ABSTRACT
Despite a significant increase in awareness and professional interest since the first edition of this manual, there is still much misunderstanding and disagreement about the nature of selective mutism (SM). This chapter begins by listing the frequently asked questions about SM. The answers will direct the therapists to various sections of the manual or the online resource library for further reading. After many years of misunderstanding, SM is recognised as an anxiety disorder. This does not mean that our child is anxious all the time; it's at specific times when they sense an expectation to speak that their anxiety levels shoot up. Children who have SM appear to be shy in many situations but are not necessarily shy by nature, as their families will confirm. Shy children are generally unsure of themselves, slow to warm-up and slow to come forward, but they do not display the extreme aversion to speaking that characterises SM.
