Children with selective mutism need support.
But one Japanese selective mutism sufferer said, "People around me do everything instead of me." According to Fujio Araki, M.D., selectively mute children think it's comfortable and advantageous to be mute rather than speak.
[Secondary gain from illness]
If someone suffer from illness or mental disorder but enjoy benefit (receiving kindness or avoiding responsibilities), the benefit is called "(secondary) gain from illness."
According to Araki, when selective mutism motivate people to do something for selectively mute children, children become less anxious and stable in mute. I think that is a gain from illness peculiar to selectively mute children. Araki calls this phenomenon "selective mutism dependence."
For this reason, Araki thinks selectively mute children can't speak as well as don't speak. But I'm a little skeptical about that.
[Motivation to overcome selective mutism]
I guess some selectively mute children lose their motivation to overcome selective mutism. If they remain mute, people around them do everything instead of them. Some people may forgive their mistakes because they are children with special needs. To overcome selective mutism in that situation, they need a strong will power.
* I guess many selectively mute children suffer from lack of understanding, though.
For parents and teachers, it may be difficult to deal with selectively mute children. In order not to lose children's motivation to overcome selective mutism, parents and teachers should be very unkind to to children...? But that may worsen their symptoms.
Of course, I don't believe all selectively mute children are satisfied with gain from illness.
[reference]
Fujio Araki (1979) A classification of mutism originating in childhood.
Japanese Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 20(2), 60-78.
Fujio Araki (1979) Some psychopathological observations on mutism originating in childhood. Japanese Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 20(5), 290-304.
