mutism
(mu´tiz-әm)
inability or refusal to speak, most often because deafness has prevented the person from hearing the spoken word. Speech is learned by imitating the speech of others. The child who is born with normal hearing and then loses it may lose part or
all of the power of speech through loss of contact with the speech of others. Mutism may also occur because the voice organs
themselves have been damaged or removed, such as when a laryngectomy is performed for throat cancer. In other cases loss of speech may be psychogenic in nature. Called also aphonia.
akinetic mutism
a state in which the person makes no spontaneous movement or vocal sound, because of either neurologic or psychologic reasons.
Called also abulia.
selective mutism
a mental disorder of childhood characterized by continuous refusal to speak in social situations when the child is able and
willing to speak to selected persons.
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