ABSTRACT

Selective mutism is a disorder that begins in childhood and is characterized by lack of speech in certain social settings in which the child is expected to speak, although he/she has the ability to speak and speaks normally in other settings. Selective mutism is a rare disorder in clinical psychiatry. Selective mutism is caused by the interaction of genetic, temperamental, environmental and developmental factors. Studies showing the effectiveness of interventions in the treatment of children with selective mutism such as behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies, family therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, play therapy and speech therapy are still relatively limited. In this case report, the multimodal treatment of a seven-year-old boy with selective mutism including play therapy, family counseling, treatment of comorbid psychiatric disorders, speech therapy, educational interventions and pharmacotherapy is discussed with a review of literature.