Dr Sohail Ahmed, a Bradford GP and community activist, is scheduled to be a keynote speaker at a TEDx event at Bradford Arts Centre today. His talk, titled "The Boy Without a Voice," will address his personal experience with selective mutism.
Ahmed described his childhood struggle, where he was unable to speak in certain situations despite hearing instructions in his head. He recalls being labelled as shy, awkward, stubborn, arrogant, or rude, and experiencing bullying.
It took over two decades for Ahmed to understand his condition, which he identified as selective mutism during his medical training. This anxiety-related disorder prevents individuals from speaking in specific situations, even if they can speak comfortably elsewhere.
Ahmed's relationship with his voice changed after his own daughter began showing signs of the condition and during the Covid pandemic, when he felt compelled to speak publicly for his community. He has since founded a public speaking course through Bradford for Better and a Bradford branch of Toastmasters International to support others.
The NHS estimates that selective mutism affects about one in every 140 young children, though some research suggests higher rates in multilingual and immigrant communities. Anita McKiernan, a specialist speech and language therapist, notes that it remains a widely misunderstood childhood condition.