Colby is active, extroverted, and smiles often. When Colby hears music on the radio, he dances with joy. He does well in dance class and has a good sense of rhythm. Colby also enjoys playing games with other children and likes to watch cartoons.
Update 2016:
Colby is very good at imitating; in his music and dance class, he learned a whole entire dance routine after being shown the first time! He has come a long way since his early days at the orphanage. At first, he was withdrawn and did not actively engage with others. Nowadays, he’s quite active and extroverted—he actively participates in all classroom activities. Although he was diagnosed with Down syndrome and has cognitive delays, his language ability has greatly improved. Every day before school, he’ll wave and say goodbye to his foster mom. When he comes home from school, he’ll say “hello mother” and “hello father” in his native language. Colby knows all the names of his foster family members, and can name common objects and foods. He has some challenges with expressive language but he’s quite good at understanding others. He has great self-care skills such as putting on his clothes and shoes, using the restroom, brushing his teeth, washing his face, and feeding himself. Colby gets along well with other children and likes to play games with them.
His report states that he has a congenital heart defect but that it does not have any obvious effects on his day-to-day life; he hasn’t received surgery for his heart as of May 2016. An agency staff member met him on a recent Journey of Hope trip to China and found that he’s quite talented and showed off his martial art and rollerblading skills! He can speak words and simple sentences, but also communicates through pointing, touch, and body language. He’s been living with his foster family for about 5 years and they shared that he’s a great helper around the house and loves outdoor activities.
