Following a literature review, a severe case of elective mutism is described. A concurrent programme of individual and family therapy is then presented in detail. The treatment programme is an example of effective interdisciplinary work involving an occupational therapist and a psychologist. Behavioural and psychometric data are presented to illustrate the dramatic improvement which the electively mute child showed over the course of treatment. Finally, the probable mechanisms underpinning the child's improvement are discussed.
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