“Sue Newman, Co-Founder/Director of the Selective Mutism Foundation, Inc., was a major resource in the work of the renaming of the disorder, Elective Mutism, for the DSM-IV. We held meetings to discuss the views of parents with a child suffering from the disorder.
Kids need to start developing their social skills early in life. With excellent communication, negotiation, and other social skills, they’ll be able to cultivate great relationships, be it in their personal or professional life. But have you noticed your kids having some awkward speechless moments when in the midst of people they don’t know? Are they chatty at home but unable to participate well at school? If yes, it’s possible that your kids are experiencing Selective Mutism.
Selective Mutism Foundation, Inc. understands that during this pandemic, as parents, you struggle to balance work, child care, and self-care while keeping your worries at bay. It is especially hard for those with children with selective mutism or social anxiety disorder.
Helping as many people as we can to support a child with selective mutism and/or social anxiety amid quarantine, and the closure of various establishments including schools is something we are passionate about. We at Selective Mutism Foundation, Inc., a public service organization in Florida, believe that the youth can continue to brave their speaking goals with the help of technology.
Selective mutism is characterized as a severe anxiety disorder wherein an individual that is normally capable of speech is unable to talk in specific situations or to certain individuals. Also called situational mutism, the disorder commonly co-exists with a social anxiety disorder and begins during childhood. When left untreated, the disorder can persist into adulthood.
Selective mutism is a complex and rare anxiety disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak in specific social situations. Usually developed during childhood, selective mutism can continue into adulthood. As a public service organization in Florida with a focus on selective mutism, we understand how debilitating it can be for adults. Likewise, this month’s blog will discuss the treatment options available for adults with selective mutism:
Selective Mutism (SM) is usually associated with children because the symptoms usually start to manifest among this age group. However, little is said about adults suffering from this disorder who live a daily life of paradox—wanting to talk to people outside their comfort but extremely afraid to. A non-profit organization in Tamarac, Florida knows how much SM cannot just go away on its own. Almost always, untreated children with selective mutism continue to be so throughout adulthood.
Children with selective mutism do not initiate or respond when spoken to by others in a social setting because of their anxiety. However, these children can communicate clearly and effectively when they are in an environment that’s secure, comfortable, and calm for them.
Children with SM are often mistaken for other things, and parents who first encounter it may believe some misconceptions. Being a public service organization in Florida advocating for selective mutism, we give you the common misconceptions some people (or maybe even you) may have about SM:
Often, research raises ethical concerns, especially when humans or animals are involved. For years, we have debated the parameters of ethics and its applications. For instance, during scientific experiments, ethical standards generally entail what is socially acceptable or not. But where do we draw the line? What makes research ethical?
One of the common mistakes of teachers about a child with selective mutism is thinking that he or she is just acting up by not participating or speaking. As a non-profit organization in Tamarac, Florida, we need to ensure that every child feels welcome and comfortable at the school.
There has been a lot of mystery revolving around selective mutism. Often, a person with this kind of disorder is misunderstood as a snob, shy, or downright rude. This is wrong. Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder that affects approximately 1 in 140 children, which hinders them from speaking freely in certain situations.
