This disorder had one Mom baffled.

Over the weekend, the Today show ran a feature on selective mutism, a condition that affects 1% of kids in the U.S. These children are often chatty and social at home, but are totally silent in public. Friend of Mom•Logic Dr. Gwenn says, "The underlying cause is widely believed to be intense anxiety/phobia associated with communication. It's not a very common condition, and can be easily missed."

This morning, Mom•Logic spoke with Erika from Westport, MA, whose 8-year-old daughter, Alex, was misdiagnosed for years. "Her pediatrician kept telling us she was shy and that she would grow out of it," this Mom of 3 recalls. "It was heartbreaking for me to watch my daughter be unable to communicate with all but a handful of people, and know there was nothing I could do about it. Finally, two years ago, a friend saw something about selective mutism on TV. I printed everything out about it that I could find about it. Right away, I brought Alex in to her doctor and told him, 'This is what's wrong with my daughter--get her help now!' She's now in therapy and is on Prozac, and has started 'mouthing' words to teachers and friends. She's come a long way, but still has a long way to go. Our goal is that she will be able to speak in her classroom before the end of the year. I just want her to be able to have a normal life."

For more information on selective mutism, visit the Selective Mutism Group.

Have you or your child been affected by selective mutism? Click here to talk about it in the Mom•Logic community.