{"h1":"Your child's Selective Mutism AbilityScore: what to do next","faq":[{"a":"No. The score is a baseline picture of where your child stands today, not a severity verdict or a label. For Selective Mutism it mainly shows your clinician where speaking feels safe and where anxiety blocks it — and where to begin. Progress is measured against your child's own earlier baseline, never against other children.","q":"Does a low AbilityScore band mean my child's Selective Mutism is severe?"},{"a":"No. Selective Mutism is anxiety-based, so good therapy is gentle and pressure-free. We build comfort and confidence through small, safe steps, accepting gestures and whispers along the way, so speech returns naturally rather than being forced.","q":"Will therapy force my child to speak?"},{"a":"The sooner the better. Book a review with your Pinnacle clinician to turn the score into a personalised plan, begin gentle therapy, and bring your child's school on board for coordinated support — quiet, consistent support across settings is one of the strongest levers for progress.","q":"How soon should we start after getting the score?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-0-100-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism AbilityScore — what to do next","entity":{"key":"selective-mutism","kind":"condition","name":"Selective Mutism","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Emotional","value":"emotional"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Measure","value":"measure"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"score_band","label":"As 000 100","value":"as_000_100"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-300-400-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism: AbilityScore 300–400 Next Steps"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-100-200-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism: AbilityScore 100–200 — What To Do Next"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-500-600-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism AbilityScore 500–600: Next Steps"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-400-500-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism with an AbilityScore of 400–500: what to do next"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-900-1000-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism AbilityScore 900–1000 — What to Do Next"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-200-300-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism AbilityScore 200–300: Next Steps for Parents"}],"summary":"An AbilityScore is a starting baseline, not a verdict. For Selective Mutism it shows where speaking feels safe and where it doesn't — your next step is to sit with your Pinnacle clinician, turn the score into a gentle, anxiety-led plan, and begin pressure-free therapy with school on board.","answer_md":"*An AbilityScore in hand is not a verdict — it's the start of a clear, hopeful plan for helping your child find their voice.*\n\n## In short\nYour child's [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) is a structured, clinician-administered measure of where your child stands *today* across communication and related skills — a baseline, not a label. With [Selective Mutism](/), the number matters far less than what it tells your clinician about *where speaking feels safe and where it doesn't*. Your next step is simple: sit with your Pinnacle clinician to turn that score into a personalised plan, and begin gentle, pressure-free therapy.\n\n## Making sense of the score\nSelective Mutism (ICD-11 6B06) is an anxiety-based difficulty — your child *can* speak, and often does freely at home, but speech becomes locked in specific settings such as school. So the score is best read as a starting picture of:\n\n- **Where** your child speaks comfortably versus where words won't come\n- **How** they currently communicate in hard settings — gestures, nods, whispers\n- **Which everyday situations** cause the most anxiety\n- A **baseline** your child will be re-measured against, so progress is compared to *their own* earlier self, never to other children\n\nA lower band does not mean a harder road — it simply tells your clinician where to begin and how gently to pace each step.\n\n## What to do next\n1. **Book a review with your clinician** to translate the score into a plan with specific, achievable communication goals.\n2. **Begin gentle therapy** — for Selective Mutism this is anxiety-led and pressure-free; never forcing speech, but building it through small, safe, confidence-growing steps.\n3. **Bring school on board.** Quiet, coordinated support in the classroom is one of the strongest levers for progress.\n4. **Re-measure on schedule** so quiet, real gains become visible.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under the care of a qualified clinician — never from an online form or a number alone. Across 70+ centres and 25 million+ therapy sessions, our [speech and communication therapists](/speech-therapy) treat Selective Mutism as an anxiety to be eased, not a silence to be pushed through — pairing your child's [AbilityScore® baseline](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) with a warm, paced plan that helps voice return naturally. The goal is always the same: your child speaking freely, in more and more of the places that matter to them.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (6B06, Selective Mutism); American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) on selective mutism and communication support; American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on childhood anxiety; Pinnacle Blooms Network clinical studies.\n\n**Next step —** Turn the number into a plan. [Book a review with your Pinnacle clinician](/) and start your child's gentle path to speaking with confidence.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-0-100-what-should-we-do-next","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-0-100-what-should-we-do-next","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Selective Mutism AbilityScore: Next Steps","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Never pressure or quiz your child to speak in front of others. Instead, lower the stakes: play side-by-side, accept gestures and whispers warmly, and let speech come on their terms. Confidence, not force, unlocks the voice.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:36:00.237648+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-selective-mutism-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How Selective Mutism Affects a Child's Daily Life","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-selective-mutism-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Selective Mutism considered a disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-selective-mutism-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Selective Mutism Genetic or Hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-selective-mutism","title":"What are common myths about Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-types-or-levels-of-selective-mutism","title":"What are the types or levels of Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-selective-mutism-in-children","title":"What Causes Selective Mutism in 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Flag rising distress, withdrawal or refusal to attend school to your clinician promptly.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int","code":"6B06","label":"WHO ICD-11 — Selective Mutism"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — Selective Mutism and communication support"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren — childhood anxiety"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:36:00.237648+00:00","meta_description":"Your child's Selective Mutism AbilityScore is a starting baseline, not a label. Here's how to turn it into a gentle, clinician-led plan and next steps.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}