Question

What causes selective mutism?

Answer 1

The actual cause of selective mutism is not known but it's thought to be a part of autism although not every person who has autism will be selective mute.

Some kids just have a hard time talking in social situations but may be very talkative at home.

My own son has selective mutism and talks like crazy at home and you can hardly shut him up and he's 8 years old and will be 9 years old soon.

However at relatives houses or at school he's quiet and will only whisper to the teachers.

In most cases selective mutism is diagnosed by a speech therapist.

My brother was diagnosed with selective mutism by age 7 by a speech therapist after his pediatrician referred him to the speech therapist as his pediatrician at the time noticed he was unable to speak when asked questions.

He eventually did comfortable with the pediatrician as the pediatrician was so fun and he always made us laugh as kids.

He would tickle us in the belly to get us to laugh and I always busted out laughing and so did my brother as we were both very ticklish then.

After awhile he got comfortable talking to the doctor and going to a speech therapist helped him gain some confidence in talking in social situations.

Now as an adult he is able to talk better in social situations but he still has some trouble and he's not really that social.

Most kids are diagnosed with selective mutism by age 5 and some kids recover from it fully while others may have selective mutism for life.

The cause of a child being selective mute or having selective mutism is thought to be related to Autism and it's believed that selective mutism is inherited from a family member such as a parent, brother, uncle, cousin etc.

There's not actual 100 percent known for sure cause of selective mutism but it could also be just the way a child's brain is wired.

Selective Mutism is also an anxiety disorder as when a kid has selective mutism they are unable to speak in social situations because they get tensed up, freeze up etc.

It's not a choice that the child has selective mutism.

A child or adult who has selective mutism feels really bad as they are suffering from anxiety and it gets really stressful for the child or adult to need to talk in social situations.

When a child or adult has selective mutism it means that the child or adult literally cannot speak in those social situations as the anxiety is preventing it.

My brothers teacher would always try to force my brother too talk in school but he could not do it and it was not a choice by him.

Some people believe that a child refusing to speak is doing so just because they don't want too but it's not that way.

A child who has selective mutism is unable to speak as it's not a choice.

There's nothing you can do to force the child to speak in those social situations.

Doing so makes it worse for them.

When a child or adult has selective mutism and is asked to speak it triggers a freeze and panic response and then the kid is unable to speak.

It's not something the child is choosing to do.

Children with selective mutism also may not want to sit near other kids in school or will want to play alone.

Nothing the teachers or anyone does will make the child speak.

Selective Mutism can be seen as a form of autism however most people with autism do not speak that much at home or in social situations.

However kids with selective mutism tend to just be shy and not talk in social situations around strangers such as in school, daycare, church, babysitters etc.

But at home and around parents, siblings and people they are comfortable with the child will talk just fine.

However some kids have a less severe form of autism and may seem normal otherwise but just not maintain eye contact, be uncomfortable around other people and just not want to talk.

For most people who have selective mutism the selective mutism does not go away and stays with the person for life.

However for some people selective mutism can partially go away in adulthood.

My brother has selective mutism and he was really shy in elementary school and would not talk to the teachers or anyone.

However at home where he was comfortable he would talk really good and you could hardly shut him up.

Now as an adult he does still suffer from selective mutism but his selective mutism as an adult is not that bad.

He will converse with strangers now more easily than he used too.

My own 8 year old son has selective mutism as well and he will not talk at school or around strangers but at home he is very comfortable talking.

So the selective mutism can sometimes go away but most times it does not go away.

Answer 2

Selective mutism is not on the autism spectrum and it does not mean your child is autistic when they are selective mute.

However some kids can have both ADHD and selective mutism at the same time.

Some signs that a child might have selective mutism are the child only speaks when at home but not at school, daycare etc.

Another sign that the child might have selective mutism is that they whisper to teachers or other people they are not comfortable being with.

The signs of selective mutism are.

The child will not speak in certain places or situations, such as in class or in front of certain people but will speak at home.
Not speaking gets in the way of school, work, friendships, or relationships.
The difficulty talking lasts for at least 1 month.

Children with selective mutism will communicate in uncomfortable situations by either whispering or writing out what they are trying to communicate.

When at home the child will communicate by talking normally.

Kids whisper when talking because they have social anxiety and have selective mutism which makes them uncomfortable speaking in social situation.

People with selective mutism can whisper and it's common for a child or person to speak by whispering when away from home such as in school to a teacher but they will speak just fine at home.

Kids with selective mutism can talk and do talk when at home or around people they are comfortable talking to.

This is the reason it's called selective mutism as the child selects who they are mute with.

I was selective mute as a kid and still am today and when I was a kid I would talk fine at home but when in school or around other people I would not talk.

I could speak but I just was uncomfortable speaking around others other than when I was at home.

The triggers for selective mutism includes genetics, speech and language disorders, low self esteem, psychological disorders, anxiety, family history of anxiety.

Common causes of selective mutisim include.

An anxiety disorder.
Poor family relationships.
Untreated psychological issues.
Self-esteem problems.
Problems with sound processing.
A speech or language problem, such as stuttering.
Family history of anxiety disorders.
A traumatic experience.

Selective mutism is a conditio in which a child can't speak in certain settings, but can speak fine in others.

For example, a child with selective mutism may not be able to speak at school, but can speak with no problem at home.

It is called selective mutism because the child is only mute in select situations.

Selective mutism is a rare childhood condition.

The signs of selective mutism are.

The child will not speak in certain places or situations, such as in class or in front of certain people but will speak at home.
Not speaking gets in the way of school, work, friendships, or relationships.
The difficulty talking lasts for at least 1 month.

Some health 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.

Selective mutism and autism are the two conditions more appropriately associated with restricted speech, even though ADHD symptoms may mimic these illnesses.

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.

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.

When children are unable to speak around certain people or in certain settings, they may have an anxiety disorder called selective mutism (SM).

It is common for kids with SM to be very chatty at home with family but silent at school.

Parents typically start noticing signs of SM when a child is three or four years old.