Does My Child Have Selective-Mutism?

Does your child/student have difficulty talking to new people, despite having some time to ‘warm-up’ to the person or the situation?

Does your child/student freely verbalize and even appear ‘chatty’ at home, but is mostly or completely silent at school or around new peers or adults?

Does your child/student mostly or completely use nonverbal communication, like gestures, nodding, shrugging, or pointing, instead of speaking directly with others?

Does your child/student seem to ‘freeze’ and is silent when asked basic questions, like name, age, or grade, even when asked by an adult, relative, or classmate that he/she is familiar with?

Does your child/student avoid engaging verbally with adults or peers in other ways (e.g., talking about interests, answering questions in class, asking for help), even if he/she knows them and is otherwise comfortable with them?

Do classmates, friends and/or adults refer to your child/student as someone who ‘does not speak?’

Do these issues make it hard for your child/student to make friends (e.g. ask others to play), participate in the classroom (e.g., answer questions, ask for help), and get his/her needs met (e.g., ask to use the bathroom, tell an adult if hurt or in pain)?

Do these issues make it hard for your child/student to make friends (e.g. ask others to play), participate in the classroom (e.g., answer questions, ask for help), and get his/her needs met (e.g., ask to use the bathroom, tell an adult if hurt or in pain)?