What is Selective Mutism?
This was a question I was asking myself when I first heard of Selective Mutism last year. Luckily, I have had the honor of learning from an expert in the field, Annie DiVello M.S. CCC-SLP, a licensed and certified speech pathologist. I have learned that children and adolescents that experience Selective Mutism develop speech and language normally but in certain school or other public settings they have what can be an intense fear of speaking. This is different from the shy child who once they become comfortable in their setting will start talking. Selective mutism is often first noticed during the child’s first year of school. These children may be chatterboxes at home but once in the school setting will not speak to teachers or peers. For children who reach their teens without treatment the results can take a devastating toll on their education and social lives. There is often an underlying anxiety component and once children are struggling in social situation’s they will often develop sadness or depression.
Although studies have shown that somewhere between one to seven per thousand people suffer from selective mutism there are many experts who believe it is more prevalent than Autism, it is simply less recognized and diagnosed.
Conventional treatment includes various therapies and sometimes anti-anxiety medications. Annie Divello expressed to me that she had seen remarkable outcomes from natural treatments, including homeopathy, when a client is being followed by an expert Naturopathic doctor. In fact, for teenagers and young adults, Annie has seen a better response with natural treatments. Since we began our work together and I will say it has been very rewarding being a part of working with these amazing individuals. We have seen some profound changes adding naturopathic foundational principles and homeopathy along with the Annie’s incredible work.
If you are interested in learning more about selective mutism you can go to selectivemutism.org or anniedivello.com or join us for our day long workshop in Newmarket on 10/18.
