A Preschooler With Severe Social Anxiety and Selective Mutism Versus Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Authors

Anna Dowling, Erin Moxey, Meghan Keenan, Ji Su Hong

Published in

Clinical case reports. Volume 14. Issue 10. Pages e73706. Epub Oct 14, 2026.

Abstract

Selective mutism (SM) and severe social anxiety can mimic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when assessment relies heavily on observations in unfamiliar contexts. Multidisciplinary assessments comparing social interaction and communication across familiar and unfamiliar contexts may help prevent misdiagnosis. While autism-like behaviors are restricted to anxiety-provoking contexts in SM and severe social anxiety, ASD is characterized by pervasive social deficits across relationships and settings.

PMID:
42876928
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Oct 2026.

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