A procedural distinction between elective and progressive mutism.

Full Abstract

This paper introduces a procedural distinction between elective and progressive mutism. In elective mutism, a child elects to talk freely with intimates (e.g. family members); in progressive mutism a child does not communicate verbally with anyone (including intimates). This analysis argues that clinicians' therapeutic goals and parents' expectations of treatment outcomes for elective mutism would differ from those applied to a case of progressive mutism and that the selection of the appropriate concept (elective vs progressive) to name the type of mutism prior to intervention would enhance treatment outcomes.

Author information

Author/s: Paniagua, F A (FA); Saeed, M A (MA);

Affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry (J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1988-Sep; vol 19 (issue 3) : pp 207-10

Dates: Created 1989/04/28; Completed 1989/04/28; Revised 2005/11/16;

PMID: 3069877, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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