It's more common in girls and children who have recently migrated from their country of birth. Selective mutism affects about 1 in 140 young children.
However, people with selective mutism are able to speak freely to certain people, such as close family and friends, when nobody else is around to trigger the freeze response. In time, the person may learn to anticipate the situations that provoke this distressing reaction and do all they can to avoid them. The expectation to talk to certain people triggers a freeze response with feelings of anxiety and panic, and talking is impossible. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood.Ī child or adult with selective mutism does not refuse or choose not to speak at certain times, they're literally unable to speak. Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they do not see very often.
