What tests need to be done in order to diagnose a child with selective mutism?
There needs to be a team approach to diagnose a child with selective mutism. This team should consist of a speech-language pathologist (SLP), a pediatrician and either a psychologist or a psychiatrist. These professionals should make every effort to work with the child and his parents and teachers. Together these professionals will present 5 different types of tests to the child: • A review of their educational history. • A hearing screening. • An oral-motor examination. • An interview of the parent or the primary caregiver. • A speech and language evaluation. Of course, each of these evaluations requires several pieces of information be obtained in order for a proper diagnosis to be made.
