A youth-led awareness campaign
Every Voice Matters.
A friend-to-friend guide to understanding selective mutism and helping classmates feel safe, included, and heard.
What is Selective Mutism?
It's not shyness — and it's not a choice.
Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder where someone can talk easily in safe places, like home, but finds it very hard to talk in unfamiliar places like school, where they feel as though their voice is stuck. It is not something that “goes away with practice” — it eases over time with kindness, patience, and sometimes treatment.
Three simple ways to help
Learn. Include. Support.
Small, kind steps any classmate can take to help a friend feel safe at school.
Learn
Learn more about Selective Mutism and what it really is — an anxiety disorder, not stubbornness or shyness.
Learn moreInclude
Find gentle, no-pressure ways to welcome a classmate and help them feel part of the group.
Learn moreSmall actions can make school feel safer.
You don't need the perfect words. A warm smile, an open seat, and a little patience tell a classmate they belong here — exactly as they are.
Interactive activity
“What Would You Do?”
Step into real classroom moments and choose how to respond. Along the way you'll pick up simple DOs and DON'Ts and quick answers to common questions about selective mutism.
DO
- Smile, wave, or sit nearby so they know you are friendly.
- Include them in games and groups, even if they stay quiet.
- Give them time — a nod or a thumbs-up is a real answer.
DON'T
- Don’t say “Why won’t you talk?” or put them on the spot.
- Don’t speak for them or rush them to answer.
- Don’t make speaking a test they have to pass.
Are you a teacher or counselor?
Explore classroom-ready strategies, gentle communication tips, and trusted resources for supporting a student with selective mutism.
A Silver Award Project
This awareness campaign was created by a young person as part of their Girl Scout Silver Award — a project dedicated to making classrooms kinder and more inclusive for students with selective mutism.