University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Graduate Research Papers Student Work 1998 A case study of an electively mute child Robert Driscol University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©1998 Robert Driscol Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp Part of the Child Psychology Commons, Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons, and the Education Commons Recommended Citation Driscol, Robert, "A case study of an electively mute child" (1998). Graduate Research Papers. 566. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/566 This Open Access Graduate Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Research Papers by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A case study of an electively mute child Abstract Selective mutism is characterized by the appropriate use of language in certain settings, with a consistent lack of language use elsewhere. The child is often viewed as shy, and it is assumed that the shyness is temporary and will be outgrown. The purpose of this paper is to explore the problem of selective mutism in school aged children for whom silence may extend for many months or even years. Selective mutism will be further defined, and frequency, duration, and a summary of treatment methods will be discussed. A case study that illustrates positive outcomes of a behavioral approach will also be described. This