Published: 2023-09-01

COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF A CHILD/STUDENT ON THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM AND A CHILD/STUDENT WITH SELECTIVE MUTISM – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Renata Marciniak-Firadza
Pedagogical Forum
Section: Topic
https://doi.org/10.21697/fp.2023.1.04

Abstract

Autism and selective mutism are two distinct disorders that share common characteristics, leading to situations where speech therapists frequently encounter children or students with an autism diagnosis. However, upon conducting in-depth interviews with parents, guardians, and teachers, it becomes evident that the initial diagnosis of autism may not entirely align with the observed patterns of the individual. Symptoms exhibited by children or students with selective mutism, such as difficulties in verbal communication, challenges in social interaction, problems with eye contact, and hypersensitivity to touch or sound, are often mistakenly attributed to a broader developmental disorder. The objective of this article is to identify and discuss the similarities and differences in the communicative and social functioning between individuals on the autism spectrum and those with selective mutism. Acquiring knowledge in this area is crucial for specialists to make accurate differential and exclusionary diagnoses and to implement appropriate therapies tailored to the specific disorder.

Keywords:

Autism spectrum disorder, selective mutism, communication functioning, social functioning

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Citation rules

Marciniak-Firadza, R. (2023). COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF A CHILD/STUDENT ON THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM AND A CHILD/STUDENT WITH SELECTIVE MUTISM – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES. Pedagogical Forum, 13(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.21697/fp.2023.1.04

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