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Does anyone have experience with selective mutism?

dundasgirldundasgirl
in Special Needs

I read the FAQ section and didn't see anything related to selective mutism.

One of my best friends has a daughter who will be 3 towards the end of September.  Her daughter has recently been assessed to see if she has autism.  My friend has been working with a few different groups to try and figure out what is happening with her daughter.  Selective mutism was mentioned.  She has been in daycare for 6 months and still won't speak while there.  She does speak to her mother.  There have been autism red flags aside from the selective mutism.  I want to be able to be there for her if/when she gets a diagnosis.

Does anyone have any book recommendations about having an autistic child?  Or links that have to do with selective mutism?

Thank you so much for your time.  You seem like a very supportive community.

 

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Re: Does anyone have experience with selective mutism?

  • dundasgirldundasgirl

    Thank you for getting back to me.  I will look for that book!

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  • ridesbuttonsridesbuttons member

    I think *I* might have experienced SM as a child.  My mother reports that I would speak to my immediate family, the lady next door and the 'old man at the gas station' and that was it.  No matter how hard other people tried to engage me, I would just clam up.

    I have some recollection of feeling adrenaline in my joints and feeling overwhelmed to talk.  I remember biting the insides of my cheeks at times.

    This was the early 70s.  It resolved on its own with no intervention.  I became an accomplished public speaker very early in elementary school and to this day public speaking (large or small groups) does not phase me. 

    I can't speak to the autism possibility.

    promised myself I'd retire when I turned gold, and yet here I am
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  • MichelleWPMichelleWP
    My daughter (will be 5 in a few weeks) was diagnosed with Selective Mutism and Social Phobia in February after 5 months of sitting frozen in preschool, she was referred to a pediatric psychiatrist through our school district's Mental Health Triage Therapists (she was able to be seen within 2 weeks rather that the usual year because of this).  I also have an 8 yr old son with PDD-NOS. There are frequent misdiagnoses between the two based on how the child acts towards the clinician so it's good that they are noting/evaluating ASD behaviors as well. Auntie gave the link for the Selective Mutism Group which seems to be the most informative source I have found, they have a bookstore with good recommendations - Helping Children with Selective Mutism and Their Parents has been strongly recommended to me, I just started reading it - it's actually aimed to educators but is supposedly good for parents beginning the school journey with a SM child.
    Michelle
    3 boys (15, 8, 6), 1 girl (4)
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