The older the child, the more that selective mutism becomes ingrained into the personality and lifestyle. It can evolve into a developmental challenge as many aspects of maturation are impacted. In this case avoidant personality disorder was in full swing concurrent with an underlying depression. This was driven by social anxiety. In this case, the teenager was a B student who was on the high school golf team. He was an excellent golfer! He never talked in school until his sophomore year. The parents describe, in very productive and empowering detail, the intensity and complexity of a successful treatment experience.