Sooze2 Report post Posted February 21, 2009 I'm just asking about it for a freind, her daughter doesn't speek at school to teachers and it is getting her in all kinds of trouble because they see it as attention seeking but the Mum knows it isn't this at all. She is having problems getting help for her daughter and she goes up to Secondary School in September so is very worried. They say its all linked to anxiety. I thought I read about it being linked to Autism somewhere, does anyone know about that? I stupidly said this to the mum today and now wish I hadn't and kept my mouth shut as I usually do but it just popped out before I had a chance to sensor my mouth! Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wasuup Report post Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Yes I run SMIRA's website selective mutism.co.uk There she will find loads of info. It can be a co-morbid with aspegers/autism or other things such as dyspraxia/dyscalculia. Sensory difficulties also may be present. Edited February 21, 2009 by wasuup Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JsMum Report post Posted February 21, 2009 Yes I run SMIRA's website selective mutism.co.uk There she will find loads of info. It can be a co-morbid with aspegers/autism or other things such as dyspraxia/dyscalculia. Sensory difficulties also may be present. a very informative website, and a lot of questions are in detail JsMum Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Mia Report post Posted February 21, 2009 Hello, My mother has a history of this Selective Mutism too and was diagnosed with Autism last year so it can be connected with Autism and also we were advised that trauma could do it too. It is very stressful when this happens and we also learned some medication she was prescribed made it worse in that she would seem to have more severe episodes of it. Although, this may again have been due to her situation. There is no warning for my mum, it happens randomly and when it does she wishes the earth will swallow her up, she gets so embarrassed and it caused her agrophobia too. There is a movie I remember we watched years ago and our Nana explained that this used to happen to my mum when she was little.... a story about a bird call 'Paulie' a bird, it is a nice movie and the little girl in it has Selective Mutism. I was just looking at some of the stories in the link and hope that helps. Mia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MelowMeldrew Report post Posted February 26, 2009 My son often refuses to speak to people, mostly outside the home, but lately has adopted the stance of 'mouthing' what he wants to say, but putting no audible voice to it, so in effect you have to lip-read him. When taken to task to raise his voice so people can follow, he whispers so quietly you still cannot hear him. It is causing chaos at present, to which he seems oblivious. I am thinking teen angst is settling in as he is near 14 and he is changing from a meek and passive child, to one that is confrontational and he seems to target Dad quite a bit now !! I expect it had to happen, autism doesn't give immunity to teen ire does it ! I suppose in terms of behaviour I have had a 'good run' now seems like payback time as he makes up for it... He has two prominent OCD's as well which have escalated alarmingly of late. I'm in for it aren't I ?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted February 27, 2009 My son had/has selective mutism. It's a horrible co-morbid and can really have a pervasive effect on their whole development. I'm not sure if it is a result of regression or if it actually causes regression, but it is an extremely disabling condition as it appears to have a detrimental affect on all areas of functioning. He is much better now than he was but is still much less vocal than he was before he developed this co-morbid. It seemed to kick in when he hit puberty and I'm hoping and praying that once he reaches adulthood it will disappear again. Flora Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wasuup Report post Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) Selective Mutism is now known to be related to anxiety in particular social anxiety. To clarify it is not a refusal to speak but the larynx tightens making speech impossible. Probably in children with ASD the cause maybe sensory overload creating the anxiety.. It is not an oppositional behaviour and quite frustrating for the sufferer. It is best to try and reduce anxiety rather than to encourage speech. Encouraging speech will increase anxiety and it is the anxiety that is preventing speech. Edited February 27, 2009 by wasuup Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MelowMeldrew Report post Posted February 27, 2009 Selective Mutism is now known to be related to anxiety in particular social anxiety. To clarify it is not a refusal to speak but the larynx tightens making speech impossible. Probably in children with ASD the cause maybe sensory overload creating the anxiety.. It is not an oppositional behaviour and quite frustrating for the sufferer. It is best to try and reduce anxiety rather than to encourage speech. Encouraging speech will increase anxiety and it is the anxiety that is preventing speech. The problem is when systems and parents address the issues that provoke anxiety e.g. interactions with others, then this just makes for more mutism, we are in catch 22, if we address it, it means opting our children right out of any inclusive process quite often, since THAT Is the trigger.... then what ? The systems such as they are do not provide for us to opt in or out, as and when, we get attacked if we opt out of things because it causes anxiety, we are stuck between a rock and a very hard place. My son is very peaceful when others are kept well away from him, and he can do his own autistic thing, this extends to members of his extended family as well, he can only manage an hour or two, then he gets stressed out, he is oblivious to 'family' connection.... so what approach do I use ? I need lots of understanding he needs a lot of time out, and they have to accept that, but they don't accept that, they he is not trying hard enough, or we are encouraging it. I cannot convince them they are on a total loser via pressurising him, since he withdraws more then... I've accepted my child's issues, others haven't and that's the problem, if there was any way to get around it, I would take it, but there isn''t, and they won't attempt a 'happy medium'... Minimising stress is all we can do, we cannot erase it, since we don't always know what the triggers are, and we are miles ahead of the medical profession in understanding a lot of them.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wasuup Report post Posted February 27, 2009 I know it is difficult with children like ours and the teenage years won't be helping. It seems obvious but all I can think off really is to make noise making activities and speaking activities even if a child is non verbal doing those as much fun as possible while letting him communicate in whatever ways he feels comfortable when it is an expectation for him. Try to relax about it and don't hear whispers- or see lips moving-just say I can't hear anything at the moment-never mind? Whether as a co-morbid or not children with SM have to want to get over their difficulty in order to try to overcome it. Have you sat down with your son and said to him I know that sometimes you really want to speak but I know your throat sometimes feels tight and your words want come out, that you understand? He must feel frustrated and confused about his SM which may show in his behaviour sometimes too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MelowMeldrew Report post Posted February 28, 2009 If there are ways, I've tried them all....! The school gets nowhere either and he is in an autistic environment with pros there... The first year he went to the school I was surprised they sorted our children according to 'passive' and non-passive areas and classes, so the fist 18 months he was with other autistics who rarely spoke either, so not in an environment where speech was encouraged much. They said they felt he would have huge problems if pitched in with more 'chatty' and outgoing (!) autistics. He is now with children that orate more, but no sign of any realistic advance in speech, we are all becoming adept lip-readers ! He actually has a good speaking voice, it's the lack of real volume on it that is the problem. I think I'll fit him with an amplifier ! I sit down with my son every day and encourage speech, he tries determinedly to act silly or simply switch out. whatever it takes for people to give up bothering, I am the only one who sticks at it every day and at every opportunity. Given many with SM do not change, (I'm wondering DOES he have SM ? lack of volume is part of that ?), it may be a fact we won't get anywhere, not that I ever stop plugging away, but I feel it is a lone battle I fight, the school doesn't put in those hours I do, and interacting with me is still not interaction with them......he may see it as something he 'might' do at home, but never does at school. Compartmentalizing his approaches to home and 'outside' is a driving feature of his autism. For what it is worth the real success in his communications are here at home, and not at school or anywhere else. Speech and Language therapy doesn't, to my mind seem to be addressing it. I've really not much idea of the approaches they use, or how much therapy he actually gets, but I suspect not a lot. It is clear to me he needs a considerable amount of therapy and encouragement, even although expectation is pretty low....but his compartmentalizing of cooperations mean he still would not use it outside the home. I think the school set him tasks and encourage and try to see via classwork how much he is taking in. It is very difficult when he witholds feedback, at home, I KNOW he understands a hell of a lot more than he ever suggests to others, because we will talk in the house perhaps about his school progress and he will butt in and correct us ! But again will never go in to any sort of detail at all, school is school, home is home, they never meet. But for regular weekly reports from his teacher we'd have no idea what he does... His teacher also without my feedback has no idea of his home life or progress, we work well with the school, but our son is having no part of it ! He had a bad week this week, the teacher says they are trying to teach him division in maths, and he does not want to know about it, he has dropped all interaction with the maths class as a result so far. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wasuup Report post Posted February 28, 2009 (edited) Trouble is not many "professionals" understand SM or know best how to treat it. From my own experience it has taken a long time in the educational setting to get her teachers to understand and I have had to provide them with a lot of info myself. It took them 4 years to agree to test her for dyscalculia as well. She has SM, social anxiety, and dyscalculia. She is not an easy child to live with behavioural wise and has school refused many times as a result of her difficulties. My son who is being assessed for ASD is noticebly quieter outside of the home his language processing is a lot worse and he can appear selectively mute at times. I don't know whether this is down to too much sensory information happening or whatever. We can only do our best, can't we. <'> Edited February 28, 2009 by wasuup Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
