Supporting Children with Selective/Situational Mutism (SM)
Understanding the child who speaks freely at home but goes quiet everywhere else.
Live Online| Friday 12 June 2026
10:30am AWST | 2 hours including Q&A Recording available after the event
Some children have so much to say. You see glimpses of it, the stories they tell at home, the questions they ask in the car, the way they light up when they're comfortable. And then they walk into school, or into your clinic room, and the words just don't come. Not because they don't want to. Because their nervous system won't let them.
This is what Selective Mutism looks like. And it is so widely misunderstood.
I've been wanting to bring this topic to our community for a while now, because I know how many of you are sitting with these children in your sessions wondering what to try next. So I'm really glad to be hosting Danielle Cottam, Speech Pathologist and founder of Selective Mutism Western Australia, for this introductory webinar. Danielle works exclusively with children and young people experiencing SM, and she brings close to two decades of experience and genuine passion for getting this right.
This session gives you a solid, practical foundation. You'll come away understanding what SM actually is, what's happening for the child at a nervous system level, and what you can do, across clinical, school, and community settings, to support them without adding to their distress. It's the kind of session that changes how you see these kids. And once you see it, you can't unsee it.
Warmly,
Di
Speech Pathologist and founder
Perth Hills Allied Health
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this webinar, you will:
Understand what Selective Mutism is, including the predisposing factors, anxiety responses, and environmental triggers that shape it
Distinguish between SM, shyness, and other communication differences so you can support children with confidence and accuracy
Apply practical, evidence-informed strategies to reduce distress and build communication confidence across clinical, educational, and community settings
Identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration between families, schools, and allied health professionals in supporting children with SM
Who it’s for?
This webinar is for you if you're supporting children or young people who communicate freely in some settings but go quiet in others, and you want to understand why and know what to do about it.
It's particularly well suited to:
Speech pathologists in private practice or paediatric settings who are seeing children with possible SM and want a clearer clinical framework
Early career therapists wanting grounded, practical guidance on an often-misunderstood presentation
Teachers, learning support staff, and school-based educators who work with children who are silent at school
Psychologists, occupational therapists, and other allied health professionals who collaborate with families navigating SM
📅 Friday 12th June, 2026
⏰ 10:30am - 12:30am AWST
💻 Live Webinar | 2 hours (includes 15 mins Q&A)
🎥 Recording available for 2 months
💲 $150 per ticket
Australia Time Zones
🕒 Event Time Across Australia
Tuesday 7 April 2026
10:30am AWST, Western Australia
12:00pm ACST, South Australia and Northern Territory
12:30pm AEST, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
When you register for this webinar, you will receive:
✔ 2-hour live webinar access
Engage in real-time learning with practical, clinically relevant content.✔ 15-minute live Q&A session
Opportunity to ask questions and explore real-world clinical scenarios.✔ 2 months access to the recording
Revisit the content at your own pace or catch up if you can’t attend live.✔ CPD certificate of attendance
To support your professional development requirements.
Cost: $150 (incl. GST)
About Danielle Cottam
Danielle Cottam is a Speech Pathologist with close to two decades of experience supporting children and families across the UK and Australia. She now works exclusively with individuals experiencing Selective and Situational Mutism through her private practice, Selective Mutism Western Australia (SMWA).
What makes Danielle's work stand out is her commitment to building communication comfort from the ground up. She works closely with families, schools, and allied health teams to create safe, engaging environments where children can develop confidence in their own time, on their own terms. Her approach draws on a range of therapeutic frameworks and always centres the child's unique communication profile.
Selective Mutism is a widely misunderstood area of clinical practice, and Danielle is passionate about changing that. She shares her knowledge through workshops, online programs, and conferences, and this webinar is a brilliant opportunity to learn directly from someone who lives and breathes this work every day.
You can follow Danielle's work via Selective Mutism WA on Facebook and @selectivemutismwa on Instagram.
I can't attend the live session. Will I still get access?
Yes. All registered attendees receive access to the full session recording after the event, so you can watch in your own time.Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasize this text with bullets, italics or bold, and add links.
Will the Q&A be included in the recording?
The Q&A recording will be included where all attendees have given permission.Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasize this text with bullets, italics or bold, and add links.
Will I receive a CPD certificate?
Yes. All registered attendees receive a CPD certificate of attendance after completion of the event.
Is this suitable for early career therapists?
Absolutely. This is an introductory webinar designed to build foundational knowledge, so it's a great fit whether you're just starting out or coming back to refresh your understanding of SM.
Is this only relevant for speech pathologists?
Not at all. This session is designed for allied health and education professionals, so teachers, school staff, OTs, psychologists, and other clinicians will all find it relevant and practically useful.
What platform will the webinar be delivered on?
Zoom
You’ll feel at home here if:
This is a learning space built on warmth, honesty, and genuine clinical curiosity. There are no silly questions here, only the ones we haven't had the chance to ask yet.
Danielle brings the kind of expertise that comes from years of real work with real children, and she shares it in a way that's practical, compassionate, and immediately useful. I know this community is going to get so much from her.
Come as you are. Leave better equipped.
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