Research on tools and toys that support children with selective mutism in their interaction with others

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20939
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H05743 (2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2018)
• Review Section: :Education and related fields
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: Okumura Maiko 信州大学, 学術研究院教育学系, 助教 (60824919)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-08-24 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 場面緘黙 / 選択性緘黙 / 対人関係 / コミュニケーション / 教材 / 玩具 / 情緒障害 / 特別支援教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Selective mutism shows difficulty in building interpersonal relationships, but interaction between children is essential for promoting speech and preventing secondary disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine how to utilize it in the educational field in Japan by 1) investigating tools and toys in North America and the United Kingdom that support interpersonal relationships, and 2) conducting teacher training using them.
The surveyed tools and toys had the characteristic of having a low communication load, in which players called out the name of the object, asked and answered questions with yes or no, or asked questions with template-based expressions. In the teachers' training session, it was shown that even non-experts can be used in various learning places and activities for a wide age range of children. In the future, it is thought that the tools and toys will contribute to enhancing support for children with selective mutism at school.

Free Research Field

特別支援教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

場面緘黙の支援においては発話の基盤となる対人関係上の困難を解消することが先決であるが、教育的配慮としては授業内容や方法の調整、他児への理解啓発に留まり、子ども間の相互作用促進に対して具体的な方策は示されていない。
本研究では、北米や英国といった研究先進国においてクリニック等の発話治療の文脈で使用される教材や玩具が、わが国の教育場面における子ども間の相互作用促進にも援用可能なことが示されたことに大きな意味がある。実際に使用した教師からは、多様な場（通常学級、通級指導、特別支援学級等）で、多様な活動（教科、学級活動、自立活動等）での使用が見込まれ、今後の場面緘黙教育の充実が期待される。