by Gino Hipolito, The Conversation

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Belle is six years old. Like many children, she is a playful and often boisterous child at home with her family. Unlike many children, she has an anxiety disorder which renders her speechless and often physically frozen in specific situations such as school or when she is out with her family.

This affects her ability to join class activities and make friends at school. Other typical childhood experiences, such as attending birthday parties or joining in after-school activities, prove to be challenging for her.

Belle has selective mutism, which affects about one in 140 children under the age of eight years. (To ensure anonymity, Belle is a composite of various children I have treated for selective mutism.)

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder characterized by a consistent pattern of silence in specific social situations where speech is expected (for example, at school or work) while the person is able to speak comfortably in other situations (such as at home with close family).

To receive a diagnosis, this pattern must persist for over a month and cannot be explained by another communication or psychiatric condition. This lack of speech affects the person's education, friendships and work.

Selective mutism usually starts between two to five years. Although the condition becomes less common in adolescence and adulthood, if left untreated, it has a significant effect on the person's mental health, well-being and life opportunities as an adult.

No one cause

There is no one cause of selective mutism. Instead, it is developed by the interaction of several risk factors such as the person's genes, temperament, brain development and environment. So each person with selective mutism is different.

In 2011, researchers at the University of California found that the same gene linked to autism, language impairment and anxiety traits is also associated with selective mutism. Parents often report a family history of anxiety or communication difficulties, which supports this.

Children with selective mutism often display what is known as a "behavioral inhibition" temperament. People with this temperament tend to show fear and avoidance of new people, situations and objects. These children often avoid taking risks, which can hinder progress during treatment, since social communication and interaction involve taking risks.

Studies have also shown a high occurrence of communication difficulties, autism and developmental delays in the people with selective mutism.

Researchers have suggested that some children's lack of speech may be reinforced by significant people in their environment, such as family members and teachers.

Provided by The Conversation 

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.