Intensive Camp for Children With Selective Mutism 3-9* years old
Summer 2021 sessions: August 2-6 and August 16-20
*Both sessions are currently full

To ensure our campers’ safety during COVID-19, we moved our  Summer 2020 and Winter 2021 Mighty Mouth Kids Camp to our secure, online telehealth platform. Thanks to the vaccine availability, we plan to run our Summer 2021 camp both in-person for two classrooms, one group the week of Aug. 2-6 and the second the week of Aug. 16-20 and virtually for two classrooms the week of Aug. 2-6. 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.  The online format affords many families, who are otherwise unable to travel to NYC, the opportunity to participate in camp (state licenses permitting). 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. The age ranges for our two virtual groups will be 3-9. The age ranges for our two onsite groups will likely by 3-7 and 4-8. The ages we serve will depend this year on the demand by our parent consumers for their children. While typically we serve 3-9 in non-COVID times, we need to be more restrictive this year due to the pandemic.

Mighty Mouth Kids (MMK) is the 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.
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-Person Sessions

First Session Parent training (all remote): July 19-23, 2021
Lead-ins: July 26-30, 2021 (onsite*)
Camp Dates: August 2-6, 2021*

Second Session Parent training: (all remote): July 19-23, 2021
Lead-ins: August 9-13, 2021 (onsite)*
Camp Dates: August 16-20, 2021 (onsite)*

(*onsite groups and sessions are subject to change based on prevailing CDC and NY State pandemic guidelines in effect at the time of the camp)

What is Mighty Mouth Kids?

  • Intensive group treatment for children with SM
    • In-person camp: age ranges will likely be 3-7 and 4-8
  • 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 serve as their child’s counselor for two 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

Fees & Administrative Details

  • Total Cost for the summer 2021 5 Day camp is $4200 including lead-in sessions and parent training.
  • Kurtz Psychology offers a unique all-inclusive camp cost to help make the process more convenient for families. The cost includes:
    • 1-2 hour, parent-only evaluation session with a clinician
    • Baseline observation session with parent and child, done remotely for winter 2021
    • First hour of intervention, as decided by clinician
    • Up to 3 lead-in sessions, to get child comfortable enough to talk with staff or counselors
    • 1 hour 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
  • Lead-in sessions
    • Lead-in times vary as a function of severity, exact number of hours cannot be provided prior to camp.
      • Our clinicians schedule the amount of lead-in times they see fit, but will release campers early from lead-ins if progress occurs more quickly than expected.
  • 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.

ABC TV Nightline feature on MMK

Highlights over the years

  • Dr. Kurtz trained team of professionals in 11 different locations to replicate this innovative model including 7 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

  • Complete the Mighty Mouth request form below and a staff member will be in touch within one business day.
  • Contact the SM Intensive Program Coordinator directly at 212.658.0110, exit. 124 or via email at info@kurtzpsychology.com.
Parent Information Request Form
Click here for list of other PCIT-SM providers in the US and Around the World

Training Opportunities

Interested in becoming a counselor? Visit our Training webpage.

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.

Mighty Mouth Kids Camp | Kurtz Psychology