Anxiety and Mutism, What is the Connection?
The Majority of Selectively Mute children are socially anxious. In other words, anxiety is created when confronted with social situations, such as being in school. Because of the fear and anxiety created within the child, there are various bodily reactions that can be explained by ‘anxiety’ mechanisms that occur in the brain and the rest of the body. One of the results is muscle tension. This is evident by SM children being ‘stiff,’ almost frozen-looking at times, expressionless (blank ‘look’ and not smiling) and MUTISM. Although not proven, theories arise that mutism is the reaction to possible vocal cord paralysis due to muscle tension in the vocal cords! This lecture will focus on this theory and other ‘anxiety symptoms that SM individuals portray.
