Selective mutism

Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise capable of speech becomes overwhelmed and does not speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to specific people, one or multiple of which serve as triggers. Selective mutism usually co-exists with social anxiety disorder. People with selective mutism stay silent even when the consequences of their silence include shame, social ostracism, or punishment. In some cases, people want to speak but they feel like they can not get the words out.