Selective Mutism
Introduction
Source: NHS
In this topic (8)
Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable t o speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they don't see very often.
It usually starts during childhood and, left untreated, can persist into adulthood.
A child or adult with selective mutism doesn't refuse or choose not to speak, they're literally unable to speak.
The expectation to talk to certain people triggers a freeze response with feelings of panic, rather like a bad case of stage fright, and talking is impossible.
In time, the person will learn to anticipate the situations that provoke this distressing reaction and do all they can to avoid them.
However, people with selective mutism are able to speak freely to certain people, such asclose family and friends, when nobody else is around to trigger the freeze response.
Selective mutism affects about1 in 140 young children. It's more common in girls and children who are learning a second language, such as those who've recently migrated from their country of birth.
This page covers the following areas:
Articles for Selective Mutism
Advice for parents
You may find the advice below helpful if your child has been diagnosed with selective mutism. Don't pressurise or bribe your child to encourage them to speak. Let your child know you understand the
Associated difficulties
It's important to understand how selective mutism canaffect a child's education and development, and the impact it can have on a young person's or adult's everyday life. A person with selective mutis
Diagnosing selective mutism
Left untreated, selective mutism can lead to isolation, low self-esteem and social anxiety disorder . It can continue into adolescence and adulthood if not tackled. However, a child can successfully
Getting help and support
It's only relativelyrecently that selective mutism has been properly understood and effective treatment approaches have been developed. The body of expertise among healthcare professionals, education
Introduction
Find out about selective mutism, a severe anxiety disorder that prevents a person from speaking to certain people or in certain social situations.
Signs of selective mutism
Selective mutism usually starts in early childhood, between the ages of two and four. It's often first noticed whenthe child starts to interact with people outside their family, such aswhen they begin
Treating selective mutism
With appropriate handling and treatment, most children are able to overcome selective mutism.But the older they are when the condition is diagnosed, the longer it will take. The effectiveness of trea
What causes selective mutism?
Experts regard selective mutism asa fear (phobia) of talking to certain people. The cause isn't always clear, butit's known to be associated with anxiety. Thechildwill usually have inherited a tende
