{"h1":"Selective Mutism at 6–9 months: should you worry?","faq":[{"a":"No. Selective Mutism is identified only once a child can speak comfortably in some settings but consistently does not in others — usually noticed from around 3 years. A 6-month-old isn't yet talking, so it cannot apply at this age.","q":"Can a 6-month-old have Selective Mutism?"},{"a":"Not of Selective Mutism. Going quiet, watchful or clingy with unfamiliar people is healthy stranger wariness, showing your baby recognises you as their safe person. It is an expected and reassuring part of development at 6–9 months.","q":"My baby goes silent around strangers — is that a sign?"},{"a":"Typically from around 3 years, once language is established and group settings — like preschool — make social speaking expected. It is most often noticed when a child speaks freely at home but consistently stays silent at nursery or with unfamiliar adults.","q":"When does Selective Mutism actually become recognisable?"},{"a":"Babbling, responding and calming to your voice, shared eye contact and smiles, and beginning to react to their name near 9 months. If babbling is absent or your baby doesn't respond to sound, a general developmental check is a calm, sensible step.","q":"What should I focus on for my baby's communication now?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-selective-mutism","title":"When should I worry about Selective Mutism at 6–9 months?","entity":{"key":"selective-mutism","kind":"condition","name":"Selective Mutism","slug":"selective-mutism"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Infant-6-9","value":"infant-6-9"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Emotional","value":"emotional"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Special-Education","value":"special-education"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-3-to-6-month-old-might-have-social-communication-difficulties","title":"When to Worry About Social Communication at 3–6 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-speech-and-language-delay","title":"When to worry about Speech and Language Delay at 6-9 months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-social-communication-difficulties","title":"When to Worry About Social Communication at 6–9 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"When to worry about speech at 6–9 months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-social-communication-difficulties","title":"When to Worry About Social Communication at 9–12 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-3-to-6-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"When should I worry about a non-verbal presentation at 3–6 months?"}],"summary":"Selective Mutism cannot be identified at 6 to 9 months — it is an anxiety-related condition recognised only once a child can speak and social speech is expected, usually from around 3 years. At this age a baby isn't yet talking, and going quiet around strangers is healthy, expected behaviour. The gentle focus now is babbling, responding to your voice, and shared eye contact; any general concern about hearing or communication deserves a calm developmental check, never a mutism worry.","answer_md":"*If your baby is happy and babbling at home but goes quiet around others, it's natural to wonder — but at 6 to 9 months, this is far too early for Selective Mutism.*\n\n## In short\nSelective Mutism (ICD-11 6B06) is an anxiety-related condition where a child who *can* speak comfortably in some settings — usually home — consistently does not speak in specific social situations, such as nursery or with unfamiliar adults. It is recognised only once a child has developed spoken language and a pattern of social speaking is expected, typically from around 3 years and most often noticed when starting preschool or school. At 6 to 9 months your baby is not yet talking, so Selective Mutism cannot be identified — and a quiet, watchful baby around strangers is entirely normal at this age.\n\n## What is actually appropriate to watch at 6–9 months\nRather than speech, this age is about the building blocks of communication and connection. Lovely, expected things to see include:\n\n- **Babbling** — strings like \"ba-ba\", \"da-da\", and experimenting with sounds\n- **Responding to your voice** — turning towards you, calming to a familiar tone\n- **Eye contact and shared smiles** during play and feeds\n- **Reacting to their name** beginning to emerge around 9 months\n- **Stranger wariness** — quieting, watching or clinging with new people is healthy and expected\n\nGoing quiet or solemn around unfamiliar faces is not mutism — it is a sign your baby knows the difference between you and a stranger, which is exactly as it should be.\n\n## When speaking concerns become meaningful\nWorries about *not speaking in certain settings* become clinically meaningful only from around 3 years, once language is established and group settings make social speech expected. Before then, the gentle focus is on overall communication milestones. If at any age your baby shows little babbling, doesn't respond to sound, or you feel hearing or connection isn't developing, a general developmental check is the right, calm step — not a Selective Mutism worry.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online form or a checklist. For your little one, our focus is reassurance and watching the natural unfolding of communication. If you'd like peace of mind, gentle [speech and language therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) and a developmental review can confirm your baby is on track, and you can read more about [Selective Mutism](/selective-mutism) for the years when it actually applies.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (6B06, Selective Mutism); American Academy of Pediatrics communication milestone guidance (healthychildren.org); ASHA guidance on early speech and language development (asha.org).\n\n**Next step —** There's nothing to worry about regarding Selective Mutism at this age, but if you'd like reassurance about your baby's overall communication, [book a developmental check](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) with a Pinnacle clinician.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-selective-mutism","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-selective-mutism","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-selective-mutism-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Selective Mutism in 6–9 Month Babies: Too Early?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Talk, sing and pause for your baby to 'reply' with sounds during nappy changes and feeds — these back-and-forth turns are the true seeds of speech. Following their babble with a warm echo builds the conversation muscles long before words arrive.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-selective-mutism-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How Selective Mutism Affects a Child's Daily Life","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-selective-mutism-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Selective Mutism considered a disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-selective-mutism-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Selective Mutism Genetic or Hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-selective-mutism","title":"What are common myths about Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-types-or-levels-of-selective-mutism","title":"What are the types or levels of Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same 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Independently?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-we-support-emotional-development-in-a-child-with-selective-mutism","title":"How can we support emotional development in a child with Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-selective-mutism-diagnosed-in-a-child","title":"How Is Selective Mutism Diagnosed in a Child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-is-selective-mutism-supported-through-therapy","title":"How Therapy Supports a Child with Selective Mutism","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-0-100-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism AbilityScore — what to do next","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-selective-mutism-has-an-abilityscore-of-100-200-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Selective Mutism: AbilityScore 100–200 — What To Do Next","reason":"Same 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Mutism at home?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":1}],"what_to_watch":"At 6–9 months, watch the building blocks of communication, not speech: babbling and sound play, responding and calming to your voice, shared eye contact and smiles, and beginning to react to their name near 9 months. Stranger wariness is normal and healthy. Seek a general developmental check if there's little babbling or your baby doesn't respond to sound.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/","code":"6B06","label":"WHO ICD-11 — Selective Mutism"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/","label":"AAP — early communication milestones"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org/","label":"ASHA — early speech and language development"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","meta_description":"At 6–9 months it's far too early for Selective Mutism — your baby isn't talking yet, and quietness around strangers is healthy. Here's what to watch instea","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}