Autism and Selective Mutism?

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Can a person have both of these things? I heard how a few people have said they do, but I'm very curious. I want to write about a character in my story who has a problem related to selective mutism, yet has a diagnosis of autism. I just wonder if it's better saying she has both... or just one or the other or something. :/

Yes, you can have selective mutism as a comorbid with autism.

I think the label selective mutism is overused for people with autism. I suppose nothing about having autism protects against being selectively mute. But the quiet from inability to sort out what is happening socially and than come up with words is different from people who describe not wanting to talk, both of which seem to me quite different from the anxiety about speaking of selective mutism.

But I guess they maybe look so similar from the outside that psychologists prefer to label the observed behavior with one label. Unfortunately this muddies sorting out what to do about it.

Systematic desensitization as might be useful for selective mutism in a nonautistic person offers nothing for silence that's part of shutting down or being overwhelmed by social confusion or trouble sorting out what is happening and coming up with words to say.

I might just make it part of her autism. I don't want my character to have selective mutism unless it's part of her ASD. Considering how she has other delays with ehr autism as it is. I'm still trying to work out my character to make sure she's not a stereotypical version of autism like what most people see. I want her to be viewed as someone with autism, but I also want her to be seen as someone who's not completely disabled just because she has autism (or other delays) either... if that makes sense.

selective mutism is a symptom not a disease

Selective mutism is a condition where people have a hard time talking to others in certain situations. For example, a person with SM might talk perfectly fine if they are at home with their family. However, if they are at school or in a public setting or something, they find it's harder to speak because of the condition they have.

It is NOT a symptom of anything. I have heard that some people with AS or other ASDs can show signs of SM with their condition, but it's very hard to tell because SM can often mock autism in some ways.

From wiki:

I was diagnosed with selective muticm as a young child. later in my teen I was diagnosed with asperger as well, so it is possible,

And to comment what someone else said; SM is not just a symptom it is a diseas,

There's no clear link between autism and selective mutism. Some moments are shared, but both conditions have different causes.

ModelBot~