who takes the lead?

✨ The keyworker is a consistent, trusted adult who helps guide the student’s communication plan across settings. And here’s the key 👉 this role is not discipline-specific.
An SLP, school psychologist, counselor, teacher, or other team member can step into this role.

💡 A strong keyworker:
• Builds a safe, supportive relationship
• Coordinates with the team and family
• Helps scaffold communication step-by-step
• Tracks progress and adjusts supports along the way
• Works from a thoughtful initial selective mutism evaluation
• Seeks consultative support from an SM expert to guide decision-making

🌱 With the right person in this role—and the right supports behind them—students can begin to grow their “brave voice” in a way that feels manageable and safe.

👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 It truly takes a team—and the keyworker helps keep everyone moving in the same direction.

👉 Curious how your team can identify (or support) a keyworker? Drop a comment or send a message—I’m happy to share ideas!

🟢 Expanding Across Listeners👉 Why talking to one person ≠ generalizationIt’s such an exciting moment when a student begi...
04/18/2026

🟢 Expanding Across Listeners

👉 Why talking to one person ≠ generalization

It’s such an exciting moment when a student begins using their voice with a trusted adult 💚 — but that’s just the first step, not the finish line.

For many students with selective mutism, communication is listener-specific. A child may speak comfortably with one person and still feel “stuck” with others. That’s not resistance—it’s anxiety doing its job.

✨ This is where your school team makes all the difference.
By thoughtfully and gradually expanding who the student talks to, we help build true, lasting communication across listeners and settings.

Think:
🌱 One trusted adult →
🌿 Add another adult →
🌼 Add a peer →
🌸 Add another peer →
🌻 Expand to a small peer group →
🌳 Expand into the classroom

Each step is intentional. Each success matters. 🌱

When we support students in expanding their brave voices across listeners, we’re not just building speech—we’re building confidence, connection, and access to their school day. 💫

“They’re participating. But are they communicating?”The Difference Between Participation & CommunicationIt’s easy to cel...
04/10/2026

“They’re participating. But are they communicating?”

The Difference Between Participation & Communication

It’s easy to celebrate when a student is participating in the classroom… 💛
They’re joining the group, completing their work, following along.

And yes—those are meaningful steps. 🌱

But here’s a gentle question for school teams:

👉 Are they participating… or are they truly communicating?

For students with selective mutism, participation can sometimes happen without verbal communication:
✔ pointing
✔ nodding
✔ completing written work
✔ staying engaged

And while these are important and brave steps… 💚
they are not the same as using their voice.

Our goal isn’t just presence.
It’s access.

Access to:
✨ asking questions
✨ sharing ideas
✨ building friendships
✨ showing what they know—out loud

We honor participation…
AND we intentionally build toward communication. 🌱

Because every student deserves the opportunity to use their voice at school. 💚

~Annie

When Progress Stalls… What Do We Do Next? 💭Sometimes, even with the best intentions, progress with selective mutism can ...
04/04/2026

When Progress Stalls… What Do We Do Next? 💭

Sometimes, even with the best intentions, progress with selective mutism can feel… stuck.
The student is participating.
They’re comfortable.
But their voice isn’t expanding across people or settings.

👉 This isn’t a student problem
👉 It’s a plan problem

When progress stalls, it’s often a sign that we need to adjust the support, not lower expectations or wait it out.

Consider:
✔ Are the steps too big?
✔ Do we need more structured exposure (not less)?
✔ Is there a clear plan to expand across listeners and settings?
✔ Are there any barriers to progress, e.g. unmanaged anxiety?

Progress with SM happens through small, intentional, supported steps.

If a student has been silent for weeks or months…
it’s time to gently shift the plan.

💚 We don’t wait for bravery.
We build it. ~Annie

Every Child Has Their Own Path to Progress 💛✨Progress with Selective Mutism doesn’t always look the way we expect it to ...
03/27/2026

Every Child Has Their Own Path to Progress 💛✨
Progress with Selective Mutism doesn’t always look the way we expect it to 🌤
When we picture success, we often imagine big, visible moments — a student raising their hand, answering out loud, or joining a group conversation. But for students with SM, the most meaningful wins often happen quietly, in the small spaces between fear and courage.
Redefining success means noticing:
✨ Eye contact for the first time
✨ A whisper where there was once silence
✨ Staying in the room instead of withdrawing
✨ Trying — even when words don’t come yet
These aren’t “almost there” moments… they are the progress 🌟
Research reminds us that anxiety-based communication grows through gradual, supported exposure — not leaps. What may look like “nothing” on the outside is often incredible bravery on the inside.
When we shift how we define success, everything changes:
💛 Pressure decreases
💛 Safety increases
💛 Brave voices have room to grow
Let’s celebrate every rung on the ladder — not just the top.
If you’re part of a school team, what small wins are you noticing lately? I’d love to hear what progress looks like in your setting. ~Annie🤍

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45 Portland Road STE 7 #124
Kennebunk, ME
04043

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