In one of my earlier post I was curious about how many boys and girls have Selective Mutism and girls or boys were more likely to get it. After doing some research I found Selective Mutism is seen in fewer than 1% of children observed in mental health settings. Other websites suggested it is far more prevalent and many cases go undiagnosed. I was also curious about the ratio of boys to girls with SM. The female to male ratio I found was 2 - 2.5 : 1. So it is more commonly seen in girls.
The other day I was working on my blog at work and one of my co - workers asked about it. It was neat because I got to tell her about Selective Mutism and what I was doing. We ended up discussing what it would be like to have a sibling with SM. I thought that would be an interesting topic to ask people and hear their different opinions.
When talking with her she gave a response. She said she would be worried about her sibling. She thought that she would worry about their future and their social life. "I would fear that they wouldn't be able to find friends or someone who loved them for who they really where because they weren't able to show who they were." I thought this was a very interesting point. As a sibling you would get to see your brother or sisters personality at home but it would be hard to go out in public and see that not everyone else is getting to experience your sibling the way you are. I thought this was an interesting question to pose... How would you feel if your sibling was diagnosed with Selective Mutism? Hopefully in my next few blogs I will have some more responses to post!
Libby I think it is very interesting that SM affects girls more than boys. Typically, boys are more affected by most disorders. I also think your question of what it would be like to have a sibling with SM is interesting. I think that if I had a sibling with SM it would be difficult because like your co-worker said, I would be worried for my sibling. I would want them to feel secure enough to be their usual self and not want anyone to make fun of them. I think if I was young it might even be frustrating because you know your brother or sister CAN talk they just refuse to in public. Do you know anyone with SM who has a brother or sister who could weigh in on the question?
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