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Selective Mutism Myths: Most Common Concerns Addressed.
In this article, you will read about the 7 most common selective mutism myths. 1. Selective mutism will stay with my child forever. It is the question that you and I and every parent mostly likely already asked, “Will selective mutism be there forever?” The answer (that you probably know) is NO; it will NOT be there forever. Sigh…(I cried my first time hearing that answer; skeptical, fearful but hopeful). With the early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, MOST children can overcome selective mutism. Yet, the battle with selective mutism is not only about the child affected. Like most families, my family, with all its members, has been affected by selective…
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70 Selective Mutism Symptoms and 3 Diagnostic Criteria.
This post will talk about: 70 Selective mutism symptoms and behaviors. 3 Diagnostic criteria for selective mutism. Indicators that are not consistent with selective mutism. To anyone unaware of selective mutism (as I was four years ago), it’s almost impossible to see the signs and symptoms of this anxiety disorder in a child. In our situation, my toddler was clingy, sometimes moody, and even bossy. She was also a picky eater and hated her hair being brushed, tugged, or any attempt of mine to put her hair in ponytails. Before my child was diagnosed with selective mutism, nothing directly pointed to my daughter having a selective mutism anxiety disorder. What was…
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How Do You Treat Selective Mutism?
This post will answer the following questions and talk about the following points: Is treating selective mutism hard? Is selective mutism rare? How do you treat selective mutism? Is selective mutism a speech disorder? Behavioral approach to treat selective mutism. Cognitive-behavioral approach to treat selective mutism. Pharmacological approach to treat selective mutism. Family therapy approach to treat selective mutism. The treatment of many diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cancer, depression is currently robust and serious because of two main reasons: there is extensive research happening in these fields and technological advancement as a result, there is a massive growth in awareness about these illnesses and how they impact…
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Is Selective Mutism a Disability?
This post will talk about: According to CDC, disability is “any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).” Among the disabilities, there are categories that identify the area affected by the disability, such as: Let’s look at the definition of selective mutism disorder to help identify the answer to the question of whether selective mutism is a disability. Selective mutism is “a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school. These children are…
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What Are The Causes of Selective Mutism?
In this post, you will learn about: the three causes of selective mutism, what parents should NOT think about, what parents should focus on. When my child was diagnosed with selective mutism, my first question was WHY. Like with any “regular” illness, one may try to find the possible explanation and trackback to the event that caused all the mess. However, the unfortunate thing about a selective mutism anxiety disorder is that the causes are unknown; they are still being studied. Finally, there may be multiple causes combined rather than one particular trigger that sets selective mutism. In general, literature on selective mutism talks about three categories that the causes…
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Diagnosis of Selective Mutism: Simple Parent Guide and Steps to Take.
In this post, you will learn about: the steps towards the diagnosis of selective mutism some of the symptoms and behaviors of children with selective mutism the diagnostic criteria for selective mutism Before my child was diagnosed with selective mutism, I saw nothing as a warning sign, let alone I knew that selective mutism anxiety disorder even existed. In retrospect, it is possible now to pinpoint many observations that allow me to evaluate my child’s behaviors patterns and health profile against the diagnostic criteria that would point to her having selective mutism. These are some of the behaviors my daughter displayed consistently before she received a diagnosis of selective mutism:…
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What Is Selective Mutism?
Selective mutism is “a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child’s inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school. These children are able to speak and communicate in settings where they are comfortable, secure, and relaxed”, according to Dr. E. Shipon-Blum from Selective Mutism, Anxiety & Related Disorders Treatment Center. Selective Mutism Association characterizes children affected by selective mutism as being able to”...understand language use and, although they have the physical and cognitive ability to speak, they demonstrate a persistent inability to speak in particular settings over a particular period of time due to anxiety.“ Commonly, a child with selective mutism may appear “shy.” However, while shyness is…
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Selective Mutism: How to Beat Crisis, Screaming, Fear.
Where do I start to share the story of selective mutism with you and how it has framed the past three years of our lives? Since my daughter was diagnosed with selective mutism at the age of 4, I’ve been a curious fighter, a mom-protector with the purpose to share my struggles and the knowledge about selective mutism with other families. There is power in knowing your enemy, or this is at least how I felt about selective mutism when the search for answers started in 2018. My initial enthusiasm to know-it-all would lead me to various selective mutism Facebook groups where I hoped to find the “remedy” and, maybe,…
