- 著者
- Hiroyuki Matsushita Maiko Okumura Takanobu Sakai Mae Shimoyama Shigeki Sonoyama
- 出版者
- THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
- 雑誌
- Journal of Special Education Research (ISSN:21875014)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.8, no.1, pp.11-19, 2019-08-31 (Released:2020-02-29)
- 参考文献数
- 23
- 被引用文献数
- 1 2
Several studies have been conducted on the prevalence of selective mutism. However, the subjects and methods differ between these studies, and no unified perspective has been achieved. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic investigation by school type and grade level of children with selective mutism enrolled in kindergarten, elementary school, and lower secondary school in Japan and to evaluate the prevalence of selective mutism. The overall enrollment rate for children with selective mutism, in a total of 73 public kindergartens and elementary and lower secondary schools was found to be 0.21%, with more female than male students (male-to-female ratio=1 : 2.1). The enrollment rate by school type was the highest for kindergarten (0.66%) and slightly decreased for the higher stages of education. The percentage of schools where any children with selective mutism were enrolled (called the school enrollment rate) was 39.7% for all schools and gradually increased from kindergarten to lower secondary school (at 46.7%). In this study, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition diagnostic criteria for selective mutism were employed, and schoolteachers determined selective mutism based on the criteria. The school enrollment rate obtained in this study supports the results of other studies and provides new insights into selective mutism. The limitations of this study include an insufficient number of samples and a failure to ensure adequate interpretive skill on the part of the respondents.
- 著者
- Hiroyuki Matsushita Maiko Okumura Takanobu Sakai Mae Shimoyama Shigeki Sonoyama
- 出版者
- THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
- 雑誌
- Journal of Special Education Research (ISSN:21875014)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.9, no.1, pp.23-34, 2020-08-31 (Released:2021-02-28)
- 参考文献数
- 21
Previous studies have not fully identified the areas in which children with selective mutism face difficulties in school and the support they are given. A survey was conducted in this study among teachers serving at different tiers of education (kindergarten, elementary, and lower secondary school) to ascertain the teachers’ views on the extent of the difficulties children with selective mutism face in-school activities, and their views on the in-school support the children require. What the difficulties faced by children with selective mutism generally have in common is that they occur during activities and in settings requiring speech based on the results of this study. However, individual differences are also shown, particularly in elementary and lower secondary schools. Indications are that support systems involving coordination inside and outside of schools are required and are presently inadequate. Better systems will be required in the future, including the use of special needs education coordinators and the assignment of experts with high levels of expertise. In addition, encouraging understanding among classmates is an effective step despite the difficulties involved, and the development of such programs should be sought. These show that support is required to provide places where children with selective mutism can feel comfortable.