Selective mutism is a complex psychological disorder with an unknown origin. It is a widely misdiagnosed social phobia. Generally, it is called shyness for several years until a child enters school and does not function verbally in school and most social situations outside of school. Parents and teachers become very concerned and seek further assistance and diagnosis. These children have the ability to speak and understand language, develop age appropriate skills, and function normally at home with most family members. However, if the behavior lasts for a period of time, it becomes a learned pattern and is quite difficult to overcome, because the longer a child is silent, the more entrenched the behavior becomes. Most school personnel do not have the expertise or experience to deal with a child having this disorder which is caused by anxiety and avoidance. The numbers of children identified who are suffering with the disorder have risen sharply in the past few years. A letter from a parent asking for help was published in a parenting magazine a few years ago, and many cases have since surfaced. The school system in which I worked has had four selectively mute children within five years. This has occurred in just one small suburban school district. Many medical personnel are, also, not aware of the condition, or they have found that traditional psychotherapy has been disappointing. Michelle Cottle (The New Republic, August 2, 1999) reports that research indicates one in every eight persons may have a social phobia; and, even though pharmacological intervention is widely advocated, the relapse rate is 50 percent within six months of stopping medication. It is my purpose in this book to describe my experience as an elementary school educational specialist with a selectively mute child. Also described is the process that followed in his overcoming the disorder, after five years of being mute in school and all social situations. His ability to overcome the disorder was accomplished without the use of medication. I do not guarantee that these activities will work with all children or any other child, but would hope that if the information could be of help to one teacher, child, or parent, my goal would be accomplished.