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Chapter 3 I Suffer From Severe Selective Mutism
New Teacher (2)
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[He Knew Selective Mutism?]
Mr.Y, my new homeroom teacher, realized me and paid special attention to me.
For instance, he consciously spoke about me in class not to isolate me from children.
He didn't blame my mutism, nor do vocal exercises.
He always took sides with me. One day in science class, he explained a word "no vital reaction." One boy said, "Tomishige has 'no vital reaction,'" and many classmates bourst out laughing. Mr. Y got angry, and scolded children. "Tomishige is not 'no vital reaction!' Tomishige is silent, but he thinks many things!"
Mr.Y's attitude toward me was similar to the attitude which teachers should take toward child with selective mutism. Maybe Mr. Y knew selective mutism, although he had never uttered a term "selective mutism" in the presence of me.
Another possibility was that he may not have known selective mutism, but he recognized me as a child who need special care, and dealt with my extreme shyness as possible as the way he thought of.
[Partiality?]
I had never known such a teacher. I was pleased with his special care. I liked him.
But I sometimes felt that he showed partiality.
Selectively mute children tend to avoid attracting attention, and I was one of them. But his special care of me made me conspicuous.
(To be continued)
Index of SM story
