Childhood Anxiety - Selective Mutism

                    
  

Helping Children with Extreme Anxiety  There are millions of children who suffer from excessive fears and anxieties.  Anxiety is the number one mental health  problem facing children today, but it is also the most treatable.  Without intervention, children tend to grow into their fears and in sever cases, Selective Mutism. Once a child reaches this stage, they do not grow out of it and will live their whole life with fear and anxiety. Today, kids with anxiety can expect to learn the skills they need to lead a  full and happy life.  We believe that every child deserves a worry free and happy childhood. With a happy childhood, the changes are great for them grow up and become a well-rounded and happy adult.  You can help them get there!

What is Selective Mutism?

Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a child is unable to speak in some settings and to some people.  A child with SM may talk normally at home, for instance, or when alone with the parents, but cannot speak at all, or speak above a whisper, in other social settings - such as at school, in public, or at extended family gatherings.  Parents and teachers often think the child is shy or having an attitude problem when they refuse to speak or speak loud enough to be heard. The fact is, the child experiences it as extreme fear, so much so, they cannot speak. The net result is it causes severe stress that can scar their psyche for life. With SM, the child cannot even communicate if he/she is in pain, or, say, needs to use the bathroom - and prevents he/she from participating in school and other age-appropriate activities.  It should not be confused with the reluctance to speak a child adapting to a new language might exhibit, or shyness in the first few weeks at a new school or entering new grade level.

Signs:

If your child suffers from selective mutism, he/she may be freely verbal and even gregarious at home - "chatterbox" is a description professionals often hear - but completely or mostly nonverbal at school.  Some children seem paralyzed with fear when they are unable to speak, and have difficulty communicating even nonverbally.  Others will use gestures, facial expressions, and nodding to get by when they cannot speak.  Even in the home, some will fall silent when someone other than a family member is present.  Parents often notice signs of SM when a child is 3 or 4 years old, but the parent may not be diagnosed until the child gets to school.

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