SELECTIVE MUTISM - PHENOMENOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The purpose of this study was to gain phenomenological information abo ut Selective Mutism (SM) in the following areas: (a) mute and variant talking patterns that occur prior to the identification of SM and/or w hich occur as conditions within the SM syndrome, (b) events that preci pitate SM, (c) biological vulnerabilities for SM in terms of anxiety a nd temperament variables, (d) characteristics associated with SM, (e) other problems experienced with SM, and (f) school and social competen cies. A comprehensive survey included 153 participants who had experie nce with SM, 135 of whom were under 18 years of age and 18 of whom wer e Is years of age or older. Evidence supported three theoretical assum ptions. First, results supported the existence of variant talking beha viors (talking with less frequency, volume, and spontaneity than usual ), in addition to mutism, prior to the identification of SM and as par t of the SM syndrome. Setting (home, school, community) affected the r ate of occurrence for mule and variant talking behaviors, with these b ehaviors occurring primarily in the school and community settings. Sec ond, evidence supported a link between SM and social anxiety or phobia . Participants who no longer had SM continued to experience problems c onversing and discomfort in social situations. Internalized problems w ere significantly greater than Externalized problems on the Child Beha vior Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR). Item analysis of th ese two scales also revealed anxiety symptoms for children with SM. Th ird, we found support of the notion that persons with SM may have char acteristics similar to behaviorally inhibited or slow-to-warm children , suggesting a potential link between temperament and SM. As infants o r toddlers, participants typically did not respond well to new stimuli . They also had difficulty handling transition or change. Implications for future research are presented.