Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Psychology (Ph.D.)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Mark D. Terjesen

Second Advisor

Lauren Moskowitz

Third Advisor

Imad Zaheer

Abstract

Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder characterized by the consistent failure to speak in specific social situations, despite the ability to effectively communicate in other settings. School professionals play an important role in identifying and supporting students with SM; however, previous studies suggest that knowledge of SM among school professionals is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine school professionals’ knowledge of SM compared to their knowledge of two other more common childhood disorders – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This study investigated whether knowledge of ADHD or SAD was a stronger predictor of SM knowledge and whether other factors such as professional role and prior training had any influence on SM knowledge. A total of 151 school professionals, including school psychologists, social workers, general and special education teachers, speech and language pathologists and school counselors participated in a series of online surveys. Participants completed the Selective Mutism Survey (SMS), Knowledge of Attention-Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS), and Knowledge of Social Anxiety Disorder Scale (KSADS), which evaluated their understanding of each disorder. Results showed that overall knowledge of SM was low across all professional roles and was significantly lower than ADHD knowledge but similar to SAD knowledge. ADHD knowledge was a stronger predictor of SM knowledge than SAD knowledge, which suggests that school professionals may be more familiar with disorders that have a direct impact on classroom functioning. Significant differences were not found across professional roles although school psychologists did demonstrate greater knowledge when compared to other mental health professionals within the schools. Previous training on SM was not associated with higher knowledge, highlighting a possible gap in professional development initiatives. These findings highlight the need for enhanced SM training for school professionals to enhance early identification, referral, and intervention efforts. Given school professionals role in supporting students, targeted professional development would help bridge the knowledge gap and lead to better student outcomes.

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