Any ideas on this students progress and how i can say well done without

[Helen]

drawing too much attention to it? Still going on about the student who refuses to speak. But she has made so much progress this week it has been unbelievable. On he first lesson of the week she spoke to me when I went over to her as she didn't seem to be doing a lot, but she was reading my comments on her work. The next lesson she put her hand up to ask for help with something she didn't understand. During a lunch time she accidentally bumped into me as I was going to the staffroom in the reception area and said quite loudly and clearly 'sorry miss' I was shocked at that. Then the next lesson she was speaking to others in the class that were near to her about the work at first and then just saying how random he was and talking to him generally. She looked over at me while I was watching her and just smiled. She didn't say anything or look like she wanted help she just looked at me smiled and got on with her work and talking to the other student. Each time she saw me that day she either smiled or said something directly to me. I am still in a state of shock when I think about it as I have noticed changes in her behaviour but not that big. She seems to have gone from silent angry student who looked like death all the time to bright positive student who is cheerful all the time, overnight. When I thought about this I thought that maybe she has planned something. The way that depressed people do when they have decided to commit suicide but I don't think that she has been that bad. On tuesday I am teaching her and I want to say well done to her but not drawing attention to what I am pleased with her about to the rest of the class but I want it to be a personal well done. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this or know of any other students that are like this and if you know what may have caused this?