Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they do not see very often. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood.
Some professionals falsely view selective mutism as a form of autism or a learning disability. Children with learning disabilities or autism may demonstrate symptoms of the disorder, but selective mutism is not commensurate to an autism or learning disability diagnosis.
Restricted Speech
Selective mutism, meanwhile, causes children to display symptoms that may lead to alarm bells ringing for an indication of autism or even ADHD.
The most research-supported treatment for selective mutism is behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy approaches, including gradual exposures, contingency management, successive approximations/ shaping, and stimulus fading, are successful in the treatment of childhood anxiety.
Selective mutism may begin as a coping mechanism for anxiety and other distress, but experts have yet to identify a clear cause. Factors that may play a part include: having another anxiety condition, like separation anxiety or social anxiety. experiencing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
It's possible for adults to overcome selective mutism, although they may continue to experience the psychological and practical effects of spending years without social interaction or not being able to reach their academic or occupational potential.
Myth 2: Children with selective mutism are shy and will outgrow their difficulties speaking to others. Selective mutism is not the same thing as being shy. Lots of children are shy. Kids who are shy tend to warm up to new situations over time.
Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child's inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school.
Meanwhile, some selectively mute children can only speak with their immediate and extended family members. While they play, laugh and converse freely with cousins and siblings, selectively mute children are at a loss with the outside world.
Children with selective mutism were found to have difficulty making friends but were able to keep friendships once made. Additionally, fear of joining conversations was reported for almost all children.
Symptoms of selective mutism
Lasts at least one month – not limited to the first month of school. Failure to speak is not due to lack of knowledge about or comfort with the spoken language. ¹
your child's GP or paediatrician – these professionals can refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. a psychologist who works with children with anxiety disorders – you can find one through the Australian Clinical Psychology Association or Australian Psychological Society.
Autism is pervasive – it impacts the way a person sees, interacts with and experiences the world. It isn't turned on and off. Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they don't see very often.
Brain Studies
Studies show that children with selective mutism have a low threshold of excitability in a portion of their brain called the amygdala, which explains most of the behavioral issues these children exhibit. The amygdala senses potential danger by processing signals from the sympathetic nervous system.
Left untreated, Selective Mutism may lead to increased stress within family units, decreased academic performance, and decreased socialization needed for appropriate development.
Selective mutism can present a variety of comorbidities including enuresis, encopresis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, premorbid speech and language abnormalities, developmental delay, and Asperger's disorders. The specific manifestations and severity of these comorbidities vary based on the individual.
Experts don't know how many children with selective mutism will grow out of the disorder. But what we do know is that treating it becomes much harder the older a child is, so it is extremely important not to put off treatment.
The condition affects one in 150 children in the UK and about one child in 140 in Australia between kindergarten and grade two. While able to speak fluently and freely at times, those affected remain consistently silent at others.
Another misconception is that a child with selective mutism is controlling or manipulative, or has autism. There's no relationship between selective mutism and autism, although a child may have both.
Symptoms of selective mutism usually become noticeable between the ages of two and four years. However, the diagnosis may not be apparent until the child has entered school or other social situations. Functioning in school and social situations may be impaired.
In many cases, ADHD can affect speech and communication. People with ADHD have a higher risk of articulation disorders, problems with the fluency of speech, and the overall quality and tone of their speaking voice.