“Why is my daughter not talking?”
My daughter won't talk to me or anyone in our house, which is strange because before she was such a chatterbox. What should we do?
4 Answers
Dear parent, First of all I would need to know how old your child is before i can answer your question. If she is a very young child (between 1-3 years old) I would talk to your pediatrician. Sincerely, David H. Lifschutz, MD
The answer to your question depends on her age and if anything stressful happened lately. If you are really concerned, you could take her to a counselor.
Has she had a trauma or something else in her life changed? This could be a sign of adolescence or something more serious..She should be evaluated by a mental health professional who uses a holistic approach to rule out both physical and emotional factors for this change in behavior
This is known as "Elective mutism" or "Selective mutism" when a person (usually a child) refuses to speak in certain places. Does she speak to other people? Friends? Classmates? Teachers? Has she experienced a stressor or change in her routine? A move? An illness? Upset? This sort of behavior can prompt anger in adults who expect the child to speak when spoken to. Angry responses only causes further silence. I would also say that if you are waiting for her "to grow out of it", you might wait a LONG time. Meanwhile, everyone suffers. She will refuse to let her wants and needs be known. I recommend that you seek psychotherapy for her from someone who understands Selective mutism, and can engage her in ways that promote communication. This might be by play therapy, and/or writing or typing notes for a while. Do not expect 1 or 2 or 5 sessions to suffice. It might take months.
Susan Sparkman, M.D.
Susan Sparkman, M.D.
