Treatment of elective mute behavior in two developmentally delayed children using modeling and contingency management

Most classification schemes differentiate elective mutism from language problems seen in the developmentally delayed population. Two preschool developmentally delayed children were treated for speech reluctance using modeling and contingency management. Employing a multiple baseline across therapists, it was found that these treatment components were effective in increasing frequency of labeling behavior in both children. Results were maintained at follow-up. Generalization to new words and to spontaneous speech were also noted, and suggest that characteristics of elective mutism in this population may be similar to what is found in the general population.