Is your child a chatterbox at home, but becomes so angst-ridden around others she can’t speak?
She may have selective mutism — a childhood anxiety disorder that manifests itself in an inability to talk. Shy kids may have moments of silence, but they can function, says developmental/behavioral specialist William I. Cohen, MD, director of Children’s Down Syndrome Center. Children with selective mutism have trouble functioning socially, academically and emotionally.
Talk to your child’s pediatrician for referral to specialists at Children’s Child Development Unit to help her break the “heartbreaking cycle of silence.”