Selective Mutism {Beginning the Journey}

Today was our first "therapy session" for P-man's Selective Mutism. {Read more here about this diagnosis.} I was nervous but didn't want to show it. I remained as calm as possible as not to let on to something. I didn't know how it would go, what would happen, what questions might be asked, if P-man would talk (although I knew he most likely wouldn't), and how this would all possibly come together!

Ms. Judy (the behavioral therapist) started off by just asking simple questions and sort of letting the kids (it was a family session first so all 5 of us were in the room) talk to her, which Sweetie did the most of! Ms. Judy asked questions like 'What makes your family special?', and 'What kinds of things could make your family more special?'.

We then were able to just sit and draw with the kids. The topic was 'what was the most fun thing you have done as a family?' The kids decided the camping trip we took this summer was the most fun. So we drew a picture of the camper and the tent. P-man made sure to put important details on the picture (like writing '4x4' on our friends truck and drawing certain people with gender-appropriate colors). A-man focused on the rain and Sweetie just wanted to draw the 'cool' (aka: pool). We then asked the kids what the best part of camping was and P-man drew, in great detail, the tractor ride we went on.

It was a good session and I'm sure what we did today will all come together somehow, I'm just not sure how, yet. I guess that's the way life goes though, we don't always see why we are doing specific things until later in the process. Some questions and actions will not be answered for here on this earth, but instead we will have to wait until Heaven to know and understand those answers.

I'm pretty sure I will see the reasons for today's session come to fruition in the coming weeks and months. Maybe it was just to relax P-man and get him used to the office. Some of it was to see how he interacts with his family (that is what Ms. Judy said it was mainly about). Maybe, it was just to get to know us better as a family and see where our interests lie so Ms. Judy can better serve P-man in his therapy.

Prayers during this time would be greatly appreciated. We hope to see improvements sooner rather than later but trust God's plan is the best plan.