The current challenges
Muteness has different causes. Some people are born with muteness (Colon, n.d.), some people was able to speak but they had accidents which damaged his/her hearing. Another cause named “Selective mutism” is not because of the body damage, it usually happens among children. It results from children’s anxiety. They can speak and communicate when they are relaxed and comfortable, or they will not speak (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d.). Autism can also lead to muteness which means these patients have brain disorders (Hyman, 2012).
Some mute people can’t speak but their ability of generating brain signals about speaking remain intact. Current medical technology can not cure muteness effectively. There are emerging technologies like a kind of brain surgery which can enable the mute people to speak again. However, this surgery is not thoroughly tested and cannot be regarded as a mature technology, for example it requires electrodes to be implanted into the patient’s brain (The Future of Things, 2014). How can the mute people speak in a safe and effective manner?
Related Links:
http://www.ehow.com/list_6610821_causes-muteness.html
http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/12/can-autism-be-cured/#close
http://www.copa2014.gov.br/en/noticia/walk-again-project-results-much-higher-expected-says-neuroscientist-miguel-nicolelis
http://thefutureofthings.com/3811-brain-surgery-helps-a-mute-man-speak/