I learned of a project that collects DNA samples of parents of selectively mute children. The project is carried out by a research team from University of California.
Existing research literature suggests the heredity factors in selective mutism.
If it becomes clearer that heredity contributes to selective mutism, how will current or former selective mutism sufferers feel? If they get married, their children have the risk of suffering from selective mutism. Some current or former sufferers may hesitate to get married. Some may even hesitate to date with the opposite sex.
Parents may have mixed feeling. Some researchers, especially in Japan, have pointed out that parenting style is a major cause of selective mutism. So, some parents, especially mothers, have a guilty conscience about their parenting style. But if it becomes clearer that heredity contributes to selective mutism, they don't have to suffer from it as they used to do. But they may have another guilty conscience.
Even so, I expect the research team to study the relationship between selective mutism and heredity. I think it's important to elucidate the etiology of selective mutism.
