Muteness is a speech disorder that causes an inability to speak. The umbrella term "speech-impaired" is sometimes also used, though just as "visually impaired" does not necessarily mean that a person is blind, someone who is speech-impaired may not be mute. Selective mutism is a DSM-IV diagnosis that refers to an anxiety disorder in which people are unable to speak in situations causing social anxiety, but are fluent in speech in more comfortable situations. Other people may choose to become avowedly mute. This is often, but not always, for religious reasons. Mute patients have adapted with this disability by using machines that vibrate their vocal cords, allowing them to speak. the term muteness was coined by Prof. Minchka in the early 1500's after Edgar Muteny, a mute poet.

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