Selective mutism (SM) is a childhood anxiety disorder characterized by an inability to speak or communicate in certain settings.
Why does selective mutism occur?
The cause, or causes, are unknown. Most experts believe that children with the condition inherit a tendency to be anxious and inhibited. Most children with selective mutism have some form of extreme social fear (phobia). Parents often think that the child is choosing not to speak.
Can you develop selective mutism?
Less than 1 % of the population has selective mutism. Girls and boys are both likely to develop this disorder. Symptoms usually appear before the age of five but may become discernable at the beginning of school. Children with selective mutism often have another anxiety disorder, most often a social anxiety disorder.
What are signs of selective mutism?
Signs of selective mutism
- nervous, uneasy or socially awkward.
- rude, disinterested or sulky.
- clingy.
- shy and withdrawn.
- stiff, tense or poorly co-ordinated.
- stubborn or aggressive, having temper tantrums when they get home from school, or getting angry when questioned by parents.
What happens if selective mutism is left untreated?
Because Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder, if left untreated, it can have negative consequences throughout the child’s life and, unfortunately, pave the way for an array of academic, social and emotional repercussions such as: Worsening anxiety. Depression and manifestations of other anxiety disorders.
How long does selective mutism last?
Symptoms of selective mutism
Interferes with educational or occupational achievement or with social communication. 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.
How can we stop selective mutism?
Treatment for selective mutism
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) Among the most effective methods of treating symptoms of selective mutism is CBT. …
- Desensitisation. …
- Shaping. …
- Positive and negative reinforcement. …
- Family therapy. …
- Medication for selective mutism.
Is selective mutism on the autism spectrum?
It has been suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be a “comorbid” condition in selective mutism (SM).
Can a child outgrow selective mutism?
Most children with selective mutism outgrow the disorder spontaneously, while individuals with social phobia do not outgrow the disorder.
Is selective mutism a disability?
Selective Mutism is not a Learning disability, Emotional disturbance, nor a Speech/Language impairment. A Selectively Mute student who displays any of these conditions would then have an additional and separate education need.
Can selective mutism cause depression?
In the early teenage years, selective mutism is very often compounded by social anxiety disorder. By young adulthood, or earlier, many people with selective mutism will also experience depression and other anxiety disorders, including agoraphobia.
What is Einstein Syndrome?
Einstein syndrome is a condition where a child experiences late onset of language, or a late language emergence, but demonstrates giftedness in other areas of analytical thinking. A child with Einstein syndrome eventually speaks with no issues, but remains ahead of the curve in other areas.
What is the difference between selective mutism and social anxiety?
Social anxiety is an anxiety disorder based on performance dynamics. Selective mutism is an example of social phobia as the anxiety has morphed into avoidance. Avoidance due to anxiety is a phobia. Selective mutism is also a manifestation of obsessive compulsive disorder.
How common is selective mutism in adults?
When left untreated, the disorder can persist into adulthood. However, awareness of selective mutism is quite low with only about 15% of adults in the U.S. having heard of the disorder.
Is there medication for selective mutism?
A group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used to treat selective mutism. Fluoxetine is an SSRI mostly used and reduces symptoms in 75% of affected children. Drugs used in treating anxiety disorders are also used in the treatment of some cases of selective mutism.
What causes muteness?
Mutism may be due to apraxia, that is, problems with coordination of muscles involved in speech. Another cause may be a medical condition impacting the physical structures involved in speech, for example, loss of voice due to the injury, paralysis, or illness of the larynx. Anarthria is a severe form of dysarthria.
How do you test for selective mutism?
Testing for Selective Mutism
- Talking with you about your child’s development and medical history.
- Having your child’s hearing screened.
- Seeing how well your child’s lips, jaw, and tongue move.
- Seeing how well your child understands what others say to him.
What causes akinetic mutism?
Akinetic mutism is often the result of severe frontal lobe injury in which the pattern of inhibitory control is one of increasing passivity and gradually decreasing speech and motion.
Can you have ADHD and selective mutism?
Selective mutism, meanwhile, causes children to display symptoms that may lead to alarm bells ringing for an indication of autism or even ADHD.
What is neurogenic mutism?
Neurogenic mutism is a lack of speech due to underlying damage to the brain. The mutism can be short or long term, static or progressive—it all depends on the region of the brain affected and the level of damage sustained.
How do adults deal with selective mutism?
Treatment Options for Adults With Selective Mutism
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a highly effective treatment option as it applies an action-based plan. …
- Systematic desensitization. …
- Stimulus fading.
What age is selective mutism?
Selective mutism often starts in very young children, around ages 2 to 4. But it may not be recognized until a child starts school.
What type of disability is selective mutism?
Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise capable of speech becomes unable to speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to specific people, one or multiple of which serving as triggers. Selective mutism usually co-exists with social anxiety disorder.