Mother Joanna Stephenson (middle) has started a petition calling for more support for children with selective mutism, signed by hundreds of parents Parents say they are "angry" and "frustrated" that ...

A year before I started school, I developed selective mutism. My mouth felt emphatically numb in situations where I felt uncomfortable. The inability to find any words to speak became even more ...

Selective mutism is a condition in which a person can speak in some situations but not in others. For example, a child with selective mutism may speak at home but not at preschool or around strangers.

Belle* is six years old. Like many children, she is a playful and often boisterous child at home with her family. Unlike many children, she has an anxiety disorder which renders her speechless and ...

Chelsea Jenkins and her family. When Chelsea Jenkins' 4-year-old daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with selective mutism in January 2026, the 33-year-old mother of four immediately began searching for ...

A local filmmaker produced a documentary about selective mutism, which has a higher prevalence among girls and children from bilingual households. As a journalist, I constantly speak to people.