selectivemutismcenter.org

What It Is

SMart Center is a specialty clinic in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, USA, focused on selective mutism, social anxiety, and related communication challenges. It is closer to a “therapy + parent training + school professional training” system than a typical online course platform. Its key figure, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, is a board-certified physician specializing in selective mutism. The site states that she has helped children, adolescents, and adults worldwide for more than 30 years and created the S-CAT® Social Communication Anxiety Treatment approach.

Core Programs and Services

The organization’s flagship program is CommuniCamp™, designed for children and adolescents with selective mutism, social anxiety, extreme shyness, or related social communication difficulties. It uses an intensive in-person group therapy model and simultaneously includes parent education, training, and support. Before attending the camp, families typically need to complete a selective mutism evaluation/interview to review medical history, current symptoms, contributing factors, and appropriate group placement. In addition, the website lists individual therapy, telehealth, parent coaching, virtual group activities, assessments, non-SM psychological consultation, webinars, and podcasts.

School Training and Certification

School services are a major feature of the organization, including school consultation, classroom observations, and on-site or online teacher training. The center can also provide reports and recommendations regarding a student’s communication stage, causes of SM, classroom interventions, and support for 504/IEP plans. SMart Center is also approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to provide professional development programs for school psychologists.

Pricing

Pricing transparency is relatively good. The pre-CommuniCamp™ selective mutism evaluation/interview costs $595; the in-person camp of 3+ days costs $2,495, with a non-refundable $500 deposit required and the remaining balance due 30 days before the program. The organization states that it is out-of-network with all insurance providers, but can provide receipts for families to attempt reimbursement on their own. It also offers sliding-scale fees and limited camp funding for eligible families.

Pros and Cons

The main advantages are its high level of specialization, strong founder credentials, and services covering assessment, therapy, parent training, and school collaboration—especially suitable for cases that require coordinated intervention from both family and school. The downsides are that the core camp requires in-person participation, which means high travel and time costs for families in China; on-site school services are also limited to certain U.S. states; the site does not indicate Chinese-language instruction or Chinese materials, and cross-border teletherapy is also subject to licensing restrictions.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is better suited to families of children and adolescents dealing with selective mutism, social anxiety, or extreme shyness, as well as school staff who want to learn intervention strategies. Users in China may try accessing its podcasts, web resources, or consultation services, but the text does not provide information on website connectivity in mainland China, so access status is unknown.