When we think of anxious children, we might think of kids clinging to their parents at drop-off time or terrified by clowns at birthday parties. But there's another kind of anxiety that affects young ...

With the clock ticking, Chelsea Jenkins tells PEOPLE that “early intervention matters more than most people realize,” especially with selective mutism ...

Melanie Manderino is finally ready to talk. The 18-year-old struggled with selective mutism, an extreme anxiety disorder in which someone is unable to speak in social settings, for the better part of ...

Many years ago, early in my clinical training, a couple brought their 7-year-old daughter to see me. The parents were perplexed. The girl, whom I'll call Emily, was rambunctious at home, but would ...

BLAINE, Minn. – The change in behavior was so gradual, it took time for Samantha and Darin Sandberg to notice their son stopped speaking in public, terrified to utter a word anywhere outside their ...

Belle* is six years old. Like many children, she is a playful and often boisterous child at home with her family. Unlike many children, she has an anxiety disorder which renders her speechless and ...

Selective mutism is a rare childhood anxiety disorder in which a child experiences a trigger response and is unable to speak in certain situations or to certain people. It is not a form of shyness, ...

Melanie Manderino has finally found her voice after dealing with selective mutism for the better part of her life Courtesy of Melanie Manderino Melanie Manderino has struggled with selective mutism ...

Q: My five-year-old daughter started kindergarten this year and I have been getting a lot of calls from her teacher about issues in the classroom. Her teacher keeps telling me that my daughter does ...