In IN the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders selective mutism is described as a rare psychological disorder in children. Children (and adults) with the disorder are fully capable of speech and understanding language, but fail to speak in certain social situations when it is expected of them. They function normally in other areas of behavior and learning, though appear severely withdrawn and might be unwilling to participate in group activities. It is like an extreme form of shyness, but the intensity and duration distinguish it. As an example, a child may be completely silent at school, for years at a time, but speak quite freely or even excessively at home.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_mutism.
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It sounds quite fascinating. Does it ony cover language and speech, or physical bodily actions aswell?
My Granny always used to enjoy telling a family story of her older sister Maggie's first words. Whether this is just a family myth I am not sure but she loved to tell of Maggie, who was an intelligent child, independent and very capable, but did not speak. Until one day, at the age of three, when eating dinner at her high chair Maggie said: "Excuse me, but I don't like peas!"
My Granny had not been born when this event is said to have taken place, but in their eighties both her and her twin still told very similar versions of it, semi re-enacted at parties, especially to embarrass their older sister about her petulant ways. It seems it must have been once told to both. I know this is off on a tangent a little, but it is possibly still a form of translation.
Selective Mutism sounds interesting; I’ve never heard of it before, where did you first come across it? Does it stem from selective hearing?
Hi sorry Giles, have just read your reply to Gwen, and it's answered the question about where you found it.
so I followed your link to the selective mutism site and wiki said it didn't have one with that name available, . . ., So I did a quick Google found all these sites where I could pay people to help me with my child who has selective mutism, or somefing, quite full on and SELL SELL SELL help for selective mutism, any how in the end I end up back at a wiki selective mutism page, a whole series of toughts go through my head very quickly, I'll attempt to list them but by know I'll a . . . have forgotton some, they went something like this (from now on Selectvie Mutism will be refered to as S. M.).
. strange wasn't a wiki on it a few minutes ago
. did giles spell it wrong
. there are wikipedians with S. M.
. but I have both wiki pages open, one with article one without claiming it doesn't exist
. wiki must be playing tricks on me
thier were several other thoughts but the appear ether to have grown wings and flown or started to burrow out of sight.
I found the culprit, it was the dot. The dot shouldn't of been thier, it fooled me, I selected it with the rest of the http/address and . . . effectivly it hitched a lift but messed things up slowing things down, but it's murphies law.
Why you interested in it?
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