Mutism Research Paper

Mutism Mutism, also called muteness, is from the latin word mutus meaning “silent”. Most common in humans, muteness is the inability to speak. It is caused by five main factors including physical impairment, akinesia, autism, deafness, and selectivity. Although people can be born into mutism, most develop it. Mutism caused by physical impairment is when something internally has gone wrong. The larynx, or voice box, is a hollow organ which holds together vocal cords in humans. When damaged, the larynx prohibits sound; thus making a person mute. Damage of the larynx can vary from cysts, tears, or erosion. Reinke’s Edema is when vocal folds in the throat swell due to fluid collection. Major cases of pharyngitis, strep throat, and the common
Simply put, selective mutism, also called SM, is an anxiety disorder so severe that it prohibits people from speaking. Selective mutism is associated with the phobia of talking and is most common in children. It is frequently developed from a mixture of genetic anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical issues in the brain. Amygdala is a part of the brain that controls a human’s fight or flight response, but in people with selective mutism, the amygdala is damaged. When introduced to speaking with another person, the amygdala sends the brain a signal that it is dangerous to speak (Selective Mutism Foundation). People with this disorder understand spoken language perfectly fine, but do not perform it. As expected, having selective mutism puts a massive damper on people’s lives. With selective mutism, children cannot make close friends or learn as well as other students at school. Children can develop selective mutism as young as one. The choice happens when children undergo extremely traumatizing experiences such as abuse and abandonment. Causes that are frequent include rape, neglect, physical and emotional abuse, and isolation. Children with this disorder are frequently classified as “freaks” and “psychotic” as choosing to be mute is seen as abnormal (By Lowering Anxiety). Max, a boy accused of murder, has always struggled with being seen as dangerous because of his lack of speech. Max was born into mutism and had no choice on whether he could speak or not. Max’s friend, Andrew Vachss,