elective mutism

elective mutism definition - medical

e·lec·tive mutism (ĭ-lĕkˈtĭv)

noun
A form of childhood mutism in which the ability to speak is intact, but there is a refusal to speak in almost all social situations.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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