Anyone with experience of child with selective mutism

[Momma27272]

Hello,
My child (2.9 years)has been diagnosed with selective mutism.
He will speak in sentences at home, and occasionally around close family members but not when around other people, at nursery or especially will not speak infront of other children.
i just wondered if anyone had any experience of their child who has overcome this?
The professionals have said most children overcome it and just to keep the pressure off.
would love to hear only positive stories please, as I am feel so worried for my baby.
thanks

Me. I think home life was a bit shouty, didn’t really speak until I was about 5. Now I don’t stop

My DS could be very silent as a youngster - not speak at all unless he was with people he was very comfortable with - but as he got used to new situations and people he gradually became able to speak.

It does occasionally still happen, when he went up to secondary school we all had a difficult few weeks whilst he settled in, and I had to explain to his teacher what it was and what to do about it ie make no big fuss, don't try and force him to speak, just let him come to it in his own time. Within a couple of weeks he was talking to a couple of classmates, and then all the other children and some teachers, and then by the end of the first half term he was talking to everyone.

I was distressed that it had "come back" and felt dreadful for him, but in reality it had not gone away; what I have learned from that is that it might always happen in situations he finds stressful, and because at the time he is unable to explain what's going on, it's best to explain in advance (either by me saying something, or him having a ready-prepared text on his phone) that it might happen, and what it is.

Most of the time now he just does not shut up, and he'll stand up on stage and speak quite comfortably, so your little one won't necessarily always be as affected as he is now, or will learn ways to manage it. It is heart-breaking to watch, and to think about, I know, but it does get much easier I promise.

We had a girl with selective mutism in the class when I was a TA. She didn't tell us that she felt sick on a school trip and vomited all over.

Interestingly at the Christmas fair she was waiting to have her nails painted. She pointed to blue nail varnish and the helper said 'Ah, you want this green nail varnish' so she quickly replied- 'no it's blue'.

So she could speak if she wanted to!

My sister had this. As an adult she's been diagnosed with ADHD and there was a question of autism in later childhood, but she's a fully functioning adult now who not only talks to everyone, she made a speech at her own wedding. She's a qualified teacher and you wouldn't know she had been selectively mute until she was six (extreme too, wouldn't even talk to our grandparents). In the end she grew out of it.

Speak if she wanted too? This is so ignorant

My daughter had selective mutism, she is 8 now. Don’t panic! We discovered this at a similar time to you, slightly later in fact and she has overcome this in the main.
We were told at the end of preschool she hadn’t spoken to any adults in that environment the whole year! We had no idea as she was fairly chatty at home and with peers.
it’s an anxiety disorder so as others have mentioned you need to give it time, don’t put too much pressure and don’t speak for your child. Let them find their voice.
my daughter still gets anxious with some adults but her confidence has grown immensely.
Providing as many opportunities to speak to other individuals in a variety of settings and supporting them to slowly find their voice I have found had worked.