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Autisic shutdown or severe social anxiety?

Catlady31

Hello, I'm looking for some insight into shutdowns please.

My daughter is awaiting assessment and I don't know if she is experiencing shutdowns or if it's due to severe social anxiety. Can you differentiate?

To date, we have had two appointments and she has been fine going, doesn't seem stressed or worried at all but as soon as we enter the room she becomes a completely different child, can't speak, can't look at the nurse.  She can't even look at me or answer any questions from the nurse or myself.  Once the appointment has ended and we leave, she is sometimes not talking to me even if I talk to her about something completely different.  This also happens when going to other health appointments and when trying to get her to school as she is struggling to attend.

I have looked at other posts on here about shutdowns but if anyone has any further information on whether this sounds like shutdowns that would be most helpful.

Parents

  • Hello, this must be a difficult situation for you and your daughter to deal with. 


    Have you heard of Situational Mutism? Situational Mutism is a severe anxiety disorder which means someone can’t speak/communicate in certain situations or with specific people. Your daughter may be experiencing this.

    What are the expectations of her at health appointments? Does this only happen in relation to health appointments and school?

    Environments such as doctors surgeries/hospitals can be incredibly anxiety inducing for many autistic people because of the sensory experience/chaos and uncertainty in terms of expectations. School is not usually an autistic friendly environment either, so she may shutdown because of sensory overload for example or may become mute in anticipation of the demands of the day.

    Can she explain how she felt when she can speak to you freely again?

    I hope the information I have provided is useful for you and your daughter.

     I am sorry if I can’t be of more help. 

  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    Thank you for your reply.  I have heard and read of situational mutism but it seems to take her sometime to recover and she will be quiet for a little while before she is back to her normal self. She is very outgoing at home.

    Regarding how she is feeling when this happens, she doesn't like talking about how she feels. If I ask, she will seem annoyed and either make a noise or divert the subject completely, not even acknowledging I have asked her about how she is feeling although it's obvious she is struggling.

    She is nearly 11 and has always seemed shy, not naturally wanting to talk to people.  She even struggles talking to grandparents. It is also the same if out shopping and someone tries to talk to her. 

    I am going to try and ask her again how she feels at these times and maybe she could write down what happens to help us understand more.

Reply
  • in reply to Ausomely Autistic

    Thank you for your reply.  I have heard and read of situational mutism but it seems to take her sometime to recover and she will be quiet for a little while before she is back to her normal self. She is very outgoing at home.

    Regarding how she is feeling when this happens, she doesn't like talking about how she feels. If I ask, she will seem annoyed and either make a noise or divert the subject completely, not even acknowledging I have asked her about how she is feeling although it's obvious she is struggling.

    She is nearly 11 and has always seemed shy, not naturally wanting to talk to people.  She even struggles talking to grandparents. It is also the same if out shopping and someone tries to talk to her. 

    I am going to try and ask her again how she feels at these times and maybe she could write down what happens to help us understand more.

Children
  • in reply to Catlady31

    You are very welcome. 

    Catlady31 said:
    I have heard and read of situational mutism but it seems to take her sometime to recover and she will be quiet for a little while before she is back to her normal self. She is very outgoing at home.

    This is common in people with SM. Very chatty in one setting and mute or very quiet in another.

    Catlady31 said:
    She is nearly 11 and has always seemed shy, not naturally wanting to talk to people.  She even struggles talking to grandparents. It is also the same if out shopping and someone tries to talk to her. 

    This is also common in people with SM, some people can struggle with talking to grandparents or even people outside of the immediate family. I would definitely say the mutism or difficulty speaking is anxiety related.

    Catlady31 said:
    Regarding how she is feeling when this happens, she doesn't like talking about how she feels. If I ask, she will seem annoyed and either make a noise or divert the subject completely, not even acknowledging I have asked her about how she is feeling although it's obvious she is struggling.

    Just so you know after periods when I have been mute I don’t like talking about because it brings the anxiety/stress back. She may avoid talking about the subject because she feels the same way.

     I hope my response is helpful.