Pediatric Social Phobia and Selective Mutism Differential Diagnoses
- Author: Bettina E Bernstein, DO; Chief Editor: Caroly Pataki, MD more...
Differential Diagnoses
- Child Abuse & Neglect: Dissociative Identity Disorder
- Child Abuse & Neglect: Physical Abuse
- Child Abuse & Neglect: Reactive Attachment Disorder
- Child Abuse & Neglect: Sexual Abuse
- Hearing Impairment
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Personality Disorder: Avoidant Personality
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
- Somatoform Disorder: Somatization
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