Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is a complex childhood disorder in which a child is able to speak, but stops speaking in certain social settings or school. The child may be able to speak normally in other settings. It may seem like your child is making the choice not to speak. In some cases, they are not able to speak at all. The cause is not fully known. It may be different for each child.

These symptoms can be hard for your child to deal with. It may make school and social events hard.

Selective mutism is different than mutism. If your child has mutism they are not able to speak at all. If your child has selective mutism they can speak and hear, but do not do so in some situations.

Selective mutism is not the same as normal shyness. Your child must show the symptoms for at least a month to be diagnosed with selective mutism.

If your child does not, or cannot, speak in certain social situations they may have selective mutism. Other symptoms include:

• Fear or anxiety around new people
• Extreme shyness
• Can speak fine at home but not at school or other social settings

Children who are silent only once or twice may not have selective mutism. They must show the symptoms for at least a month to be diagnosed. Children who are just shy might not have the condition.

You should talk to your healthcare provider if your child has shown the symptoms for at least one month. The doctor will talk with you about ways to treat it.

Some of the causes of selective mutism may be:

• Moving to a new area with a different language
• Trauma
• Social fear
• Anxiety
• Family history of selective mutism or anxiety disorders
• Extreme shyness

The exact cause may be different for your child.

There are not any tests for selective mutism. Watch for the symptoms of the condition in your child. Your child’s doctor can help you know if selective mutism is the cause of your child’s symptoms.

Your healthcare provider may recommend treating selective mutism with:

• Medicine for anxiety
• Therapy

Both your child’s family and your child’s school should help with treatment.

Selective mutism usually appears in children who are very young. The causes are not fully known, so it is hard to prevent.

Selective mutism [MYOO-tiz-uhm] is a complex childhood disorder in which a child is able to speak, but stops speaking in certain social settings or school. The child may be able to speak normally in other settings. The causes are not known, but selective mutism is likely a result of lots of social fear and anxiety. The condition is most common in children under the age of five years. It may seem like your child is choosing not to speak, but sometimes they are truly not able to speak at all.