Elective Mutism: A Handbook for Educators, Counsellors and Health Care Professionals

Undeniably, language is at the core of human existence. Merleau-Ponty (1945) posited that thought and language are one - cognition being language; The fact that cognition predates verbal fluency and can take various nonverbal forms does not diminish the pivotal role of language - it is a functional requisite, an imperative.