Selective Mutism Awareness!

Selective Mutism (SM) is a communication disorder found in people who are fully capable of speech but who are unable to speak in certain social situations or to certain people. It is classed as a severe form of social anxiety. Selective Mutism affects both children and adults.
Selective Mutism presents itself as the inability to speak in certain social situations while being able to speak freely in other situations. For example, someone with Selective Mutism may be silent in school but talk freely and sometimes excessively at home. People with Selective Mutism appear withdrawn and unable to participate in group activities.
The are different forms of Selective Mutism on a severity scale. Some SM's appear social and participate fully despite being silent, others speak only to their peers but not to adults in the case of a child, others speak only to adults and not to their peers, some do not speak to anyone and refuse to participate in few activites. The worst form is known as Progressive Mutism in where someone stops talking in all situations and to everyone including their family.
Other symptoms of Selective Mutism include difficulty maintaining eye contact, Blank expressions, Stiff awkward movements, A tendency to worry more than others, Sensitivity to noises and crowds, Difficulty talking about themselves or their feelings, Show excessive shyness, Fear embarrassment and they are socially isolated. On the plus side people with Selective Mutism may have above average intelligence perception and inquisitiveness. They may also be more empathetic and senetive to other people's thoughts and feelings.
Most people with Selective Mutism have an inherited predisposition to anxiety. They will have inhibited temperaments as a result of an over-excitable area of the brain known as the Amygdala which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response.

There is no evidence that people with Selective Mutism are more likely to have suffered abuse, neglect, or trauma though these cannot be ruled out. There is a common that a Selectively Mute person is being defiant, stubborn, willful and rude. In fact, people with Selective Mutism have a lower rate of disruptive and oppositional behavior than others.
Most people with Selective Mutism want to talk but they are prevented from doing so. This can be very distressing for them.
Selective Mutism is a little known condition even among health professionals. The more people hear about Selective Mutism and understand why some people cannot talk, the more that can be done to help children and adults suffering from Selective Mutism!