School is a massive issue for my DD. She’s been in the same school since she was 3 and has never uttered a word there.
It doesn’t help when people judge her and decide that she can’t possibly have it as they heard her speaking yesterday (or something equally ridiculous!) she could be chatty with a group of people one day, then the next day one additional person, who she’s not comfortable with, being there could make her become completely mute. So they think she’s putting it on. My own auntie (who she can speak to) used to say it was a made up condition and she was choosing when to, and when not to, speak.
When she’s in an environment where she’s not mute, she never shuts up!
she’s lively and excited, but when she’s in a mute environment she’s completely the opposite.
My auntie realised we weren’t “making it up” when she was in the supermarket with me one night, DD was talking away normally, then when we got to the end of an aisle there was a girl from her class stood there. She said to DD “I just heard you talking” and DD lost it, she ran away, when we caught her she was crying and shaking, then went into a full blown panic attack because that girl had heard her voice. My auntie said it frightened her and I had her full support after that day!
It’s so hard! People just don’t understand the complexities of it and often mistake it for her ignoring people and being rude
Thats why it annoys me so much when people decide that other people can’t possibly have anxiety as they are able to do x y or z, so decide they must be lying about it.
It’s not a one size fits all condition and different people are triggered by, and able to do, different things.
Like people have decided Rachel must be lying about her daughters anxiety because she was able to ask for a cup in Costa. My DD can speak and order her own drinks in Costa....... but she can’t speak to her school friends or her teacher!