Parents often joke about their kids having selective hearing, and there’s a lot of truth to this willful refusal to listen. The same can’t be said of selective mutism, which can paralyze a child’s ability to communicate under certain circumstances.
Selective mutism, which affects between 1% and 2% of kids, isn’t willful shyness. Nor is it a speech disorder. Instead, this issue is classified as an anxiety disorder, and anxiety issues among kids are on the rise in the United States and now affect 11% of kids between the ages of 3 and 17. Selective mutism is one way in which anxiety can manifest itself in kids.
As speech and behavioral experts, the team at Celebrations Speech Group is well-versed in selective mutism, and we’ve helped many kids feel more comfortable using their voices in every situation. If you’re wondering why your child’s voice goes silent sometimes, read on to explore the key signs of selective mutism.
There are certain diagnostic criteria for selective mutism, and at the top of the list is a consistent failure to speak in specific situations. These situations typically involve group settings where speech is expected, such as school.
The reason your child’s selective mutism stands out is that you know they do talk — at home, in the car, and anywhere else where there are fewer people and less pressure.
Selective mutism has nothing to do with learning ability. In fact, your child may be an expert in a certain area, but when the subject comes up in a group setting, they remain silent, even though they love the subject matter.
A byproduct of selective mutism is that your child can fall behind in school and in social situations. They can still participate in terms of listening, but their mutism is holding them back from full performance and participation.
Selective mutism can be a component of another issue, such as autism spectrum disorder, stuttering, or simply extreme shyness. So, it’s important that you come to see us for a full evaluation of your child’s communication hurdle so that we can correctly identify what’s causing them to go silent in certain situations.
If we find that selective mutism is to blame, we get to work on making your child more comfortable communicating in a group setting. Our practice offers group therapy and social skill building, which can really help ease your child’s anxiety about using their voice around others.
For expert diagnosis and treatment of selective mutism, look no further than Celebrations Speech Group. To sit down with one of our specialists, we invite you to contact one of our offices in Brentwood, Stockton, or Elk Grove, California, to arrange a consultation.
