Selective Mutism

Selective Mutism is the name given to a mental disorder found mostly in children, which is characterized by the child's failure to speak in certain situations and settings for greater than one month. These children have the ability to speak and understand spoken language, yet they are unable to speak in many social settings. Most speak at home or to certain individuals in the home, but are unable to speak in school. Most do, however, function normally in other ways and learn age-appropriate skills. Some children experience Selective Mutism for short periods of time, while others experience it for years. It can be a persistent disorder, even into adulthood. Literature suggests that it occurs in less than one percent of children, however, due to unreported, undiagnosed and misdiagnosed cases, the true rate of occurrence of Selective Mutism is unknown. While the exact cause also remains unknown, there does appear to be a relationship between severe anxiety,......

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Title: Selective Mutism
Approximate Word Count: 674
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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