Does Anyone Have a Child with Selective Mutism

L.,

I just Googled it and briefly read that it seems to often be associated with having a more anxious type personality. I have a very shy five year old...new situations are hard for her and she is very clingy...I think some children just tend to have a harder time easing into new situations. I wouldn't worry too much or presume that your son actually has selective mutism (that may be a little premature for your doctor to have said), but it's great that you are checking it out.

One place you may check into is the Center for Social Success - go to www.dristre.com. Click on the first page to enter the site. Dr. Istre is a nurse who spoke at a MOPS meeting I attended several years ago. She is very good and has a staff of therapists with varied backgrounds who work with all kinds of issues. I have considered taking my child there. I have an acquaintance whose daughter has attended group therapy and has really benefitted.

Good luck and God bless!

I have a friend who's daughter was diagnosed with selective mutism a couple of year's ago (I think she was about 4 1/2 at the time). She was the most painfully shy child I had ever seen, she would come to our house to play with my kids and have a great time with them, but if I asked her a question she would just stare and finally answer in a nearly inaudible voice. I also found out that she never said one word to her preschool teacher for the ENTIRE year. She is still what I would call shy, but over time she just became more and more comfortable in new situations and just slowly came out of her shell. Best of luck to you!

Hi L.
My 10 year old niece has been diagnosed with select mutism too. I hadn't ever heard of it until my brother explained it to me. From the day she started kindergarden she had all the symptoms you described above. She even had to stay in kindergarden a second year because she wouldn't talk to the teachers so they didn't know how much she knew. She still struggles with school and this has been going on for 5 years now. She was diagnosed last year. I guess no one was really diagnosing her correctly. They just thought it was shyness. Finally they found a therapist that diagnosed her with the select mutism.
She's working with a therapist now and my brother said she's getting better. I think you have a big advantage because you've got a diagnosis and have time to get help while he's still young.
My brother was telling me there is some type of seminar that's going to be held for select mutism in St Louis this summer. They're thinking about going. Let me know if you want further details and I can ask him for more details.
You're in my thoughts.
A.

I have never heard of Selective Mutism, but my youngest has social anxiety disorder, which sounds similar in some ways. She'd talk very little outside the home and very quietly and would scream and yell at home.

I hope you get some good info on it. Don't forget there's the Early Childhood Learning Center in Carrolton that will test for free if you think she might have learning delays. It wouldn't hurt to get another oppinion.

When my now 12 yr old son was 2 they thought he had it. But most of it was he had fluid in his ear drums. The other part is that he has Aspergers Syndrome, a high functioning autism.