Ask the CPSD
by Laura Caccavale, M.S.
In a recent conference with my daughter’s teacher, I was told that... ...my daughter won't really talk to anyone at school. Sometimes she'll whisper to a couple of other girls, but refuses to say anything when the teacher talks to her or calls on her in class. My daughter is seven and has always been shy around strangers, but is a real "chatterbox" at home. I have no idea what to do and the teacher said that she can't grade certain things, especially reading, and so doesn’t know what level to assign to her for next year. I'm worried that this is going to affect my daughter's friendships, as well as her progress in school. What do you think is going on and what should I do? Since it sounds like your daughter’s behavior is impacting her performance in school, it is a good idea to address your concerns soon. First, you may want to get more information from your daughter’s teacher about how long she has been refusing to speak at school. A better understanding of whom she will talk to and whether or not there are certain times she is more willing to talk than others can be useful information for treatment. Further, you want to find out if she is communicating in any non verbal ways with the teacher, for example pointing or nodding her head. It will also be useful to find out whether or not your daughter is talking to any other teachers (e.g. gym or art teacher) or if she will whisper her answer to a friend. Getting a better picture of her behavior in school is an important first step. If you find out from the teacher that she is unable to talk during the school day, but in other situations, like at home or a friend’s house, she is able to talk, your daughter may have selective mutism. Seeing a psychologist or another mental health provider is important in order to have an evaluation done to make sure there are not any other explanations for her inability to talk in school or if any other comorbid problems exist. Often during an evaluation, a complete background history is gathered in addition to an educational history review, hearing screening, oral-motor examination, parent/caregiver interview and a speech and language evaluation. The evaluations will vary but a thorough assessment is important to accurately diagnose a condition and formulate a treatment plan. Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder characterized by not speaking in select settings, for example school. Symptoms include fear or anxiety around unknown people, shyness, inability to speak in certain situations and ability to speak at home or with family. This pattern of selective speaking must be present for at least one month and is not limited to the first month of school, a
Center for Psychological Services and Development