With the clock ticking, Chelsea Jenkins tells PEOPLE that “early intervention matters more than most people realize,” especially with selective mutism ...

Selective mutism is a rare childhood anxiety disorder in which a child experiences a trigger response and is unable to speak in certain situations or to certain people. It is not a form of shyness, ...

One in 150 children go silent at school despite talking freely at home, here's what selective mutism really is and how to ...

Parents fear children stuck at home for almost a year during the coronavirus pandemic, will lose critical social skills. And children with selective mutism, a severe form of anxiety, will lose even ...

Belle* is six years old. Like many children, she is a playful and often boisterous child at home with her family. Unlike many children, she has an anxiety disorder which renders her speechless and ...

Selective mutism is a rare childhood anxiety disorder in which a child experiences a trigger response and is unable to speak in certain situations or to certain people. It is not a form of shyness, ...

Chelsea Jenkins and her family. When Chelsea Jenkins' 4-year-old daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with selective mutism in January 2026, the 33-year-old mother of four immediately began searching for ...