{"h1":"Selective Mutism in a 9-to-12-Month-Old: When to Worry","faq":[{"a":"No. Selective Mutism describes a child who can speak in some settings but consistently stays silent in others — which requires spoken language to already be present. A 9-to-12-month-old hasn't developed speech yet, so the label simply doesn't apply at this age.","q":"Can a baby under one year have Selective Mutism?"},{"a":"Lovely signs include varied babbling like 'ba-ba' and 'da-da', responding to their name, following your gaze or point, gesturing such as waving or reaching, and enjoying warm back-and-forth with familiar people. These are the building blocks of later talking.","q":"What should my 9–12-month-old be doing for communication?"},{"a":"It is most often recognised from around age 3 onwards, frequently when a child starts nursery or school and speaks freely at home but falls silent in those settings for more than the first settling-in month.","q":"When is Selective Mutism usually noticed?"},{"a":"Seek a general developmental check — not a Selective Mutism assessment — if your baby isn't babbling at all, has lost sounds or skills, or doesn't respond to sounds. A Pinnacle clinician can reassure or guide you.","q":"When should I get my baby checked?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-selective-mutism","title":"When to Worry About Selective Mutism at 9–12 Months","entity":{"key":"selective-mutism","kind":"condition","name":"Selective Mutism","slug":"selective-mutism"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Infant-9-12","value":"infant-9-12"},{"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-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-speech-and-language-delay","title":"When should I worry about speech delay at 9–12 months?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-developmental-language-disorder","title":"When to Worry About DLD at 9–12 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-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"Non-Verbal Signs at 9–12 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"}],"summary":"Selective Mutism cannot be identified in a 9-to-12-month-old because it describes a child who can speak in some settings but not others — and spoken language hasn't developed yet at this age. There is nothing to worry about regarding this label now. Instead, observe healthy early communication: babbling, responding to name, gestures and warm back-and-forth. Selective Mutism is usually recognised from around age 3, often when starting nursery. Only a Pinnacle clinician can assess, never an online form.","answer_md":"*If your baby isn't babbling as much as you hoped, it's natural to wonder about Selective Mutism — but here is the reassuring truth about this age.*\n\n## In short\nSelective Mutism cannot meaningfully be identified in a 9-to-12-month-old — it is a label that only makes sense once a child *can* speak fluently in some settings but consistently does not in others (such as nursery or with unfamiliar people), and that pattern simply cannot exist before spoken language has developed. At your baby's age there is no language for it to be selective about. So this is not something to worry about right now. What *is* worth gently observing at 9–12 months is your baby's early communication — babbling, eye contact, responding to their name and joyful back-and-forth.\n\n## What is actually appropriate to watch at 9–12 months\nThis is a wonderful window for pre-speech communication. Lovely signs of healthy development include:\n\n- **Babbling with varied sounds** — \"ba-ba\", \"da-da\", \"ma-ma\" strings\n- **Responding to their own name** by turning or looking\n- **Sharing attention** — looking where you point, following your gaze\n- **Gesturing** — waving, reaching up to be lifted, perhaps pointing\n- **Warm back-and-forth** — smiling, taking turns with sounds and faces\n- **Showing comfort and connection** with familiar carers\n\nThese are the true building blocks of later talking. Selective Mutism (ICD-11 6B06) is an *anxiety-based* condition recognised in children who can already speak — typically noticed around the time a child starts nursery or school, usually from age 3 onwards, not in infancy.\n\n## When a check becomes meaningful\nIf, as your child grows, you notice they speak comfortably at home but fall consistently silent in specific settings (and this lasts beyond the first settling-in month), *that* is the point to seek a gentle developmental conversation. For now, the kindest step for any niggle is a general developmental check — not a Selective Mutism assessment. Do mention it sooner if your baby isn't babbling at all, has lost sounds or skills, or doesn't respond to sounds.\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. Our team looks at your baby's whole communication picture — hearing, babbling, connection and play — and reassures or guides accordingly. If you'd like peace of mind, our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) and developmental specialists can review early communication, and you can read more about [Selective Mutism](/selective-mutism) for the years ahead.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (6B06, Selective Mutism); American Academy of Pediatrics communication milestones (healthychildren.org); CDC developmental milestone guidance for infants (cdc.gov).\n\n**Next step —** Rather than worry about a label that doesn't fit this age, book a calm general developmental check for reassurance. [Arrange a developmental check](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) with a Pinnacle specialist.\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-9-to-12-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-9-to-12-month-old-might-have-selective-mutism","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Selective Mutism at 9–12 Months: Should You Worry?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Turn everyday moments into gentle conversations — pause after you speak so your baby can 'reply' with a sound or gesture, copy their babbles back, and name what you both see. This serve-and-return play builds the foundations of talking far more than any worry about labels.","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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Prevented?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-boys-show-selective-mutism-differently","title":"Do Boys Show Selective Mutism Differently?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-girls-show-selective-mutism-differently","title":"Selective Mutism in Girls","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-be-worried-my-child-might-have-selective-mutism","title":"Should I be worried my child might have Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":52},{"key":"causes","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"are-boys-more-likely-to-have-selective-mutism","title":"Are boys more likely to have selective mutism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"are-girls-more-likely-to-have-selective-mutism","title":"Are girls more likely to have Selective Mutism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-selective-mutism-in-young-children","title":"What Causes Selective Mutism in Young Children?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-early-intervention-for-selective-mutism-advance-un-child-rights-uncrpd-and-the-sdgs","title":"Early Intervention for Selective Mutism: Advancing UNCRPD and the SDGs","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-known-contributing-factors-for-selective-mutism-in-early-childhood","title":"Contributing Factors for Selective Mutism","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-cost-effectiveness-of-early-therapy-for-selective-mutism-in-young-children","title":"Cost-effectiveness of early therapy for Selective Mutism","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-prevalence-and-public-health-burden-of-selective-mutism-among-young-children-in-india","title":"What is the prevalence and public-health burden of Selective Mutism among young children in India?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore causes & 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Mutism at home?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":1}],"what_to_watch":"At 9–12 months, watch for healthy early communication rather than signs of Selective Mutism: varied babbling, responding to their name, sharing attention and following your point, gesturing like waving, and warm back-and-forth play. Seek a general developmental check sooner if your baby isn't babbling at all, loses sounds or skills, or doesn't respond to everyday sounds.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en","code":"6B06","label":"WHO ICD-11 — Selective Mutism"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP — early communication milestones"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — infant developmental milestones"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:58:00.048774+00:00","meta_description":"Selective Mutism can't be identified in a 9–12-month-old — it needs speech first. Learn what early communication to watch and when a check truly helps.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}