Why is my child silent?

As a parent, have you ever wonder why your child is silent some times, he/she does not talk in some environments: school, home, church or any other social gatherings.  Well allow me this week, to tell you about a disorder called selective mutism.

Selective mutism is a disorder whose main distinguishing characteristic is the persistent failure to speak in specific social situations (e.g., at school, or with playmates) where speaking is expected, despite speaking in other situations. Onset of selective mutism typically occurs before a child is 5-years-old. However, it is usually first noticed when the child enters school

Selective mutism interferes with the social interactions the child has at home, school and in the play area. So how can you as a parent identify if your child has this disorder? Here are a few Symptoms to watch out for?

Symptoms of Selective Mutism

• There is a consistent failure to speak in specific social situations (in which there is an expectation for speaking, e.g., in class at school), despite speaking in other situations.
• The problem interferes with educational or occupational achievement or with social communication. In other words, the child is failing in school (or being held back), can’t move ahead in their daily activities, or can’t create strong social relationships with friends or significant others.
• The duration of the disturbance is at least 1 month (not limited to the first month of school).
• The failure to speak is not due to a lack of knowledge of, or comfort with, the spoken language required in the social situation. (Children who have difficulty speaking the language because they simply don’t know it wouldn't qualify for this disorder.)
• The disturbance is not better accounted for by a Communication Disorder (e.g., Stuttering) and does not occur exclusively during the course of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, or other Psychotic Disorder.

For further details, please read the following articles on selective mutism
Associated features of selective-mutism.
What parents can do if they suspect their child has selective mutism
Treatment of selective mutism