Mini-Community is a space where people who have been touched by the selective mutism process come together.
As a family going through this process, we sometimes felt alone.
My family tried to reach other families going through the same process, and sought therapists who had worked in this field.
We saw how important teachers' support is in the selective mutism process.
For my brother's comfortable speaking exercises,
we first informed the places, then went together with my brother.
I read the menus at restaurants for him, and for a long time he whispered his orders in my ear and I placed them.
Over time, my brother started placing my order too.
For us, the most important criterion at restaurants wasn't the food — it was the ordering process.
At the grocery store, my brother asked a store employee where the milk section was for the first time, in a very quiet voice.
While the employee — whom we had informed about my brother's process beforehand — was showing where the milk was,
he answered the question "How many glasses of milk do you drink a day?" by showing his fingers first.
Then, another day, he asked where another product was in a louder voice.
We prepared small survey questions together with my brother to ask people on the street.
Sometimes they stopped and answered.
Sometimes they said "I don't have time" and walked on.
And sometimes there were those who were appropriate for my brother to hear his voice spoken aloud to strangers for the first time.
Nobody meant any harm,
but most people didn't know how they should act.
If we could have reached aware volunteers
who could communicate with the child without applying pressure,
this experience could have been much safer and more comfortable.
Mini-Community was born precisely from these needs in the process.
However, I am not an expert, and neither is my family.
Mini-Community does not offer treatment or solutions.
It exists only so that we don't walk this path alone.
It is open to everyone who wants to raise the voices of children with selective mutism, support the process, and walk this path together.
Mini-Community is a space where people who are touched by the selective mutism journey come together.
As a family going through this process ourselves, there were times we felt alone.
My family worked to reach other families going through the same journey and sought therapists experienced in this field.
We saw how important teachers' support is in the selective mutism process.
For my sibling to do comfortable speech exercises, we first informed the venues, then went there together as a family.
At restaurants, I would read the menu for my sibling. For a long time, they would whisper their order in my ear. Over time, my sibling started placing their own order. For us, the most important thing at restaurants wasn't the food — it was the process of placing the order.
At the supermarket, my sibling asked the dairy clerk for milk for the first time in a very hoarse voice. When we had previously informed the clerk about my sibling's process and they showed where the milk was, my sibling responded to the question "How many glasses of milk do you drink a day?" by pointing with their fingers first. Then, another day, they asked for a different product's location in a slightly louder voice.
My sibling and I prepared small survey questions to ask people on the street. Sometimes people stopped and answered. Sometimes they said "no time" and walked past. Sometimes there were even those who warned my sibling to speak louder, as it was the first time they heard my sibling's voice directed at strangers.
Nobody had bad intentions, but most people simply didn't know how to act. If we could have reached volunteers who were aware of this issue and could communicate with the child without pressure, this experience would have been much safer and more comfortable. That's exactly the kind of need Mini-Community was born from.
However, I am not a professional, and neither is my family.
In Mini-Community, no treatment or solution is offered.
It exists only so that no one walks this path alone.
It is open to everyone who wants to raise the voices of children with selective mutism, support the process, and walk this path together.
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