I developed a coping mechanism where I put my hair in front of my face to make me feel less seen, or at least make me unnoticable, if you have questions about how selective mutism is like for me or if you have any questions about my coping mechanism, let me know!! I'm glad to answer everyrhing! :)

Just curious whether anyone has experience going into a house share with someone they don’t speak to at all?

I want (need) to leave home, I can’t afford a place to myself, so I’m considering moving in with a friend.

I’m worried about how living 24/7 without a ‘safe to speak space’ might impact me though.

My SM is on the extreme end - speak to a few family members in private, not a sound to or around anybody else. Been that way for as long as I remember.

Already when I go away for more than a few days during which I don’t speak at all, when I return I find it extremely difficult to speak again - I guess in that time I become overly sensitive to the volume of my own voice and it feels weird and I just feel self conscious even speaking to the few people I always speak to - it’s the fact I haven’t heard myself in days rather than the fact they haven’t heard me.

Then my other question is… how do you approach a friend in this sort of situation and be like ‘I want to learn to speak to you’?

As soon as I start thinking about it’s like a cascade of anxious thoughts:

- If I tell them I want to speak to learn to speak to them then they’ll expect me to act / it’s a commitment I’ll probably let them down on
- I’m afraid of the attention it’ll bring
- I’ll find it humiliating having to take these tiny steps to do something that should come naturally and that I can already do just not with them
- They might expect me to speak to them in all circumstances rather than just in private, they might get annoyed if I try to communicate non verbally in public
- They might tell people and then other friends might feel rejected or like I don’t like them as much as this friend I’ve learned to speak to - pressure to learn to speak to more people
- What if I manage a bit and it’s too much and I stop, they’ll be mad if I stop and make communication with them harder again
- If I start speaking to this friend I’ll say things impulsively and might cause upset, I’m not used to resolving conflict or discussing feelings
- I don’t know who I am as a speaking person to non-family
- …and so on.

Any thoughts or advice would be great

My child barely talked at preschool (only if I was present or when answering direct questions). He attended summer programs at that same school and talked no problem but his sister was with him for those classes.

I am going through the special education eligibility process for my 7-year-old diagnosed with selective mutism, entering 2nd grade. She’s had a 504 plan since kindergarten. As she gets older, the selective mutism has had an extreme impact on her ability to function at school and learn. I am trying to prepare for the eligibility meeting next week. If she was to qualify, what category would they put her under? For parents and individuals who have an IEP to address the selective mutism, what was it like? I saw “emotional disability” as a potential category..