Can a person grow out of selective mutism?

Can a person grow out of selective mutism?

Experts don’t know how many children with selective mutism will grow out of the disorder. But what we do know is that treating it becomes much harder the older a child is, so it is extremely important not to put off treatment.

Is it normal to have selective mutism?

Selective mutism is recorded to affect less than one percent of children in the United States. This disorder appears slightly more common in females than in males. The percent of affected population is unknown due to undiagnosis and misdiagnosis.

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.

What selective mutism feels like?

Appearance: Many children with Selective Mutism have a frozen-looking, blank, expressionless face and stiff, awkward body language with lack of eye contact when feeling anxious. This is especially true for younger children in the beginning of the school year or then suddenly approached by an unfamiliar person.

What should you not do with selective mutism?

When interacting with a child with Selective Mutism, DO NOT:

• Try to be “the one who gets this child to speak.” These efforts did not work in the past, are not working now, and will never work in the future!
• Disregard warm-up time.
• Approach the child without preparation.

Is selective mutism serious?

Selective mutism is a severe 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. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood.

What happens if selective mutism is left untreated?

Left untreated, Selective Mutism may lead to increased stress within family units, decreased academic performance, and decreased socialization needed for appropriate development.

How bad is selective mutism?

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 do you fix selective mutism?

Behavioral strategies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are the most widely supported therapeutic treatments for selective mutism. Using a wide variety of strategies aimed at reducing the anxiety beneath the behavior, these therapeutic interventions help kids learn to gradually engage in more speaking behaviors.

Is selective mutism a form of anxiety?

How do you help someone with selective mutism?

When interacting with a child with Selective Mutism, DO:

1. Allow for warm-up time.
2. Monitor the child’s body language.
3. Talk “around” the child at first with focus on parents or siblings.
4. Get down on the child’s level and focus on a prop.
5. Ask choice and direct questions to the child with focus on the prop.

Does selective mutism run in families?

The majority of children with Selective Mutism have a genetic predisposition to anxiety. In other words, they have inherited a tendency to be anxious from one or more family members.

What is the best treatment for selective mutism?

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.

Does anxiety cause selective mutism?

Experts regard selective mutism as a fear (phobia) of talking to certain people. The cause is not always clear, but it’s known to be associated with anxiety.