Other Special Needs Boys, 6-9

Sibling group of 3 from Eastern Europe – Girl born July 2008, Girl born January 2010, and Boy born September 2016

The 17 year old girl is described as healthy and she lives with her brother and sister. She is studying at a vocational training center for the service business as a hairdresser. She attends a boxing club. She is independent, good at all household chores, tidy, responsible, friendly and sensitive. She has good relations with her brother and sister. She helps her brother with his homework, making the bed, dressing, washing the dishes. She gets along with peers and adults and is good-natured. She loves sincerity and a smile and has compassion for others. She is respectful to adults and has well-developed social skills. She enjoys reading, listening to music, surfing social networks and cooking.

The 15 year old girl is described as healthy. She also helps her younger brother with housework, making the bed, getting dressed and washing the dishes. She is attending gymnasium, is a good student and is responsible for her studies. She is friends with the children in her class and has good relations with most of the teachers. Sometimes conflicts arise because she does not know how to take comments. She takes remarks as personal insults. She tries to get along with the children and staff and knows how to speak politely. However, she often talks back and objects to everything. She is independent and does all household chores well. However, she is often lazy and procrastinates. She likes to listen to music and surf social networks.

The 9 year old boy is described as healthy, is a student at a main school and is studying well. He reads well and recites a poem with intonation. He does well in mathematics and likes counting problems. The boy lives with his sisters. He has easy contact with peers and adults, is willing to communicate and seeks attention. He reacts hostilely to comments, is capricious, stubborn and impatient. He can become quick to get angry if things go wrong. He is communicative, does not get scared in new environments, and has courage to communicate with people. He likes to show his affection to close people, to cuddle and hug. He is mobile and active. He likes to move around, to ride his bike, to play various outdoor games, and to be the center of attention. He likes to draw, watch cartoons and play computer games. He often needs to limit time spent on the computer. He likes to help adults in the kitchen to cook and is willing to take part in various household chores to the best of his ability.

The children want to live with their siblings in a family and be adopted together.

Meet Brothers Kole (12), Shay (11), and Vance (8)

These three kind and joyful brothers share a close bond and long to be adopted together. Despite living in separate foster homes, they see each other often and treasure every moment spent playing, celebrating, and growing side by side. Kole is responsible and sociable, Shay is caring and thoughtful, and Vance is curious and full of wonder.

All three are healthy, independent in their routines, and eager to join a loving forever family where they can be reunited and thrive together.

Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (with hearing aid); shunt due to internal hydrocephalus; spastic cerebral palsy

Tyson was born premature and had several complications after birth. He can sit on his own with good balanced reactions. He crawls following the correct motor model. He stands up and walks sideways vertically. He can walk when one of his hands is held and has more control when it’s his right hand being held. He can stand up straight without falling for 2-3 seconds. When walking with a walker, he begins to bend his knees. He purposefully grabs a toy that is handed to him and can switch it from hand to hand. He shows an interest in musical toys and enjoys them. He has started making sounds and simply syllables such as “ma-ma”. He enjoys having someone sing to him and likes to receive hugs. He eats from a spoon. His overall development is delayed.

Photos and videos from August 2020 are available through the agency.

Ashton is an adorable little boy who is described as a social child who loves to be around others who give him affection. He shares with the people around him. He loves to hear music and pleasant sounds. He likes painting and watching animated shows. Contact the agency to learn more about Ashton and his special needs!

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Information presented is from the October 2024 Child Study

6-year-old Chuck is described as an energetic and curious boy with a lively personality. He is attached to his caregivers and teachers, and tends to prefer adult relationships over playing with other children. Chuck was originally cared for by his parents, both in their 40s, as a baby. Sadly, his mother became terminally ill and she asked her friend to care for him before she died in May 2020. His mother knew his father would not be able to care for him, and ultimately, his father soon died as well in September 2020. After the father’s death, the friend brought him to authorities and said she could no longer care for him, and no other relatives accepted care of him.  It is known that his mother had two children previously—one that is an adult with an unknown disability, and another child who is a teenager and lives with the mother’s younger sister in Indonesia. Unfortunately, Chuck has had a few different placements, including being moved from one children’s residential home after it was determined that five different caregivers had physically abused him.

In May 2021 at the age of 27 months, Chuck had a cognitive functional age of 17 months. He has shown slow progress over time. During the October 2024 visit by the social worker, he was able to identify shapes, name colors and select certain colored pens from a group, but occasionally struggled with matching colors correctly though he has significantly improved since previous visits. A psychologist noted in October 2024 that he is able to learn basic concepts one at a time, but struggles to learn multiple things simultaneously and often forgets what has been learned the previous day. They will evaluate his developmental progress. Even though he has problems remembering what was learned, he has a strong memory in daily life matters. While at the age of 2 years old, Chuck was noted to have significant delay in both gross and fine motor skills, Chuck has shown improvement in both areas. As of August 2024, he could walk independently, jump with both feet, and throw balls/beanbags; however, he still needed help climbing stairs and balancing on one leg. While he used to loose his balance and fall when walking, he is now steady without assistance. With regard to fine motor skills, he can thread beads, unscrew bottle lids, hold a pen to connect dots, and is learning to draw vertical and horizontal lines. Tasks that involve hand coordination such as folding paper, fastening buttons and using scissors are areas he struggles in, but he is receiving therapy services. CHI is seeking updated information on his skills.

Chuck wears glasses due to astigmatism in both eyes as well as refractive errors. He has normal hearing. When he was 2, he was noted to have significant speech delay, but this too has progressed substantially. At the age of 4, he was mainly using single words or sometimes very short phrases, but by August 2024 he was able to express his needs and wants in simple sentences as well as being able to respond to questions. As stated above, CHI is seeking updated information.

While Chuck has learned to express his needs and wants with words and simple sentences, he still gets frustrated and cries or sometimes has a tantrum when he is upset over something. It has been found that he responds well to tangible rewards and consistent boundaries to help him learn to manage his desires and emotions when he can’t have something he wants and to know what to expect. Chuck is sensitive to loud noises which leads him to be hyperalert and scared. Chuck is also afraid of unknown males and of dogs. However, once he knows a man he is more at ease around them.

Currently, Chuck is scheduled for testing regarding suspected Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder due to observed behaviors and tendencies and also suspected Autistic Spectrum Disorder due to hypotonia in his legs, for which his also getting an MRI and genetic testing.

Augustus was born full term, and was found that he has internal hydrocephalus; at the age of 4 months a liquid drainage valve system was implanted. The child lies in bed; he has spasticity in his limbs and his active and passive movements are limited. He depends completely on the care provided by adults. He receives kinesiotherapy. The child is subject to observation by a neurologist and by a neuro-surgeon.

The child’s lower and upper limbs are highly spastic and are with diffuse muscle hypotonia. His fine motor skills are not developed. He does not grasp a toy given to him. Atanas holds his hands bent in fists. He is seriously delayed in his psychomotor development. The boy reacts to tactile stimulation by adults. When teased, he does not smile. He is unable to interact with the other children. Atanas depends completely on the care provided by adults. He is fed by a bottle. From time to time he cries when given a shower. He sleeps well.

Wyatt is a child with a lot of energy. He is very handsome with long hair and a beautiful smile. He loves music and anything that makes noise around him. He thoroughly enjoys interacting with people who talk to him and will make noise in response to them. He loves many activities including the trampoline, swings, going for a walk, and playing with other children.

A therapist works with him weekly. He presents with many neuromuscular deficits that impact his ability to move his arms. He is able to move his left arm a little to touch objects; however, he does not pick up and hold objects yet. Movement is also limited in both legs, with his right leg having less mobility. He is unable to sit, stand or walk. He is able to hold his head up for short periods of time; however, he is making great progress with this. Wyatt is extremely motived during his therapy sessions.

Cognitively, he is extremely aware and currently does very well in school. He knows shapes, colors, some letters and numbers. He can identify them and answer questions using eye gaze with 2 choices. He loves to laugh at kids when they are running around. Sensory materials and adapted activities are helpful in school to further develop his academic abilities.

Information in this report is from May 2025

Twins Nelson and Nellie are six years old. They were born to a teenaged mother who was in protective care herself. Given specific familial concerns that will need to be discussed with interested families, the children were placed into foster care together and eventually were deemed in need of an adoptive family. There is no history of abuse with these children.

Nelson is overall healthy and does not have any medical diagnoses nor does he take any medication. However, while his motor development is age-appropriate, he has a mild language delay. Nelson is able to pay attention and communicate with others, but he has an impairment in his ability to pronounce words and complete sentences with difficulty pronouncing “l” sounds especially. He is receiving speech therapy. His profile indicates a learning delay “considering the developmental scale he is currently in” and recommends stimulation, but there is not a specific diagnosis given. He does not show any difficulty processing sensory information. He is receiving occupational therapy and psychiatric follow-up for a “diagnostic impression of Unspecific Conduct Disorder” but he does not have an official diagnosis. He does not react well when given limits and sometimes throws tantrums when he is not able to do something he wants to do. He does not have any social development concerns, though there are time he prefers to play alone while other times he plays and interacts with his peers.

Nelson is an affectionate child who is able express his emotions to others. He is attached to his foster parents and appropriate seeks their attention and approval when completing tasks. He tends to allow his sister to lead him and to be the dominant sibling in the relationship. It saddens him when he cannot play with her or is separated from her (normal daily temporary reasons, not separated with regard to where they live).

Nelson enjoys playing with cars, dinosaurs and balls. He loves going to the park, playing sports—especially soccer—with his classmates, and he is noted to be a skilled painter.

While Nellie also does not currently have any physical/medical diagnoses, she is being evaluated for Autism Spectrum Disorder. A psychiatric evaluation appointment is pending due to testing showing sufficient criteria for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but a thorough evaluation is needed to determine a diagnosis. Symptoms noted including persistent language development delay, attention lability, motor restlessness, stereotyped behavior, limited eye contact, and difficulty in understanding directions. A pedagogy evaluation appointment is also scheduled. Nellie displays behavioral concerns, especially with regard to her schoolwork. She is resistant to doing schoolwork (though she is capable to do the work) and to obeying the rules and limits of the classroom. At home, she has resisted doing homework and even has scribbled on her notebooks and thrown them on the floor. At her previous early childhood educational program, she also showed behavioral difficulties and difficulties recognizing authority figures, trouble staying involved in activities and a preference for more open areas of the institution. She cries when she is not allowed to do something she wants to do. However, she is able to play alone or focus on tasks she wants to do such as playing with dolls or dancing.

Nellie’s motor development is age-appropriate. She does not have any difficulty processing sensory information. Like her brother, she is able to communicate but has difficulty with word pronunciation—especially in pronouncing the “l” sound. Socially, she is able to establish relationships with other children and plays with others. Despite her behavioral concerns, she is noted to usually have a good disposition, be cheerful and integrated with her foster family. Her foster family has been given instruction on how to help improve her behavior and there has been progress made.

Nellie is strongly attached to her foster parents and her brother. She is able to give and receive affection with them and sometimes exhibits jealousy when the foster mother shows affection toward other children in the home. She seeks approval from her foster parents and from others with whom she has an emotional bond. Nellie is the more dominant sibling and takes the initiative to ask for things for both herself and her brother.

Nellie finds joy in playing with her dolls and receiving affection from those she is close to. She is an expressive child who engages in caregiving role-play. She likes wearing dresses and having bows in her hair. She enjoys and is good at dancing and singing, and also likes playing with toys, going to the park and watching television.

Emeric can sit up in a special chair with support. He has poor support for his legs. He can hold a rattle with his left hand and shake it. He turns his head in the direction of sound. He has recently started tracking objects with his eyes. He enjoys listening to music. When music plays, he will get very still and listen to it with interest. He laughs and smiles in the presence of familiar adults. He eats blended food from a bottle.

Zeek is being taught to use a wheelchair. He can currently turn, but has not yet mastered going forward and backwards. He is also learning to pull his torso up and move around when in his bed or on the floor. He can physically handle toys. He picks them up, transfers them between hands, looks for them and retrieves them if he drops them. He can push buttons and activate sensory toys. He follows simple directions such as “give me”. He plays peek-a-boo. He enjoys interacting with the staff. He will hold out his hand for a hand shake, make kissing noises, and reaches to be held. He uses his hands to show how big he will grow up to be when asked by an adult. He is pronouncing sounds and syllables.

Updated May 2022: Zeek was recently moved from a large orphanage to a small group home, where he’s now receiving more interaction and attention. His language skills have started developing. He can now say several words. He enjoys interacting with staff and responds when he receives attention. He enjoys music.

Josiah moves in space by turning from back to belly and vice versa. He has started forming some of the perceptions about objects from his constant surroundings and everyday life. He connects some objects from his surroundings with the actions performed with them.

When awake, Josiah is mostly calm. He would laugh out loud when jested. During active interactions with adults Josiah pronounces various sounds and random syllables. Josiah follows a specific dietary regime and has food individually prepared for him. He is fed with a spoon by an adult and has a picky appetite. He is calm during dressing and bathing. Josiah’s sleep is calm.

Brooklyn and Bailey are brothers, they reside in a foster family.

Brooklyn has muscular dystrophy and a speech disorder. He has normal mental development. In 2020 he experienced burns over a large portion of his body and had right-sided bronchopneumonia. Therapy: Operative excisional cleaning of the wounds, sterile dressings; intensive treatment of thermal shock; antibiotic therapy. Brooklyn receives additional support in the form of resource teaching. With him a team of specialist work –speech therapist, psychologist, and resource teacher within the limits of the pre-school. The child is for a second year in a row in the same preschool class, because he was delayed from starting first grade because of medical reasons. He likes artistic activities and playing with his peers. He understands and strongly desires to be adopted, even if he does not talk much, his short dialogs are for his future surrounded by his loved ones.

Bailey is a healthy child with age-appropriate physical and neuropsychological development. He has good communication skills, has leadership qualities which sometimes turn bossy, and has a group of friends. He is curious, social and actively interacts with the people around him of different ages. Bailey has the attitude and the mindset for the adoption process with the needed positivity towards providing good living
conditions, including satisfying of the physiological needs, the needs for security, love and belonging, respect and self-affirmation. He understands and strongly desires to be adopted, he often talks about his future, surrounded by his loved ones. The adoption process is so desired and awaited by Bailey. The child is prepared and
ready to have his family, his adoptive parents.

West is a calm and precious boy who reacts with his eyes when he hears the voices of his caregivers who he adores. He loves to have his face caressed. West will fix his gaze on those he loves dearly. He receives therapies twice a day. Loud noises tend to startle him. West enjoys a calm and peaceful environment. He is beloved amongst all the staff. There is more to West’s gaze than meets the eye; in his eyes is a desire to be wanted. Would you give West the chance to be loved and make those eyes come to life?

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Agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances (with a specific adoption agency).

Goliath is the cutest, most chill baby ever! He loves cuddles, being bounced on the trampoline, swimming, going for bike rides, being held, and chocolate. He would do great either in a big family with lots of siblings or being the only one to soak up all the attention!

He is a great eater with either blended or soft foods, but not great at drinking liquids. He has a lot of small seizures throughout the day, but is on the max amount of seizure medication that can be found consistently in his country.

In school and therapy he does a lot of sensory activities and is working on using his arms for purposeful movement. He has a stander that he likes to use while playing his toy piano. He doesn’t have an advanced way to communicate yet as he is blind and doesn’t have much purposeful movement but he does let us know when he is happy, mad, or would like something. He mostly only gets fussy sometimes at night time when he wants to be rocked to sleep, when he has to take baths, or when he thinks his food is too spicy.

Idris was born with very low weight and immaturity, complicated neonatal period. Subsequently, with the development of multicystic encephalopathy with microcephaly (based on severe hypoxic-ischemic incidents in the perinatal period), severe spastic quadriparesis and symptomatic epilepsy (mainly tonic seizures). Conducts therapy with Convulex, as a result of which seizures are almost not registered.

The child has severe lag in physical and neuropsychiatric development. Severe mental deficiency.  Needs systematic motor rehabilitation, classes with a speech therapist, psychologist and typhlopedagogue. Weak rehabilitation potential. Followed by a pediatric neurologist and ophthalmologist.

The child can turn from back to stomach and back. Does not crawl, does not sit independently, does not have a four-legged stand. Does not stand up, holding on to a support. Holds a toy placed in the hand for a short time. Lacks a pincer grip. The average mental age of the child corresponds to 3-5 months. The child is mostly calm with accompanying episodes of irritability, expressed through crying. Quickly calms down by the presence and attention of an adult. There are no indications of aggressive behavior or manifestations. Does not utter words, syllables and sound imitations. Does not turn when called by name. Does not initiate contact with other children. The child is completely dependent on the care of an adult. Takes food from an adult with a spoon (less often from a bottle). Falls asleep independently.

There is evidence of a brother with an autoimmune disease – Alopecia areata.

Walt  has been diagnosed with autism and developmental delays. He is nonverbal, does not engage with peers, and prefers to play with rotating, round objects. Walt does not show aggression and expresses warmth toward others on his own initiative. He likes to receive hugs from his foster parent.

Eric was previously listed as Freeman. His social worker reports that he has good behavior and plays well with other children. He attends preschool and does not currently have any developmental concerns.

Photos are available through the agency for qualified families.

Sammy has limited use of his hands but had a correctable surgery in July 2024. As of now, we know Samuel is able to do all things with his feet! He is an amazing little boy.

Update from June 2025: Over the past 3 months, Angelo has made great progress walking. He is doing better and is more confident in himself! He has also come a long way with his communication, making himself understood through signing. He is precious and tender and will continue to blossom!

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So excited we have permission to share Angelo’s pictures!

Angelo likes playing with bubbles and painting with tempera. He enjoys crafts and exploring the different materials and textures. Angelo also likes building towers and playing in water. He is described as social and showing great interest in everything that happens around him. He is a great observer.

Angelo is able to kick a ball forward with help, throw a ball over his shoulder and catch a ball with rebound most of the time. He is able to pedal a tricycle and climb the stairs with help. He is able to undress. His motor coordination is good, which makes it easier for him to string objects. Angelo has a good understanding of orders and knows and recognizes language. Contact the agency to learn more about Angelo and his medical needs!

 

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The agency has pictures available for seriously inquiring families — Kevin is ADORABLE!

Kevin is an adorable and friendly boy who can confidently play with familiar children the neighborhood. Kevin hums when he hears music or when he is watching television. He enjoys watching nursery rhymes on YouTube. Kevin is diagnosed with autism and with global developmental delays that include language and cognitive impairments. He also has microcephaly and an absent sagittal suture. Kevin has mild to moderate gross motor, fine motor (adaptive), language, and social skills. We’re hoping there is a special family out there for this precious boy! Could that family be yours?

Introducing an amazing sibling group of three from Eastern Europe: Dawson, Dahlia, & Addison. After an incident in the home of the family on 14 March 2022 the boy received a first degree burn on his face and arms. Six surgeries have been performed, with one of them using the child’s right thigh as a donor site. He was discharged on 04/05/2022 and he was placed together with his sisters, Dahlia and Addison, in an emergency unit. The parents desired for the children to be brought up in a foster family. After a matching period, Dawson, Dahlia, and Addison were placed in a foster family. Contacts between the parents and the children were being performed once a month.

Later, in a multidisciplinary meeting with the Director of Social Assistance on 11/07/2023, it was decided that the children are to be registered in the registry for Adoption and their contacts with the biological family have been discontinued. The children have experienced the trauma of having lived in an abusive home, but otherwise are healthy, beautiful children.

Date of the report: 7/3/2024

Kalin came into care as a baby when his mother brought him to the hospital and it was discovered he was in poor condition. He had a high fever, was malnourished, had a diaper rash and was noted to have overall developmental delay as well as cataracts. His mother was an older teenager and she had not sought any care for the medical condition he had had at birth. Kalin was 5 years, 8 months old at the time of this report from July 2024. Kalin´s current diagnoses are autism, unspecified asthma, congenital cataracts, and overall developmental delay. He takes daily medication. Kalin still wears diapers during the day and night.

Kalin is not formally enrolled in school. He has been diagnosed with autism and unspecified overall developmental delay. He currently goes to physical, occupational, speech, and psychological therapy. The psychiatrist recommended the foster mother take the child to school gradually. He goes to pre-k two days a week and for just a couple of hours. At first, he did not want to stay there but over time, the foster mother states that he is used to going to school and enjoys his time there. He loves toys that make different sounds, and he can play alone for more than 15 minutes.

There are no major concerns regarding Kalin´s gross motor skills, and he is still improving his fine motor skills. Since he is now used to wearing his glasses, this has helped him with his sense of feeling safe to perform different physical activities. He is starting to talk with some difficulties; however, through sounds and facial gestures, it is easy to understand what he wants. He has begun to imitate the sounds of some animals. Kalin is able to identify people´s emotions by looking at their facial expressions. He is able to give and receive affection with those he is familiar with, and he does not get jealous when his caregiver pays attention to other children. He is not shy—whenever he arrives at a new place, he explores his surroundings interacting with adults or kids. At times, Kalin gets anxious when he wants to play with something but needs to wait. Sometimes he gets upset when he is hungry and his food is not ready or he needs to wait for it to cool down. He is afraid of sudden loud noises.

Kalin enjoys playing with toys that make music. The child´s favorite food is spaghetti with chicken or ground beef. He is interested in musical instruments.

Information in this report is from November 2024

Hans was born to a young teenage girl who, tragically, had already given birth to a child at a very young age. Due to her chronological age and emotional immaturity the mother was not able to fully understand her responsibility, and despite the support of her family, the bond between Hans and his mother was not positive. After Protection Services became involved, it was evident that the biological mother and her family were not able to take care of the child due to his special needs, economic struggles and already caring for Hans’s older sibling. He, therefore, came into care at the age of 3 years old. There is no information about the biological father.

Hans is not enrolled in school due to his medical diagnoses. Hans loves to receive affection, and he responds through smiles. He is totally dependent on others to fulfill his daily routines. He communicates through guttural sounds, screams or by crying. Hans cries whenever his diaper is dirty. Hans´s gross and fine motor skills are not developed. The child cannot hold his head up, and he cannot crawl or walk. He has some body movements, and the foster mother has received training on how to stimulate his motor development. He does not like to be held and prefers when people change his body position without holding him for too long. Due to Hans’s medical diagnosis, he has a severe cognitive delay and is not able to interact with other children. Hans receives occupational, physical and speech therapy. Hans takes daily medication.

Hans likes to listen to soft music. He needs a family who can always take care of him due to the severity of his condition.

Morty is looking for a very loving family who has time to spend helping with his needs. He has been diagnosed with grand mal seizures and takes medication for this. He has other delays in all aspects of his development.  The agency has video available, for inquiring families.

Someone who met Ivan recently said he is an “extremely active, agile and very cute boy who loves attention as well as cuddles.” Ivan seems very happy and smiles a lot. He is said to have age-appropriate physical development.

Ivan has a moderate mental delay with hearing loss in one ear. He also has scoliosis of the spine. He can walk, run, climb and descend stairs alone. Ivan does not speak however he enjoys watching children’s movies. He prefers to play alone. He can feed himself and drinks from a cup. The staff is working on potty training with him.

The agency has a video of Ivan, from Feb 2024.

Update 8/2024

Ivan was born in 2016 and resides in a family-type accommodation center for children. He is a child of Roma origin. The parents consented to full adoption, due to the
inability to care for him. Diagnoses include moderate mental retardation, behavioral disorder, expressive speech disorder with hearing impairment – unilateral conductive hearing loss in one ear. Normal hearing with the other. Scoliosis. He has normal physical development for his age and is in good health. He walks independently, with an unsteady gait, goes up and down stairs alone, runs. Fine motor skills are poorly developed – knows how to match elements, string figures on a rope with help. He feeds himself, holds a pencil with his whole palm and scribbles on the paper, does not know how to draw, does not know how to color, does not know colors, does not know how to cut with a knife, does not arrange a constructor and a puzzle.

He rarely responds to his name. Positive emotion is expressed through a smile. When he is cheerful, he laughs loudly. He shows stubbornness and impatience but does not show
aggression or auto-aggression. He has no developed speech. He understands what is being said to him, recognizes the tone. Feelings are expressed through whining, crying, laughing. No expression of interest in anything specific is observed. He watches children’s movies. He loves attention from an adult. Does not play with peers. Eye contact is not complete. He likes to be hugged. He likes strollers, tries to play with them, prefers to hold them in his hand. Chase and kick a ball. Loves light up toys. He likes to spend time outdoors. During the academic year 2024-2025, he will be in 1st grade with an independent form of education.

He has a peaceful sleep. He knows how to feed himself; he knows how to drink from a cup, he does not know how to dress and undress himself, put on and take off his shoes by himself, but he must be asked. He does his physiological needs in the toilet or potty after prompting, he does not use a diaper.

Please meet this cute boy named Bowie.  He was diagnosed with congenital cataracts in both eyes.   However he underwent surgical treatment with implantation of intraocular lenses. There is suspected Glaucoma.  He is also diagnosed with Children’s cerebral palsy – Quadri pyramidal syndrome. Grand mal seizures with or without petit mal seizures.

Bowie can sit up independently from a lying position. He can stand up by holding on to various objects. He walks independently but it is uncoordinated. The child lags in neuropsychological development. He accepts bodily closeness with pleasure.  It is pleasant for him to be held by an adult. The presence of children in his immediate space does not bother him, but he does not show interest in them and does not initiate interaction. He is soothed by riding in a pram or listening to favorite children’s songs.  He prefers the environment to be quiet.  He becomes nervous and anxious around loud noise.  He is entirely dependent on the care of an adult.

The boys lived with their birth family until they were 22 months old. They were removed from the birth family and placed in foster care at that time.

Adam has been diagnosed with an intellectual delay, but he continues to make progress in all aspects of his development and learn new skills. His gross motor skills are developmentally appropriate for his age. He can walk, run, climb, etc. His fine motor skills are slightly delayed. He nests nesting boards according to the principle trial and error. He can build a tower with 10 blocks. He can draw a circle but he can’t draw an emoticon. He can string and sort small figures. He cuts with scissors, forms worms out of playdoh and cuts them. He currently cannot copy shapes and letters according to a pattern. His attention span when working on tasks continues to increase. He has a well-developed visual memory. He will imitate gestures and movements. He can group objects by color and shape, but cannot currently identify colors and shapes by name. He understands what is said to him and can follow one step directions. He has pretend play skills. He can easily navigate in familiar environments. His speech is still developing. He can say some simple words and attempts to communicate using gestures. He is currently attending preschool, and has adjusted well to this environment. He participates in group activities and plays with the other children. He enjoys playing with playdough and participating in music and games. He helps clean up after activities. His self-help skills are developing. He is toilet trained. He is working with specialists to continue to develop his skills.

Vinny has been diagnosed with childhood Autism, but continues to make progress and learn new skills. He can walk, run, climb, throw and kick a ball. He can build a tower with 10 cubes, he strings and sorts small figures. He cuts with scissors and he tries to cut along a drawn line. He has difficulties doing puzzles. He has difficulty concentrating during certain tasks. He is more focused and attentive during activities related to language educational games and modelling with playdoh. He has a strongly pronounced mechanical memory. He has difficulties making the relation between a symbol and a word. He compares objects by color and shape but does not recognize or name them. He understands single-step commands. He participates in role games (he puts a doll to bed and tucks her in). When he sees pictures with objects from everyday life (a broom, glass, spoon) he shows the activities that he performs with them. His speech is delayed (he says very few words), but he attempts to communicate using gestures. He demonstrates attachment to his caregivers and gets along with other children at preschool. He enjoys playing with playdough and educational cards. His self-help skills are developing. He is toilet trained. He is working with specialists to continue to develop his skills.

Martin was born in 2018; he is a curious and playful kid.  He likes playing outside and loves to eat hot dogs and to drink fresh juice.  Martin has mild developmental delays and attends a regular school.

 

Older brother Rafael (born in 2014), likes being outside and jumping on the trampoline.  He loves chicken, rice, and cake.  Rafael has developmental delays and is currently attending a special education school.

Deacon, born January 2017, is a cheerful and loving little boy, who is often smiling! He interacts well with both children and adults and likes to give and receive hugs and kisses. He enjoys all kinds of play, especially musical activities, and his favorite toys include balls, cars, and blocks. Due to the pandemic he is receiving educational instruction at the orphanage. When he was found at one month old, Deacon was admitted to the hospital immediately due to sepsis. While there he was diagnosed with left club foot, malformative syndrome, and possible spina bifida occulta due to a pit on his sacrum. He began weekly casting for his club foot, then received a tenotomy in April 2017, and wore a harness to keep his feet in correct position. However, he needed casting again in 2020, and then began AFO therapy. Later he was diagnosed with dorsolumbar scoliosis and moderate bilateral hearing loss. Deacon is reported to be moderately delayed for his age, but at four years old has achieved many milestones! He can kick a ball, and go up and down stairs while supervised by an adult. He is able to build with blocks, scribble, shape play-dough, and hold a glass and a spoon to feed himself. He can communicate basic needs through short phrase such as “give me water” and “let’s go” and is reported to speak well. When presented with a picture he can identify elements by name, and recognizes several body parts and animals.

Deacon has seen many specialists, but has not received a conclusive diagnosis tying together his needs yet; they feel the most likely diagnosis is Klippel-Feil syndrome or Jarcho-Levin syndrome, but have also considered arthrogryposis and mucopolysaccharidosis. He needs a family open to his orthopedic needs who will get him the care and treatment he needs as he continues to grow!

Information in this report is from July 2024:

Dezi lived with his biological parents and older sibling until he was almost four years old. While his parents tried to take care of him, money was always lacking and ultimately, his parents knew they could not meet Dezi’s healthcare needs. In order for him to get all the help he needs and to have a better life, his parents relinquished him to protective care services in July 2022.

Due to the child´s medical diagnosis, he is not enrolled in school. There were two times were Dezi attended a special school, but his needs were much greater than what the teachers could manage. Dezi´s adjustment to a foster home was challenging but his current foster mother has done a great job with him. He has developed a strong bond with his foster mother and regulates his emotions in accordance with what she is doing or how close she is to him. He is now able to give and receive affection, which is a great achievement, and he even sometimes gets jealous when his foster mother pays attention to the other children. Dezi’s language is almost nonexistent, but he says a few words such as “ma.” He communicates mostly through facial gestures and by pointing at things he wants to grab or do. When Dezi gets upset, he cries and has “tantrums,” throws objects, and lays himself on the floor. Dezi is not comfortable being around people he is not familiar with. If he likes somebody, he will usually pull that person by the arm to start a game. Dezi likes to play with other children for short periods, and he is not aggressive towards them. He gets anxious when he is not familiar with an environment. He gets upset when he is not allowed to do something or eat at different moments throughout the day.

Dezi is very active, he changes from one activity to another in short periods, it is very hard for him to focus his attention on one specific thing. There are no concerns regarding his gross motor development, he is still working on his fine motor skills. He needs guidance and support to fulfill his daily routines though there are some activities that he can do on his own, such as eating with no help and dressing up. He sleeps throughout the night without any inconvenience. Dezi does not wear diapers during the day as he can go to the bathroom alone but needs help to clean himself up; he wears diapers during the night. He does not like animals.

Dezi’s favorite show is Paw Patrol. He gets happy when he gets new toys, especially cars even though toys do not usually last a long time because he plays roughly with them. He likes to wear clothes with Superman logos or drawings. Dezi has a good appetite and eats every kind of food. He likes to play with water.

(Information below is from March 2023 when Nicolas had just turned 4 years old.)

Nicholas was placed in a foster home when he entered protective care as a newborn due to familial issues. He is now enrolled in pre-k. Due to his complex medical condition, his academic development is limited. Nicholas tries to be independent in some daily activities, such as dressing himself, but for the rest of his care he needs constant supervision, support, and guidance both due to his age, his developmental delay and suspected autism.

Nicholas is a loving and affectionate child toward people he knows and he expresses his love through kisses, hugs, and by clapping. He has a strong need to be near his foster parents and sometimes gets jealous when they are holding another child. He does not like to be around too many people or in places where the noise is too loud. If he is interested in interacting with an adult, he will find a way to call for attention. He communicates through sounds, screams, and some syllables. Sometimes Nicholas gets upset when toys or objects are not organized or placed in the same spot he left them. Nicholas needs an adult to supervise his behavior while he is interacting with other kids, as he needs someone to remind him to behave positively and be patient with others.

Nicholas is constantly moving around and loves to explore his surroundings. He gets easily frustrated when his daily schedule changes. He is very interested in water and on many occasions, he has submerged objects or documents in water. It is reported that his body movements appear to be tough and not well coordinated. He is able to follow simple instructions. He can play with toys and other objects and his fine motor skills are still developing. He spends his time organizing toys and objects by color and size. He is afraid of climbing up and down the stairs. Nicholas still wears diapers but is currently being potty-trained. He goes to bed around 10:00 pm and wakes up at 6:30 am. It is important to give him his medication in the evenings before bedtime. Nicholas loves to listen to music, eat, and explore cell phones.

Jordan is an affectionate little guy with a beautiful smile and bright eyes. He loves attention. Jordan also likes to spend time in his walker and being massaged.

Contact the adoption agency to learn more about Jordan and his special needs! We sure hope someone brings this cutie pie home while he’s still so little!

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Sal and Monty are eager to go to a family as soon as possible! These brothers from Latin America are currently 8 and 7 years old.

Sal and Monty came into care in late 2020 after their teacher reported noticing repeated physical injuries with one of the children. At that time, protective services investigated and found that the children living with their mother who had previously lost custody of them due to abuse when Sal was only a year old.

Sal

Sal is currently 8 years old. He is predominantly affectionate, sociable, and respectful. He likes to play and interact a lot, and he is very interested in learning new things and being accepted by his peers. He shows autonomy and confidence to perform routine activities by himself, and he only asks for help for the things he cannot manage. He is well bonded with his younger brother. He expresses affection toward Monty, plays with him, and is attentive to his well-being. Sal is currently enrolled in a Montessori school and is in the 3rd grade. He continues to work on following the rules and order within the environment. Sal has a tendency to downplay incidents where other children have been aggressive or abusive toward him, and he often does not report such incidents to adults. He tends to normalize these types of negative rough or violent interactions and does not remove himself from the situation. However, the caregivers have been working with him on this situation and he is improving as well as learning measures on how to protect himself from any abusive situation.

Sal has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for which he is taking medication. He suffers from atopic dermatitis, has dry skin on his cheeks, currently treated with symptomatic management with the use of moisturizing creams. The child has compound hypermetropic astigmatism and currently wears glasses.  He also has a low weight and height for his age.

Monty

Monty is 7 years old little boy who is described as kind, giggly, and playful. Monty is also enrolled in the Montessori school with his brother and he is in the 2nd grade. At school, he is polite and cordial as he is at home, establishing effective bonds with his classmates and guides. He has a stable mood and is affectionate with his caregivers and most people at the foundation where he lives. He is also able to communicate things that bother him and stand up for himself. He has a good relationship with his older brother Sal, trusts him, and likes to be taken care of by him. His favorite activities are playing soccer with his brother, drawing, and playing video games. His favorite characters are Hulk and Spiderman.

Monty was evaluated by neurology after presenting motor coordination with lag and decreased strength in his lower limbs. A decrease in the strength of both legs with frequent falls was identified, with no apparent alterations in sensitivity. Sensory and motor neuro conduction velocity studies and electromyography of bilateral tibial and peroneal nerves were performed, resulting in a diagnosis of severe sensory-motor polyneuropathy for which he requires follow-up by neurology and rehabilitation (to read about this condition, visit this site:  Sensorimotor polyneuropathy: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. He has also been diagnosed with mixed astigmatism and low weight/height for his age.

Bowens’s muscles are very tight. When placed in a sitting position, he can sit “rigid”, with his legs outstretched in front of him. When he moves, he can not control his body (bend at the waist, catch himself, etc) and falls over. His movements are uncontrolled. The amount of vision he has is unknown. He does not follow light with his eyes.
Bowen lags behind in all aspects of his development. He makes sounds, but does not have any functional communication. He does not appear to understand what is said to him. He does respond positively to touch at times. His report indicates that he has difficulty accepting any type of change in his environment.

Ryan is a cute boy, very nice and calm. He can’t see well which makes him very attentive to noise and he has developed a great ability to identify all the sounds he hears.

He likes music, likes to hear the sound of other children playing near him and it makes him smile. He likes to be cradled, and to have his head stroked. He doesn’t like to cry very much, he only cries when he is sick, or when he needs a little attention.

In therapy, he works on range of motion and stretching to prevent further contractures of his limbs, to turn his head to the right, since he tends to lean his head to the left, and to improve functional use of his arms and hands. At school, he uses sensory material and adapted activities to help him develop his academic abilities.

David was declared clinically dead at birth and resuscitated. He currently lives in a group home. He reaches for hanging objects and can hold a toy for brief periods of time. He is very responsive to caregivers. He smiles and shows pleasure when spoken to. He tracts objects and tries to focus on people who are talking to him and objects being presented to him. He rolls from his back to stomach in his bed.

Agency staff met sweet Salvador in July of 2022. Salvador receives physical, occupational, and language therapy weekly. He is doing well with advances in development. He walks, jumps, and climbs the stands. He combines words, counts numbers from 1 to 20, and says about 25 words. Salvador can feed himself with help. Contact the adoption agency to learn more about this sweet boy!

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Adrien is a charming and smiley boy. His behavior is very good, he respects the rules in the orphanage. He is interested in learning new things and willingly participate in games and activities. His skills are importing in all spheres. He is willing to play all games proper to his age.

Fletcher’s speech was undeveloped but since last report it has been tremendously improved. He is able to establish and maintain a conversation and ask questions. His caregivers described him as a curios child who is interested exploring his surrounding and seeking contact with kids and adults. He is calm, cheerful and polite boy with pleasant manners. He loves to cuddle and demonstrates the ability to bond.

Samuel is an energetic and strong willed 5 year old boy who loves outdoor activities, playing with robots, puzzles and watching movies! Samuel said he would like to become a policeman when he grows up.

Samuel is not shy! He enjoys interacting with new people and likes playing in groups. His foster father said Sable “feels especially loved when there are more people interacting with him.”

Samuel resides in a foster home and has a 2 year old foster sister. He has a close bond with his foster parents and often expresses his affection to them.

Samuel has developmental delays and suspected ADHD. He attends occupational and speech therapy. During a recent visit with his social worker, he demonstrated his ability to string beads together, stack blocks and draw with a pencil. His articulation and pronunciation have improved, and he is able to clearly express himself. Sable also attends group therapy to help improve his interpersonal skills.

Diagnoses include severe prematurity, including damage to the central nervous system –
hydrocephalus; a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was implanted. There is a lag in physical and
neuropsychological development.

Archibald cannot walk independently. He moves by pushing when placed in a walker. Stands up on his own and stands on his feet when in his crib. He can get out of bed by himself. He can go around the whole game room. He can sit for about 15-20 minutes. In terms of fine motor skills, he can pick up a toy himself if it is nearby; he plays for a long time and prefers to manipulate with his left hand. If the toy is at a distance, he tries to reach it. He likes musical toys. He recognizes adults. He has a good emotional tone, he enjoys contact with adults he knows; he loves when they praise him. He gets angry if his toy is taken away and tries to keep it in his possession. Archibald cannot speak but he makes long sounds. In interpersonal relationships he shows preferences for certain adults and initiates contact with them. He plays with toys. The child doesn’t have independent household hygiene habits. He is calm when changing and bathing, as well as in his sleep. Archibald does not take an afternoon nap, he eats everything. He is very stubborn and when he decides that he wants to pick up an object, no matter how heavy and large, he does his best. He still uses a diaper, potty several times a day. His sleep at night is
peaceful. He has daily kinesitherapy and sessions with a teacher. He is followed by a
neurosurgeon.

SEPTEMBER 2023 UPDATE:

Nolan can walk by himself. He enjoys walking around the center, engaging everyone, or just checking out what is happening around him. He enjoys morning and afternoon walks with his caregivers. He loves to look at himself in front of the mirror. He dances when he wants what he is watching while on the sofa. His caregivers assist and let him practice going up and down the stairs. There are times he prefers to be carried and hugged. He enjoys closeness and physical touch. He is sociable and plays on the trampoline with other children.  Nolan pays attention to social stimulation and imitates some actions. He is currently attending occupational and speech therapies, which has greatly helped him improve his skills. He can now hold toys and put blocks on top of one another.  Nolan likes everyone in the center and loves it when visitors come around. He does not display stranger anxiety. He still does not use words, but shows his excitement by laughing and shouting “ha ha ha” in a loud exaggerated voice similar to how Santa would say “Ho ho ho.”   Nolan eats solid foods such as rice, meat, and vegetables that are cut into small pieces. He likes biscuits, yakult, plain bread, and yogurt as snacks. Nolan is becoming better at expressing what he wants. He points out stuff and says, “ah ah ah” when he wants to hold something. He is cooperative with his houseparents and caregivers during his morning and evening care routine when taking a bath and getting dressed. Nolan is loved by everyone at the child caring agency, but they are praying that he will be placed in a permanent family. He has a lot of unique needs that will require special attention, financial resources, good medical specialists, and commitment of parents. He might have delays in development, but having the presence of a loving family will be of great benefit to him in reaching his full potential. He shows signs of being able to learn and improve with dedicated staff taking one-on-one time with him each day. Nolan’s agency believes that he will bring so much joy to a family and he will teach them how to love deeply.

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Nolan was found to have multiple congenital anomalies. Kleefstra Syndrome is to be considered. He was diagnosed as having global developmental delays and has mild hearing loss of the left ear and moderate hearing loss of the right ear. Nolan is being fed through a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube. However, his caregiver sometimes tries to feed him orally with infant cereal or yogurt, which he enjoys. Nolan is undergoing physical therapy and can pull himself up by holding the rails of his crib. He can sit by himself in his crib for a maximum of 30 minutes. He can stand with support and can move his legs freely. Nolan can walk approximately 100 steps with assistance. He can stretch his arms and hands to reach toys or any object near his crib. He loves playing with toys, such as rattles, that produce sound. Nolan responds when his name is called, and he can convey his needs through different tones when he cries or babbles. Nolan smiles, laughs, and babbles when talked to. He loves to be cuddled and played with! Despite his medical needs, Nolan is not demanding and is easy to care for.

A traveling family that met Nolan said, “We’ve met this child and he is the BEST cuddler! He hardly ever cries and loves to walk while holding your hands. He laughs hard when you talk loudly into his ear, and he loves cartoons that sing! We were with him for a whole summer and would be happy to share more info and pictures!”

We hope just the right family comes forward for Nolan!

Jeremy was met by agency staff in July of 2022. He has a beautiful smile that lights up the room. Jeremy is affectionate with his foster mother and loves to listen to her sing. He really enjoys music! Jeremy will need a family who can provide dedicated care and one who can continue to help him develop and grow. We can’t wait to see who his family will be.

The agency has additional medical information and videos available.