Three-Year Visit

Abstract

Tao Fernandez lives with his mother in an inner-city neighborhood in subsidized housing. Their elevator often breaks down and another family shares the apartment. His mother Melinda Costa never finished high school in El Salvador because her parents needed her to help take care of her younger siblings. When she became pregnant, Ms. Costa had no one to help her. The father occasionally drops by to take Tao to the park or bring a present when he has money. Tao weighs 12.5 kg (27.5 lb), stands 91 cm (36.4 in.), and head circumference is 47 cm (21.3 in.). He is in the 10th percentile for physical growth. He is scared when the doctor takes his blood pressure and screams when blood is drawn and at vaccination. He talks deliberately and has understandable speech. His vocabulary has about 500 words. He knows his name and he can speak two to three sentences together. A neighbor watches Tao when the mother goes to work part time in a bakery sweeping the floors or attends GED classes, but this time is mostly spent watching TV. Tao likes to help at home but doesn’t always listen. The mother says she has a hard time disciplining Tao and admits sometimes losing her temper and yelling at her son. Tao feeds himself and mostly sits still at the table for his meals. Tao has been toilet trained for a couple of months but has many accidents. He doesn’t get to play with many other children.