EP74: Is It SM, Autism, or Both? w/ Dr. Jenna Blum

Episode 74 of the Unspoken Words podcast features a discussion between Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and Dr. Jenna Blum, exploring one of the most frequently asked — and misunderstood — questions in the selective mutism community: Is it SM, autism, or both?

In the episode, Dr. E and Dr. Jenna break down the core features of each condition and explain why they so often look alike on the surface — while stemming from very different underlying causes. They discuss why the home environment is one of the most important diagnostic clues, how a child's motivation for peer connection can reveal whether anxiety or the social puzzle is driving their shutdown, and why the reason behind the silence matters just as much as the silence itself.

They also cover the critical distinction between comfort and skills — why children with SM have innate social know-how that anxiety blocks, while children on the autism spectrum often need those social skills explicitly taught. Additionally, they address masking, restricted interests, echolalia, and the initiation-versus-response dynamic that can look surprisingly different in the autism population. The episode closes with an overview of the SMart Center's evaluation process, including how the SME, ADOS, and ADIR tools work together to bring clarity to complex, overlapping presentations.

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(03:04) Is It SM, Autism, or Both? Introducing the Overlap and Core Features of Each Condition

(09:38) The Social Puzzle: How Motivation and Peer Interest Reveal What's Really Driving the Shutdown

(19:25) The Passenger in the Car: Why Social Communication Skills Must Be Taught, Not Just Unlocked

(28:42) Same Behaviors, Different Reasons: How to Distinguish SM From Autism Across Settings

(39:49) Masking, Misdiagnosis, and the Evaluation Process: What a Thorough Assessment Actually Looks Like

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/

Ask Dr. E a question of your own!

Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum

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For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠

This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)