"I'd say that sliding-in is a good technique, but…”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) exploring the parental lived experiences of supporting the facilitation of the sliding-in technique as a school-based intervention for their child with selective mutism (SM).

Background:
Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety-related psychopathology that impacts an individual’s ability to verbally communicate in particular social circumstances, despite communicating in others. Although having a growing research basis, in comparison to other developmental neurodiverse disorders (e.g. ASD) it is still limited, constraining understanding and the ability to identify and appropriately support those with SM. Existing research exploring interventions focuses largely on clinical settings which adopt quantitative methodology and as such gaps exist regarding the use of qualitative methodology which explore lived experiences of interventions for those directly involved.

Methods/ participants:
This research adopts a critical realist stance and employs Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore parents’ lived experiences in supporting the implementation of the Sliding-in Technique as a school-based intervention for their child with SM. A total of five participants, all mothers within the UK, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews.

Analysis/findings:
Individual Personal Experiential Themes were identified for each participant, before exploration of patterns across accounts, led to the development of four group experiential themes. These GETs – the complex demands, perils of progression, the need for resilience and perseverance, and navigating the wider systemic obstacles –captured the tumultuous experiences parents faced while supporting the facilitation of the SiT. Despite these challenges, parents also recognised the meaningful progress their child made, highlighting its potential benefits when appropriately supported.

These GETs were then examined in relation to the research questions and existing literature and theory, with particular focus upon the impact on parental identity and motivation with specific link to the stress and coping model. These findings reveal nuanced insights into the SiT and highlight the need for clear guidance, consistent school collaboration, and enhanced emotional support for parents involved in school-based interventions for SM. Strengths and criticisms as well as implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.