Three children in a classroom taking a picture. They are sitting criuss cross and all smiling at the camera.
A picture of seven children lying on their backs on green grass. They are in a circle formation and smiling up at the camera.

Confident Crew

Confident Crew is an evidence-based therapeutic program designed to help children build confidence in their speech and social interactions across a variety of settings and people. Led by Dr. Melissa Giglio, a Selective Mutism specialist, and supported by a dedicated team of trained counselors, each child receives individualized, one-on-one support guided by a carefully tailored treatment plan.

To promote generalization of brave talking to new people, each camper is paired with a different counselor everyday. Each child has an individualized plan with goals to achieve during the program at a ‘just right’ pace for the child to maximize consistent progress while decreasing anxiety. Through a blend of classroom-style activities and real-world community outings, children have ample opportunities to practice their brave talking while trying new things.

At Confident Crew, we believe that bravery grows when therapy feels safe, positive, and fun. We aim to create an engaging and fun environment that encourages children to take brave steps, build connections with others, increase their comfort with speaking with new people, while gaining confidence to grow their glow.

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Targeted Goals

  • Three children making goggles with their hands. They are outside.

    Spontaneous speech

    Confident Crew will help promote the frequency of your child’s spontaneous speech through play-based therapeutic techniques, that are fun and exciting.

  • Four children squatting on the ground. They are looking at a glass jar in one of the child's hands. One child is pointing and asking a question about it.

    Brave Talking

    Our camp is designed to increase verbal interaction with other children. Games, crafts, and other collaborative activities are developed to support and encourage brave talking.

  • Two children in snow suits waving at eat other.

    Initiating Interactions

    Various therapeutic techniques, such as role-play and exposures-based activities, are used to help your child feel more confident in initiating interactions with others.

  • A child excitedly raising her hand in class.

    Seeking Support

    The ability to verbally seek support when needed is an important life skill. Through participation in fun, yet challenging, activities, children are encouraged to verbally ask for help when needed.

  • A young child is painting their hands with orange paint. Ty are making painted handprint flowers.

    Tolerating Uncertainty

    Getting comfortable being uncomfortable is one of our big goals. We explicitly develop situations which help grow their tolerance to uncertainty in a safe and positive environment.

  • Children jumping up and down raising their hands and dancing. Everyone is smiling and looks joyful.

    Sharing Joy

    Anxious children often struggle with expressing happiness or joy in the moment, an important part of social communication and developing peer relationships. Confident Crew fosters an environment that is not only engaging and fun, but also one where they feel brave enough to outwardly share their joy.

  • Two girls, one older and one younger, are standing in a super hero pose. They are wearing a cape and eye mask. The older girl is wearing a red cape and mask, and the younger girl is wearing a yellow cape and mask

    Self-advocacy

    Self advocacy is an important life skill, and for a child with anxiety it is critical to learn how to advocate, be an up stander, and set boundaries with others. This helps to grow their confidence and develop respectful relationships.

  • A younge girl is raising her hand and looking expectantly towards the front of the classroom.

    Increasing participation

    Through structured exposure activities, such as scripted presentations and Show & Tells, Confident Crew develops an environment which promotes increased verbal participation, particularly within group and classroom settings.

Upcoming Camps ☼

Upcoming Camps ☼

Dates

July 6th to 10th

Times

9:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Location

Kennebunkport, Maine

Cost

The cost for our 5-day Confident Crew is $3,500 USD. Separate costs for lead-in sessions, parent training, and follow-ups.

Two young children playing at the beach. One is running toward the ocean with a bucket in his hand. The other one is filling a sand castle mold with a toy shovel.

 FAQs

    1. Intensive practice leads to more rapid and sustained progress compared to once-a-week standard therapy sessions.

    2. A multitude of real-world opportunities are incorporated to generalize speech with adults and children through varied camp activities.

    3. Camp is fun! We truly believe that change occurs most often when we are enjoying ourselves. Our activities are designed to be engaging and interactive.

    4. Camp with a group of peers allows kids to learn through modelling and observing each other. They inspire each other to develop their bravery!

    • Children presenting with or diagnosed with Selective Mutism, Social Phobia/ Social Anxiety Disorder, and Separation Anxiety Disorder, between the ages of 3 and 12 years old

    • Current or new clients who have been determined as eligible by our team

    • Children who are not current clients must participate in 1-2 'lead-in' sessions with Dr Giglio to determine if the program is appropriate for your child

    1. Click on the “Register now” button above

    2. Go to our home page connect with us through the website’s contact form

    3. Email us at drmelissagiglio@gmail.com

  • Our Director, Dr Melissa Giglio has specialized in the treatment of selective mutism for over 15 years.

    Our counselors include professionals, graduate students and university students who are passionate about learning how to support children with anxiety disorders. They participate in a comprehensive training to ensure fluency in the skills for working with children diagnosed with selective mutism and social anxiety disorder.

  • Our day starts at 9:00 AM and pick-up is at 1:00 PM. Our schedule is modeled after a typical school day. We begin everyday with games, morning meeting, activities, and community exposures. Lunch and snack are important parts of the day to promote comfort eating in front of others and socializing with peers. Finally, we end the day with a trip to the prize store.

  • Lead-in sessions are required for every camper. They must be conducted prior to the first day of camp to ensure your child’s readiness to participate. These sessions establish rapport, introduce the skills to the child, and promote verbal communication all before camp even starts! We want to ensure your child enters the program with their best foot forwards, to build their brave muscles and grow their glow.

  • Parent training sessions are guided interactions between you and your child. During these sessions, Dr Giglio observes your play together and coaches you in real time on therapeutic techniques and supports. Earbuds will be used for communication between Dr Giglio and yourself, in order to maintain discretion and ensure natural child-parent interaction.

  • Email us at drmelissagiglio@gmail.com and we will get in touch with you as soon as we can!

  • We welcome families from all corners of the world. All you have to do is be in town during camp! Confident Crew is located in a quaint New England town that is great for both brave talking and family fun!

Confident Crew Over the Years

Confident Crew was developed by Dr Melissa Giglio over 10 years ago. It is the first of its kind in Asia and modeled from the Brave Buddies and Mighty Mouth programs in the USA.

People on a sandy beach near water, with mountains and buildings in the background, some standing in the water and others on the shore.
Children playing on a playground with an adult supervising on a sunny day in a park with city buildings in the background.
Children and a woman standing on balance pods at a park overlooking a beach, trees, water, and islands with cloudy sky.
Group of children and adults sitting and lying on a wooden floor, playing board games and drawing with colorful materials.
Colorful paper crafts of butterflies with googly eyes, stickers, and pipe cleaners on a desk with educational materials about social butterfly behavior and body language.
Children standing in a festive room, wearing masks and holding snowball props, with holiday decorations and colorful stars on the wall.
Children and adults playing at an outdoor playground on a sunny day, with a cityscape of high-rise buildings and hills in the background, and palm trees around.
Children playing on a stairway with colorful platforms and ropes in an indoor playground, with a ball pit filled with yellow, white, and orange balls at the bottom.
Children and adults engaged in arts and crafts activities at a table, wearing masks, with craft supplies scattered on the table, including paper, scissors, glue, and decorative items.
Children and adults decorating paper with colorful stickers, markers, and stickers, including unicorn and rainbow motifs. The table is filled with craft supplies and decorated papers.
A woman and a young boy wearing face masks playing with toy cars on the floor.
Four children building a sandcastle on the beach, all wearing masks and colorful clothing.
A group of children and adults sitting on a wooden floor in a room decorated with an underwater theme, including a large purple octopus, jellyfish, and fish cutouts on the walls. Two children are standing at the front, participating in a classroom ac
A table with papers, books, stickers, and coloring supplies. A child's hand is reaching to pick up a sheet of paper with text about a butterfly activity.
A group of children and adults gathered under a shaded area at a playground while engaging in a group activity on a sunny day. There are trees, a hammock, and playground equipment visible.
Children and adults looking at a display of Christmas desserts featuring a large puppet of a dog dressed as a chef, with the sign 'Station Café' above it, inside a shopping mall.
Children's hands with bracelets place on a bright yellow poster with red handprints and the words "LOVE" and "happy" written on it, and a handwritten note at the top reads "To: Mommy and Daddy."
Children gathered on the ground making a nature craft with sticks and leaves, surrounded by supplies and a yellow backpack.
Children and adults playing and digging in the sand on a beach.
A woman and two children at the beach, one girl in a red swimsuit holding a pink bucket and a boy in the water, with islands and boats in the background.
Children and adults sitting on a wooden floor playing board games and building with toys, with some wearing face masks.
A woman and a young girl playing in the sand on the beach. The woman is crouched down, digging with a small orange shovel, and the girl is sitting and digging with her hands. There are sand toys, including a pink bucket and blue shovel, on the ground
Children gathered around a table engaging in arts and crafts, drawing and coloring with markers and pencils.
People walking in a line on a sandy beach near water with trees and hills and buildings in the background, overcast sky.
Child holding a leaf craft art with googly eyes, yellow tissue paper, and drawn red and blue lines, outdoors with a park bench and backpacks in the background.
A woman dressed as Snow White sitting on the floor, helping a young boy build with colorful LEGO bricks. The boy is sitting in a red chair with a LEGO castle on a green base plate in front of him. Two children are sitting nearby, one girl in a yellow
A group of children and a woman sitting on a wooden floor playing a sticker or card game with colorful round cards. There are buckets of different colors in the background.
Two young girls are on a sandy beach with the ocean in the background. One girl is squatting and writing 'HAPPY' in the sand, while the other girl stands nearby, looking at the sand. Both girls are wearing masks and casual clothing.