This can make them "shut down" and be unable to speak when overwhelmed in a busy environment. Again, their anxiety can transfer to other people in that environment. Some children have trouble processing sensory information such as loud noise and jostling from crowds – a condition known as sensory integration dysfunction. If they have a speech and language disorder or hearing problem, it can make speaking even more stressful.
Many children become too distressed to speak when separated from their parents and transfer this anxiety to the adults who try to settle them. The child will usually have a tendency to anxiety and have difficulty taking everyday events in their stride. The cause is not always clear, but it's known to be associated with anxiety. What causes selective mutismĮxperts regard selective mutism as a fear ( phobia) of talking to certain people. Some children may manage to respond with a few words, or they may speak in an altered voice, such as a whisper. More confident children with selective mutism can use gestures to communicate – for example, they may nod for "yes" or shake their head for "no".īut more severely affected children tend to avoid any form of communication – spoken, written or gestured. stubborn or aggressive, having temper tantrums when they get home from school, or getting angry when questioned by parents.The main warning sign is the marked contrast in the child's ability to engage with different people, characterised by a sudden stillness and frozen facial expression when they're expected to talk to someone who's outside their comfort zone. It's often first noticed when the child starts to interact with people outside their family, such as when they begin nursery or school. Selective mutism can start at any age, but most often starts in early childhood, between age 2 and 4. It's more common in girls and children who have recently migrated from their country of birth. Selective mutism affects about 1 in 140 young children.
However, people with selective mutism are able to speak freely to certain people, such as close family and friends, when nobody else is around to trigger the freeze response. In time, the person may learn to anticipate the situations that provoke this distressing reaction and do all they can to avoid them. The expectation to talk to certain people triggers a freeze response with feelings of anxiety and panic, and talking is impossible. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood.Ī child or adult with selective mutism does not refuse or choose not to speak at certain times, they're literally unable to speak. Selective mutism is an 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.
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