ABSTRACT
Tom was born on 29 March 2005; he is now 4½ years old. He is the third child in the family. His older sister is 11, and his brother is 8. His father is a technician, and his mother is a secretary. The family get on well together. The extended family lives in a neighbouring département. Tom was first seen in Child Psychiatry in November, when he was 9 months old. His parents had been advised to request an appointment in order to support Tom and those close to him during the long course of surgery, which was anticipated, and they followed this up. Following the first appointment with a child psychiatrist, a participant observation in the family home was suggested. This was partly because of Tom’s age, partly because of his illness, and partly because mother had asked for help.
