Selective mutism

Diagnosis There are various views on how Selective Mutism should be classified. Some individuals believe that SM should be classified under social anxiety but others disagree. Some studies show that children with SM score lower than children who have a social phobia on the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAIK), so social anxiety may not be the cause of SM in many cases (Wong, 2010). Other professionals believe that SM should be classified under social phobia because the prognosis for children with SM is similar to the prognosis for social phobia (Manassis & Tannock, 2008). There are also children who suffer from PTSD due to severe trauma and abuse, who fall under the classification of SM. In addition to the comorbid disorders listed, there are several differential diagnoses, which include transient shyness (adjustment disorder), intellectual disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders, expressive language disorder, mood disorder, and hearing impairment (Sharp, Sherman, Gross, 2007). When a child presents some sort of communication disorder, a diagnosis of SM should be distinguished from all other speech disturbances. Any possible diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder, schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, social anxiety, or…

Selective Mutism Overview The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition, (DSM-IV), lists selective mutism in the category of disorders that are first diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence. Selective mutism is characterized by one’s persistent failure to speak in certain social situations (e.g. with friends, at school) when they are expected to speak. The disorder can last for just a few months or even up to several years. The causes of the disorder are much…

Throughout my childhood, I struggled with selective mutism. This was where in certain social situations, I was unable to speak (Shipon-Blum, Paragraph 1). This put a burden on my learning abilities because I was not able to ask for help. To help get through, I was put into therapy. It just so happened that therapy was one of those situations that I could not talk in. This immediately became a struggle because at this point there was not much anyone could do. My parents decided to wait and see if…

An Overview of Selective Mutism Roxana Fleneury Brenau University Having an anxiety disorder is challenging because in many situations it is hard to prevent or stop it from occurring. One of these disorders is selective mutism. One of the key characteristics of selective mutism is the inability to speak in a social situation or in a place where speaking is expected. As in the case of Jenny from Helping Children with Selective Mutism, she speaks comfortably at home to her parents but…

Cohen described my struggle to my parents as being not only a challenge, but as though speaking brought me pain. This idea made my parents rethink their perception that it was just a stage in my life and they began to research. That was when they came across the misguiding name of my condition, Selective Mutism; which is not selective at all. Knowing the name of my condition was not the “master key” that would solve all of my problems. Although, my fear and anxiety did not subside, at least I…

Out of all the different breeds of dogs, Pit bulls tend to top the list of controversy. Those who own the breed pose arguments stating that pit bulls are intelligent, obedient, and extremely loyal. Those opposed to the breed argue a different viewpoint of vicious attacks, aggressive behaviors and illegal dog fighting. Despite difference in opinion, pit bulls are a danger to society because of their aggressive tendencies, fatal attacks, and ignorant owners. Pit bulls have a tendency to have…

The Western Australian government policy of culling sharks to ensure greater public safety, has caused nationwide debate, which is reflected in media texts through different views on the controversial measure. Dr Euan Ritchie, in his opinion piece, “predators such as sharks essential for world’s health” (Herald Sun 28/1/14), points out to his Victorian readers who may not be informed on the issue or support the cull that the killing of sharks is a dangerous and irrational practice that should be…

Evolution is the change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It is the process that gives rise to variation in existing populations, drives speciation, and what leads to the extinction of new species. It is the natural change that occurs in response to environmental pressures resulting in phenotypical changes. Another way for phenotypical changes to occur in a species is by human intervention. Domestication is a form of human intervention. The…

Dogs are seen as very intelligent animals and seem to understand to some extent the language of their master. In the novel, fifteen dogs, the gods Hermes and Apollo make a bet that if dogs were given human consciousness they would not live a happy life. Once all dogs were given the ability to speak, there was one dog who stood out from the rest. A mutt named Prince. Most dogs were caught up in the struggles of dominance, while Prince is captivated by his new way of analyzing things around him.…

Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) is inspired by grey wolves. The leadership hierarchy and hunting mechanism of grey wolves is mimicked by GWO algorithm. GWO employs four types of grey wolves such as alpha, beta, delta, and omega. GWO consists of three main steps of hunting, searching for prey. Encircling prey, and attacking prey [38]. GWO is benchmarked on many challenging test problems and applied to some real engineering problems. The results reveal that GWO is able to provide very competitive…