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In human development, muteness or mutism [1] is defined as an absence of speech, with or without an ability to hear the speech of others. [2] Mutism is typically understood as a person's inability to speak, and commonly observed by their family members, caregivers, teachers, doctors or speech and language pathologists.
Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf and used sign language or both deaf and could not speak.The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have some degree of speaking ability, but choose not to speak because of the negative or unwanted attention atypical voices sometimes attract.
Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise capable of speech becomes unable to speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to specific people, one or multiple of which serve as triggers.