What Is Selective Mutism In Children?
Selective mutism is more common than you think. In many children it appears suddenly and not all parents recognize this disease immediately.
Selective mutism means that children are silent – even in situations in which they could or should actually speak.
When such episodes occur, parents do not always respond correctly. It is important to know how to properly treat our children in such situations.
Selective mutism can lead to stress and can make us lose patience quickly. However, psychologists point out that this is a disorder that needs treatment to prevent further complications.
What this means for us is that if we stop responding to selective mutism, it can get worse.
Specialists advise seeing a professional as soon as we notice symptoms of this disease. In this article, we’ll tell you exactly how selective mutism manifests itself and how to act when a child shows these signs.
Selective Mutism: Symptoms
According to psychologists, selective mutism manifests itself not only in isolated episodes in which the child does not want to speak. Other situations and signs can also indicate that a child has the disease.
The most common symptoms include:
- Anxiety and nervousness around strangers or people the child does not know well
- Constant shyness
- Inability or difficulty to speak in a particular setting. For example, when you arrive at school, in the park or in other public places. The child has no problems speaking or communicating with family members or friends at home.
To see if this disorder is affecting your child, you should see if your child has been doing this for more than a month. It is easy to confuse these symptoms with situations in which the child has to adapt to a new environment. For example on the first day of school.
It is perfectly normal for some children to be shy or seem reluctant to talk in certain situations. A real problem only arises when this behavior repeats itself over a period of several months.
How selective mutism can be treated
The key lies in the child’s response to this behavior. If we don’t have enough, we could inadvertently cause psychological damage.
Affected children have no control over the situation. To help them, experts recommend some specific steps.
- Your child should have stable social relationships that they can support. In this regard, it is beneficial for family and close friends to know about your child’s problem so that they can all work together to help your child.
- A study group or playing with friends can be helpful. Encourage your child to hang out with their peers.
- A crucial factor in solving the problem is strengthening your child’s self-esteem. Avoid overprotecting your child as this could reduce their confidence. Being able to do small tasks on their own will help your child trust their own abilities. In addition, these tasks provide topics for conversation with other children.
Correct communication is important
- Be open about how much you appreciate your child’s accomplishments. As a result, it will learn to appreciate its good qualities and to respect itself more – and also that it can be perceived positively by others.
- With this tendency, it is important to pay special attention to communication between parent and child. Listen to them carefully so that they have the courage and interest to talk to you. Sometimes children do not seek to talk to their parents. That’s because they think they won’t get any attention from them anyway.
- Even more important than asking to communicate is praising when your child seeks conversation. Avoid criticizing your child if he or she does not want to speak or only rarely speaks. Your goal should be to encourage your child to talk. Everything doesn’t always have to be perfect right away.
- Comparisons with siblings or other children are particularly harmful in these situations. Let your child talk when they want – and not because you want them to imitate others.
- Avoid labeling your child as “shy” if they are showing symptoms of selective mutism. Labels and drawers are just as harmful as printing or ignoring the problems.
