His parents encouraged him to join group activities, and even sent him to overnight camp. But he remained silent, even when he became lost in the woods. Alarm bells went off for Melanie when she noticed that her daughter at age three had trouble talking outside their home. When the little girl went to see Santa Claus, and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she became hysterical and could not respond verbally. Elective Mutism, from the perspective of this therapist, having worked with approximately 100 families where this problem existed, is a very specific form of social anxiety.
Fear turns into panic which inhibits speech.
The elective mute is capable, physically of speaking to others, but anxiety dramatically inhibits this. In some cases elective mutism can be a characteristic of a conduct disorder or a developmental problem. In both cases described here the children are talking today. This is the result of a synergistic therapy involving both child and parents. The conclusion reached on this show as it focused on a child who had resolved her problem with elective mutism was that medication was the answer.