One day, I received a phone call. The caller said, “My daughter is four years old, but she doesn’t speak. What should we do?” The question of whether counseling was needed also came up. I felt a bit confused myself—how do we counsel a four-year-old child? She is still very young. I suggested bringing the child around 11 a.m. so that we could at least talk and observe together. About a month later, the mother arrived with the child. The mother herself is a health worker and has a two-month-old baby at home. Her husband works abroad. We began with introductions and informal conversation. I asked the mother about the child’s difficulties. She explained that the child does not speak with others, feels afraid, is shy, and does not mix well with peers. When I asked how long this had been happening, she shared that the child often falls sick, frequently suffers from colds and coughs, and has shown this behavior since early childhood. I also asked about the child’s birth and developmental history. While we were talking, the child was busy playing—scribbling on paper and moving objects around. I went closer to her and traced my hand on the paper; she copied me. When I asked, “What is your name?” she did not respond verbally and only smiled. I asked the mother whether the child speaks at home. She replied, “She speaks with us, but not with others.” This reminded me of my own childhood—I, too, reportedly began speakin. Counselor-HMC
