Stranger reaction and elective mutism in young children.

Within a two-year period, 15 electively mute children were seen in a single Head Start program. Most were not only silent, but also compliant, reticent, and almost "frozen" around strangers. A small subgroup, in contrast, displayed oppositional behavior. This paper reviews the literature on "elective mutism" and advocates a developmental and familial analysis of the presenting symptoms.