Intensive Camp for Children With Selective Mutism 3-9* years old

DR. KURTZ'S SM CAMPS HAVE MOVED TO SQUARE ONE PSYCHOLOGY. PLEASE CLICK ON THE SQUARE ONE LOGO BELOW FOR ALL CURRENT DETAILS.

Mighty Mouth Kids Camp!

Mighty Mouth Kids (MMK) is the renowned SM Group Intensive model that Dr. Kurtz pioneered as the Brave Buddies model at the NYU Child Study Center in 2009 and later brought to the Child Mind Institute in 2010, then as Mighty Mouth Kids Camp to Kurtz Psychology in 2014 and to Square One Psychology in 2025.

Kurtz Psychology Consulting PC is committed to improving the lives of children with selective mutism (SM) and their families. We are constantly developing new ways to spread awareness about SM, enhance treatment outcomes and improve long-term functioning, and disseminate our resources and knowledge to others.

In addition to the typical classroom exposure that our kids get to practice, we are laser-focused on getting you, the parents, confident in your own SM treatment skills so that you can serve as your child’s “therapist” beyond camp.  We typically serve 3-10-year-olds in the camp model, sometimes adding older child versions as well. Please contact our team for a no-obligation appointment with one of our therapists to see if this is a good fit for you and your family.

What is Mighty Mouth Kids?

  • Intensive group treatment for children with SM
    • In-person camp: age ranges will likely be 3-9*
  • Replicates a school/camp setting with 1:1 counselor to camper ratio (allows goals and needs to be individualized)
  • All activities involve practicing verbalizations with adults and peers, with the primary goal being to generalize talking to all people, in all places, during all activities
  • Parent Involvement
    • In-person camp: parents are typically onsite and involved in parts of three of the five camp days to improve their skills and maximize generalization beyond the camp week
  • Parent training and live parent coaching are also included
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Fees & Administrative Details

  • The total cost for the SM camp includes:
    • 1-2 hour, parent-only evaluation session with a clinician
    • Baseline observation session with parent and child, done remotely as needed
    • 1 hour Thursday and Friday pre-camp group session
    • The 5-day camp program
    • Parent training and coaching that starts before camp
    • A 45-minute follow-up call to discuss feedback and next steps
  • Camp lead-in sessions are billed separately. Most campers end up needing 2-4 hours of lead-in sessions total. Some need more depending on severity and their response to treatment which varies from child to child.
  • Payment plans and financial aid are available on a limited, need basis.
  • Insurance reimbursement: We do not participate in any insurance plans but gladly provide you the detailed, itemized documentation for you to submit to your insurance company.
  • Please contact Dr. Chahal at Square One Psychology for current pricing and all other program details.

ABC TV Nightline feature on MMK

Highlights over the years

  • Dr. Kurtz trained team of professionals in 18 different locations to replicate this innovative model, including 13 US cities, as well as teams in Canada and Hong Kong.
  • Professionals from all over the world have come to study the program with Dr. Kurtz.
  • This SM treatment model was featured on ABC’s Nightline program and PBS’s Keeping Kids Healthy.
  • Selective Mutism Learning University was created by the Kurtz Psychology Team as the first and only web-based course to teach caregivers, teachers, and other professionals the same skills that are used in the Mighty Mouth Kids program.
  • Mighty Mouth Kids is continually revised based on ongoing program evaluation; for example we recently added live parent coaching to help with generalization.

For More Information on MMK please contact Square One Psychology.

Click here for list of other PCIT-SM providers in the US and Around the World

SM Camps Around the World

Kurtz Psychology has trained other sites to provide this same intensive camp model for younger children with SM. The map to the right shows the places we have trained and continue to collaborate with in 3 countries on 2 continents.

If you are interested in getting your site trained, please email Dr. Kurtz.

Click here for a list of camps based on the PCIT-SM model
Mighty Mouth Kids Camp | Kurtz Psychology