Possible Selective Mutism Diagnosis

Lisa · 05-13-2008, 03:46 PM

Well we are having Kaitlyn evaluated because it seems she is showing alot of signs of selective mutism. She was with my mom for 5 hrs when we went to Van Halen and she didnt say one word to her the whole time she was there, she showed her what she wanted by pointing. She is not talking at DC at all to the teachers, she will talk to my niece when she is there and to a few other kids but it not a whole lot. It is not that she cant talk, she is a jabber jaw at home and very loud and boisterous but when in certain social situtations refuses to speak at all or will whisper if she needs to do something.

She will speak to my mom on the phone, and will pick up the phone and tell me call Gramma I need to talk to her, or ask me to take her there because she wants to see them(she will interact with my mom by hugging, kissing or sitting on her lap)but when it comes to any kind of interaction it is all nonverbal such as pointing to things she wants.

When we had our NICU checkup in FEB she talked to the drs and therapists that were there and when we discussed her lack of talking at DC they suggested she was just shy and when she was ready she would talk. Her teacher tells me all the time how she is worried she is not learning anything yet when I get there is immediately yelling and talking to me, and then the teacher will hear her tell me what she did that day. Yesterday was spider day and they read books about spiders, sung the itsy bitsy spider and decorated spiders with yarn and cotton balls. She got in the car and immediatly started to sing the itsy bitsy spider song, so I know she is learning the things she has been taught in DC. There have been no changes to the kids or the teacher that she has contact with so I know it is not that things have been changed and she is just scared.

Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this and help her to be able to communicate better.

Kris · 05-13-2008, 04:24 PM

Josh is like that!

He rarely speaks unless spoken to. When he does talk, his voice is so quiet that most can't hear him. He mumbles too, so he's difficult to understand.

With him, it's all sensory and communication oriented. He can talk, just like Kate... but he almost always choses not to. Small talk, for him, is a huge nono.

Koloe · 05-13-2008, 04:26 PM

I hope you are able to figure out what she is up to.

I have a cousin that didn't talk to anyone till he about 3 or 4 years old. (I should probably confirm that age with my mother.) They thought there was a problem until someone happened to over hear him talking in complete sentences to his toys one day when he thought no one was around. Children any how.

Lisa · 05-13-2008, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris

Josh is like that!

He rarely speaks unless spoken to. When he does talk, his voice is so quiet that most can't hear him. He mumbles too, so he's difficult to understand.

With him, it's all sensory and communication oriented. He can talk, just like Kate... but he almost always choses not to. Small talk, for him, is a huge nono.

Is he like that with you or just others. With us she is just a jabber jaw but with others she is not. Even DC where she is 5 days a week for 8-9 hrs a day. She is speaking in perfect sentences, understand pretty much everything I say to her because she will respond with an appropriate verbal answer.

Kris · 05-13-2008, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa

Is he like that with you or just others.

Joshua will talk to us, but he won't hold long conversations or anything. If I want answers to questions, I have to be very specific as his answers are always limited to the fewest words he can possibly say.

I have conversations with him, he nods.

When he's in a really good/happy mood... he'll chit chat a bit more, but it's rare.

And, with Josh... you HAVE to be incredibly specific. You can't beat around the bush to ask him a question or anything, because he'll totally miss it.

He has an uber high IQ, but he's a very typical aspie by way of limited communication. His reading level is far beyond his age, his reading comprehension, while not as great as his ability, is still way beyond age/grade level. His math skills are out of this world. And, the kid can WRITE!!! But, just don't ask him to sit down and tell you how his day went, ya know??

It goes beyond the typical kid answering "fine" when asked how the school day went. He'll want to "talk" about his day, but I have to rifle through his bag and ask questions.

Kris · 05-13-2008, 05:15 PM

He's also very comfortable around his teacher... and will answer "academic" questions without any problems/hesitations.

However, if someone (say... a friend of mine that he'd not yet met) were to introduce herself and start talking to him, he'd look to me to answer for him.

It's not that he can't talk, when he wants to...he can go ON and ON forever about baseball stats, football stats, and sharks. Good lord, he could talk your ear off about sharks. But, if you deviate from his "pet topics" - he won't talk.

Lisa · 05-13-2008, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris

Joshua will talk to us, but he won't hold long conversations or anything. If I want answers to questions, I have to be very specific as his answers are always limited to the fewest words he can possibly say.

I have conversations with him, he nods.

When he's in a really good/happy mood... he'll chit chat a bit more, but it's rare.

And, with Josh... you HAVE to be incredibly specific. You can't beat around the bush to ask him a question or anything, because he'll totally miss it.

He has an uber high IQ, but he's a very typical aspie by way of limited communication. His reading level is far beyond his age, his reading comprehension, while not as great as his ability, is still way beyond age/grade level. His math skills are out of this world. And, the kid can WRITE!!! But, just don't ask him to sit down and tell you how his day went, ya know??

It goes beyond the typical kid answering "fine" when asked how the school day went. He'll want to "talk" about his day, but I have to rifle through his bag and ask questions.

See I dont have to question Kate, I pick her up from DC and by the time we are halfway home she has told me everything she ate, did and didnt do that day at dc, along with asking when daddy will be home, what is for dinner, can we ride the bike and about 50 million other questions. But if it is her at DC or my parents house or my sis or Ed's sis or parents houses, she is shy and will not speak out loud, sometimes just nodding yes or no, or completely ignoring what is said to her and coming to me to hide behind.

We have gone grocery shopping and when a cashier talks to her she will sometimes be shy and sometimes just jabber away at the person....it just depends on her mood.