Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Advice needed. Shyness/selective mute/??

5 replies

Hbo22 · 09/05/2018 12:17

My 3 year old has been in nursery since 10 months old and doesn't seem to be progressing much. I have trouble getting him in the room most morning, worsened dramatically if they change his usual room. He'll stop by the door, freeze, refuse to talk and often cry. He'll only go in if a member of staff takes him by the hand and this isn't always definate. If another child tries to talk to him he often looks away. He will say a few words to a couple of the staff members there but very limited such as needing the toilet. He has started to play with a couple of the children in his room but still doesn't seem confident having conversations with them. He chats away at home, although he was slow to start and struggle to understand some of what he says. He doesn't have friendships with other children outside of nursery either. Our neighbours 2.5 year old he will talk to in our house but outside of the house refuses to talk/wave etc he will just walk past him. He is very clingy to me so I assumed it may be just behavioural around me but others such as grandparents have also mentioned similar issues. If I have friends or family over that he either doesn't know or has seen in a few months he will either sit next to me silent or take himself off to another room and stay there until they go.

OP posts:
Hbo22 · 09/05/2018 12:19

Also - have tried taking him to toddler groups etc and he is the same as these. Will play on his own and when other children come to play he goes and finds something else.

OP posts:
user1488397844 · 09/05/2018 18:58

I don't have any advice but have you mentioned this to the health visitor? They may be able to suggest ideas to help? What about nursery how do they help? Is it possible if he sometimes struggles to speak clearly he feels overwhelmed/embarrassed so he chooses not to speak at all? It must be terribly difficult for all of you.

Hbo22 · 09/05/2018 22:02

I asked nursery for some more info today on his typical behaviour there. He will play alongside two other children but not verbally interact at all. During learning activities such as singing he will mime words but not vocalise. Have arranged a full chat with nursery and going to ask them to start noting down all of his daily behaviours there for the next couple of weeks with the aim of then going to the health visitor and seeing what they suggest.

OP posts:
user1488397844 · 10/05/2018 07:54

Maybe it would also be worth speaking to the GP even to get a referral to speech and language for an assessment? It may be that he is just painfully shy, what about clubs with other children outwith nursery? I used to work with a child who was a selective mute, his nursery had put in place a board with photos so he could express what activity he wanted/snack/toilet etc which to me seemed counterproductive but essentially it make him worry less about having to try and communicate as he knew he could get what he wanted without having to try and speak, and his words came in time. Not that I'm suggesting this is the right approach at all just an idea of what I have seen. Also as an aside I also managed to speak to this child from the minute I met him as I had no expectation he wouldn't reply to me, sometimes it is a learned behaviour. Hope some of this helps! Have you tried posting on the special needs board? I know your child doesn't have additional needs but the parents over there know loads about everything and you may get more help.

Savannah13nbump · 04/09/2018 19:55

My dd has selective mutism and freezes in a lot is situations, if u have any questions I'll try and answer as much as I can

New posts on this thread. Refresh page