Question
Can children with selective mutism communicate by writing?
Answer
Yes they can communicate by writing, but many children who have selective mutism have difficulty with it because it is a form of communication. Some children with more severe selective mutism will have difficulty writing, responding nonverbally, sometimes even drawing, because all of that is a form of communication. The more open-ended and the more personal the writing, the more difficulty many of these children have. On the opposite side, the more concrete and more specific the writing, the easier time they have responding.
Dr. Aimee Kotrba is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the expert assessment and treatment of Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety. She serves as the President of the Selective Mutism Group (SMG) Board of Directors and is a nationally recognized speaker offering local and national workshops on the identification and treatment of Selective Mutism.
