title: Stranger reaction and elective mutism in young children.
abstract: Within a two-year period, 15 electively mute children were seen in a single Head Start program. Most were not only silent, but also compliant, reticent, and almost "frozen" around strangers. A small subgroup, in contrast, displayed oppositional behavior. This paper reviews the literature on "elective mutism" and advocates a developmental and familial analysis of the presenting symptoms.
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009155:Mutism / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009769:Object Attachment; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment