When many children in Dubai grow up with the gift of speaking two or three languages at home, parents typically take delight in the multilingual gift. For others, however, the delight is tinged with sadness. The child speaks fluently at home—in English, in Arabic, in Hindi, in Tagalog, in any other language, but the moment they enter school or meet someone they’re unfamiliar with, their voice is lost.
This silence may have parents asking themselves: Is my child having difficulty with learning a second language, or is this something more, such as Selective Mutism?
At our Dubai center for speech therapy and occupational therapy, Esperanza, we see numerous bilingual and multilingual children who suffer from this same problem. Rooting out the silence is the first step toward the recovery of your child’s voice.
What is Selective Mutism exactly?
Selective Mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder, not a speech issue. Children with SM are perfectly capable of speaking, but they become anxious in some situations, usually at school or in public, and as such, they cannot speak.
For bilingual children, this is especially disconcerting. Some of the signs you might notice are:
- Speaking with ease at home using the family’s dominant language but being mute in the classroom.
- Only with brothers/sisters or only with one trusted confidant, but with no teachers.
- Silence that is maintained over months, well beyond the standard settling-in time when acquiring an unfamiliar language.
What you should know: The average silent period is normal in children who learn a new language. However, when that silence persists after three months and is accompanied by overt distress, the answer may be Selective Mutism.
Why is SM More Common in Multilingual Situations?
Being young and growing up in a multilingual world is wonderful, but being multilingual is stress-producing for children who are shy or sensitive. Some of the following are normal causes of SM in bilingual children:
- Fear of errors: Fear of “getting it wrong” in public.
- Increased sensibility: Shy children can be particularly sensitive when they switch from one language to another.
- Transitional cultural changes: Adjusting to a new nation, school, or social group can intensify anxiety.
- Underlying temperament: The anxious temperaments among children will be overwhelmed when they communicate in the second language.
How Do Experts Make the Determination?
Specialization comes in handy here. Therapists use the DSM-5 diagnosis requirements for Selective Mutism, and other related details concerning the linguistic history of the child. Diagnosis is confirmed when:
- The boy is always quiet in certain circumstances but communicates effectively in others.
- The silence persists over one month (not just an adaptation period).
- Language skills are otherwise in the normal age range.
- These are not caused by language delay, autism, or any other disorder.
Helping Bilingual Children with SM: What Works
The good news is that Selective Mutism is treatable, and bilingual children respond well when the therapy is tailored to meet their needs.
Speech Therapy in Dubai
Our speech therapists encourage children carefully to use their voice in their home language as well as in the school language. Through play, stories, and role-playing, they reduce anxiety levels and bring the joy of communicating back.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT allows children to confront their fears in small steps. For children who are bilingual, this may involve practicing short, repetitive phrases at home, then incrementally in school with the encouragement of a teacher.
Occupational Therapy in Dubai
Some SM children also have difficulty with sensory processing or regulation. The use of occupational therapy allows them to become more calm and in control so that small speaking risks become more manageable.
School and Teacher Support
We work closely with teachers to:
- Do not force the child to speak.
- Develop non-verbal communication (gestures, writing, head-nodding) as a bridge.
- Set up safe opportunities for the child to engage at their own pace.
Parent Coaching
Parents learn how to reduce stress in the home, how to celebrate small triumphs, and how to use dual-language communication with no stress.
The Long-Term Outlook
Children with Selective Mutism will always improve if they are given the right support. They will usually commence with whispers, single words, or short phrases but will then gain the confidence in communicating in all the languages that they know.
The most important aspect is intervention at an early time. The sooner the child is at therapy, the sooner the silence will be broken.
What Parents Should Remember
- Being bilingual does not cause Selective Mutism.
- Long silence of over a few months, especially with clear signs of anxiety, should never be dismissed as “just shyness” or “language delay.”
- With the appropriate support—speech therapy, occupation therapy, CBT, and family engagement—the children can prosper.
Support for Selective Mutism in Dubai
At Esperanza, we specialize in treating bilingual and multilingual children with Selective Mutism. Our experienced team of qualified speech therapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists work with parents as well as school staff in order to create personalized therapy plans specifically suited to the needs of each child.
📞 For details on selective mutism therapy and speech therapy in Dubai, please call or WhatsApp us on +971 55 524 1094.
