Your children are so quiet. I haven't said a word since I came in." The visiting guest said to you, "That kid barely speaks in class...I'm a little worried if he has autism, is he like that at home too? Would you like him to talk to the school counselor?" the child's tutor tells you , And you noticed that the child at home would not say anything when he went out. Although everything was normal at home, he would chat with you and tell you about recent events, but you began to doubt whether he had any friends, or even worried. Shouldn't he get the bullying that is common nowadays...
So you're thinking, does this kid have autism? Have you been bullied at school? With the recent increase in mental health information, the photo background removing public has gradually increased information on psychological symptoms, such as some disease names such as: autism, ADHD, Asperger, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. However, According to recent research, the lesser-known selective mutism is far more prevalent among younger children than the commonly heard autism, Tourette's, major depressive disorder, etc., and is often misdiagnosed For autism, intellectual disability, etc., but these disorders and selective mutism are not the same. Scholars have found that selective mutism is more common in children and adolescents. It usually occurs before the age of five, but it is not diagnosed until after entering primary school.
The reason may be that children can talk freely with their parents at home, but face an unfamiliar environment. Makes them anxious and begins to develop selective mutism; the cause is still uncertain, but despite the identification of the cause, most experts believe that selective mutism is related to social anxiety, which means that he is prone to anxiety in unfamiliar situations And he can't speak. For example, he has no problem talking to his parents when he is at home, but when facing strangers or unfamiliar environments, he may keep his mouth shut.