The Selective Mutism Association’s annual conference will be on Saturday, October 5 (full day) and October 6, 2024 (half day) this year in Chicago, IL. It will be a wonderful time of gathering to learn the latest in evidence-based information, support one another, and connect with parents and professionals. It’s been a while since we’ve had a face-to-face conference, and we are excited to see everyone! Please note: SMA is intending to rotate in-person conferences with fully virtual conferences in the coming years. We hope you are able to join us in person; however, we do have limited recordings available for purchase for those who are not able to attend in person (see below for details.) The 2024 conference will offer the following registration options:
In-Person Conference (Please note: everyone is welcome to attend in person; however, there is no specific live programming geared toward Individuals who have currently have SM)
- Attend full one-and-a-half-day conference of live presentations for professionals and caregivers
- Network with other professionals and families at the Mix’n Mingle Connection time on Saturday evening
- Explore current research on SM and interact with researchers at poster presentations
- Earn Continuing Education for approved sessions for both professional and caregiver tracks
- Listen to live "Hear our Voices" panel of individuals recovering from SM with Q&A
- Bring questions to live panel of experts in the field of SM with Q&A
Limited Conference Recording Bundle for caregivers/professionals
- A limited selection of pre-determined sessions will be recorded and offered virtually directly after the conference
- Earn continuing education for approved recorded sessions
- Session titles and descriptions will be released in June 2024
- Recordings will be released after the conference and will be available until January 31, 2025
Recording Bundle for Individuals with Selective Mutism (ages 17 and older)
- Presentations recorded and offered virtually after the conference (geared toward ages 17 and older)
- Registration is free for this track
- Those that choose this registration option will only have access to the Individual Track presentations.
- Sessions titles and descriptions offered will be released in June 2024
- Recordings will be released after the conference and will be available until January 31, 2025
Target Audience:
The target audience includes parents and relatives of individuals with selective mutism, mental health professionals, speech and language pathologists, other allied health professionals, educators, and individuals with SM (ages 17 and up.)
Special Note to all Individuals with SM:
SMA recognizes that resources for older individuals who have SM are scarce and thus, for individuals with SM (ages 17 and older), SMA will continue to offer the Individuals with SM track for FREE! These talks will be conducted in a completely virtual format--not in-person. Session titles and descriptions will be released in June 2024. Recordings will be available until January 31, 2025. Continuing education will not be offered for this track. Please note, that individuals who register for this track will not have access to the professional and caregiver-friendly tracks that are offered virtually. For those registrants who would like access to the professional/caregiver-friendly virtual option, you will need to register for that bundle as well.
Keynote Address: Jonathan S. Comer, Ph.D.
Dr. Comer is Director of the Mental health Interventions and Novel Therapeutics (MINT) Program, and Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Florida International University. He is Editor-Elect for the journal Behavior Therapy, Past President of the Society of Clinical Psychology (Division 12 of the American Psychological Association), and a leader in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology. He is the author of over 200 scholarly publications, including several textbooks, such as Abnormal Psychology (11th edition) and Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology (10th edition).
Dr. Comer’s program of research examines child psychopathology and youth mental health care, placing central emphasis on the nature and family-based treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders, irritability, disruptive behavior problems, and traumatic stress. Much of Dr. Comer’s research focuses on telehealth and digital mental health strategies, as well as the broader role of technology and other non-traditional treatment formats for overcoming traditional barriers to care. This work examines novel strategies for expanding the scope, accessibility, acceptability, and responsivity of children’s mental health services. In addition, Dr. Comer studies the psychological impact of disasters, terrorism, and other public health crises on children and families. On this front, he serves as the Director of the Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth (NEW DAY)–a SAMHSA-funded center that provides trauma-informed training and consultation to youth-serving professionals in disaster-prone and disaster-hit regions.
Date and Location
October 5 - 6, 2024
Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile
511 N. Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL
312.836.5900
Conference Offers Professional, Caregiver, and Individuals with SM (Ages 17 and up) Tracks
The conference will offer presentations for professionals, parents/family, and individuals with SM, but any registrant can attend any session that interests them. All in person conference registrants will be able to attend the keynote address, and will be able to choose from a variety of other presentations. In addition to these sessions, we will offer an Expert Q&A panel and a Hear Our Voices panel where people talk about their lives and recovery from SM. There will be opportunities for parents and professionals to meet and visit, and books will be available for viewing and direct purchase via Amazon.
Mix n’Mingle Connection Time
Please join us for a Mix ‘n Mingle right after the last conference session on Saturday in the early evening to interact and talk with other attendees. In addition, poster presenters will present their work during this time and would love to talk with you! Stay tuned for more information.
Continuing Education
Please stay tuned for further information on Continuing Education credits that will be offered. Information will be added to this website as it becomes available.
Hotel Options
We encourage you to make your hotel reservations as early as possible in order to get the lowest rates and best availability. Chicago is a very busy city in the fall, and room rates will rise as the conference date approaches. There are many hotels in the downtown Chicago and surrounding areas.
Our host hotel, The Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile is offering a discounted room rate. This discounted rate of $300 includes a hot cooked-to-order breakfast, complimentary evening cocktail reception with light snacks, and complimentary wi-fi in the guest rooms. To obtain the discounted rate, please call the hotel at 312.836.5900 and reference the Selective Mutism Association 2024 Room Block. Alternatively, please reserve your discounted room using this room booking link: https://book.passkey.com/go/SelectiveMutism
Scholarships
We are excited to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for the upcoming SMA conference.
We are offering 2 types of scholarships:
Caregivers/Individuals with SM (who would like to attend in-person)
https://forms.gle/zreW9iwtGyZqowQ98
BIPOC Professionals or Professionals who serve underrepresented/BIPOC communities:
https://forms.gle/WefeFbffVs9Ny3os5
If interested and in need, please complete the form for the specific type of scholarship for which you would like to be considered. As part of the form you will be required to give a statement of need as well as answer several other questions related to the scholarship.
Please note: All scholarship submissions must be received by midnight ET on August 1, 2024. Eligible participants will be entered into a drawing, from which scholarship recipients will be selected. All recipients of the scholarships, as well as all who submitted, will be notified of their application status by August 10, 2024. Please do not register for the conference until you have been notified by SMA about your scholarship status.
Scholarship recipients can chose either to attend the face-to-face conference in Chicago, or choose to apply their scholarship toward the purchase of the limited recording presentation bundle.
Please note: scholarship is for registration fees only. Travel fees are not included in scholarship award.
Email conference inquiries to Lisa Kovac at info@selectivemutism.org.
