Many children with Selective Mutism spontaneously outgrow the disorder. 

This is unlike individuals with Social Phobia; though treatment and time one can learn to better manage their Social Phobia, it is extremely likely to spontaneously vanish. 

New York University

Several lines of evidence challenge Black and Uhde's theory that selective mutism is simply a severe manifestation of social anxiety. Key counter-arguments include contradictory empirical findings from Melfson et al. showing lower social anxiety scores in children with selective mutism, discrepancies in the typical age of onset (with selective mutism appearing much earlier than social phobia), and clinical observations that selective mutism is frequently outgrown spontaneously, unlike social phobia.

Evidence Challenging Black and Uhde's Social Theory and Social Anxiety Theory of Selective Mutism

Wong, Priscilla. “Selective Mutism: A Review of Etiology, Comorbidities, and Treatment.” Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), vol. 7, no. 3, Mar. 2010, pp. 23–31, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861522/. Accessed 2 June 2023.



Wong, Priscilla. “Selective Mutism: A Review of Etiology, Comorbidities, and Treatment.”

Manassis, Katharina, and Rosemary Tannock. “Comparing Interventions for Selective Mutism: A Pilot Study.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 53, no. 10, Oct. 2008, pp. 700–703. Google Scholar, journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/070674370805301010, https://doi.org/10.1177/070674370805301010. Accessed 11 June 2023.



Manassis, Katharina, and Rosemary Tannock. “Comparing Interventions for Selective Mutism: A Pilot Study.” 

A study by Melfson et al. investigating the extent of social anxiety in individuals with different mental disorders, of which one studied group included children with severe Selective Mutism using SPAIK (Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory), the German version of SPAI-C. 

The study found that subjects with Selective Mutism scored lower on the SPAIK scale compared to subjects with diagnosed Social Phobia; Hence, Melfson's results appear to be contradictory to the classification of SM as a manifested symptom of severe social anxiety. 

Melfson suggested that if SM were a symptom of severe social anxiety, the SPAIK scores of those with SM and those with social phobia should have been in a similar range. 

Contradictory Evidence from Melfson et al. 

Selective Mutism occurs between ages 3-6 (see the concept node "Incidence and Prevalence of Selective Mutism"), whereas Social Phobia typically begins between ages 11-13. 

A particular level of cognitive development is required for the development of Social Phobia. 

Selective Mutism's earlier age development is inconsistent with the development necessary to be considered as Social Phobia. 

Melfson notes that the typical SM age of onset coincides more closely with the development of shyness (which typically manifests at age 4), a weaker subcategory of social phobia. 

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