mutism

Muteness or mutism (from Latin mutus, meaning 'silent') is defined as an absence of speech while conserving or maintaining the ability to understand the speech of others. Mutism is typically understood as an inability to speak on the part of a child or an adult due to an observed lack of speech from the point of view of others who know them such as family members, caregivers, teachers, or health professionals including doctors and speech and language pathologists. Muteness may not be a permanent ...