Muteness facts for kids

Muteness or mutism means not being able to speak, even though a person can still hear what others say. It's when someone doesn't use their voice to talk, and people around them, like family, teachers, or doctors, notice this.

Sometimes, not being able to speak is only for a short time. Other times, it might be a lasting condition. What causes it often decides if it's temporary or permanent.

What is Muteness?

Muteness describes a condition where a person cannot produce speech. This is different from being deaf, as people with muteness can usually hear perfectly well. It's important to understand that muteness isn't always a choice; it's often due to medical or developmental reasons.

Why Do Children Experience Muteness?

For kids, not speaking can happen for several reasons. These might include:

• Developmental reasons: Sometimes, a child's speech skills might develop more slowly than others.
• Neurological reasons: This involves the brain. Problems with how the brain controls speech can lead to muteness.
• Psychological reasons: Strong emotions, stress, or certain anxieties can sometimes cause a child to stop speaking in specific situations or altogether. This is sometimes called selective mutism.
• Physical disabilities: Some physical conditions can affect the parts of the body needed for speech, like the mouth, tongue, or vocal cords.
• Communication disorders: These are conditions that make it hard for someone to understand or use language.

Why Do Adults Experience Muteness?

Adults who used to speak but then lose their ability to talk might experience muteness due to different causes:

• Injuries or diseases: Damage to the brain from an injury, like a head trauma, or certain diseases can affect speech.
• Aphasia: This is a condition where someone loses the ability to understand or express speech. It often happens after a stroke or brain injury.
• Surgery: Operations that affect parts of the brain or throat needed for speech can sometimes lead to temporary or permanent muteness.
• Psychological reasons: While less common in adults, very strong emotional distress or trauma can sometimes cause a temporary loss of speech.

Getting Help for Muteness

If someone isn't speaking, it's really helpful to find out why. A speech and language pathologist (a specialist who helps with communication) can do an assessment. This helps figure out the cause and the best way to help.

Treatment and Support Options

The way muteness is treated depends on what caused it. Many times, with the right help, people can learn to speak or communicate in other ways.

• Therapy: For developmental or psychological causes, therapy can be very effective. This might include speech therapy or counseling.
• Medical treatment: If a medical condition or injury is the cause, doctors will work to treat that specific issue.
• Assistive communication: If someone's muteness is permanent, there are many amazing tools to help them communicate. These are called assistive and augmentative communication (AAC) devices.

How Assistive Communication Helps

AAC devices help people express themselves without using their voice. These can include:

• Picture boards: Using pictures to point to what they want to say.
• Communication apps: Special apps on tablets or phones that can speak words or phrases when a person types or selects icons.
• Speech-generating devices: These are electronic devices that can create spoken words from text or symbols.

These tools help people with muteness share their thoughts, feelings, and needs, allowing them to connect with others.

See also

In Spanish: Mudez para niños