Other Special Needs

Jesse is definitely a smart boy! He is nonverbal, but already recognizes a lot of letters and their sounds. He communicates by moving his hand closer to the letter or option he is choosing. He is working hard on these skills in preschool, which he currently attends two afternoons each week. He also uses his eyes to communicate. Sometimes I will tell him to look at someone to say please, thank you or sorry and he is always quick to comply, unless he is mad, in which case he will either shut or roll his eyes. If given two choices, I’ll ask him to look at one person for the first choice and another person for the second choice. He is quick to answer, especially if it’s something he really wants. For example, I will say look at Irene if you want your milk or look at Judith if you want more food and he will look at Judith to indicate he wants another bowl of food. Jesse knows the name of all his familiar people and will quickly look at them with a smile if I ask where they are.

Jesse loves to laugh and is quite entertained by the antics of his foster brothers and sister. Every night, I take Jesse into his bedroom to sit by his bed and pray together. Our one year old has a habit of following us in to the bedroom and sitting down beside us until another adult comes to get him. Jesse always anticipates this and as soon as I sit down with him, he watches the door and smiles, until the toddler comes in and Jesse wiggles and dances with joy. Sometimes after Jesse is in bed, his buddy will climb in with him and they both laugh at the craziness of bedtime.

Physically, Jesse can balance in a sitting position for several seconds, with his legs crossed and using his arms for support. He doesn’t do it for long at a time before he tumbles over, but he is always very proud of his accomplishments. He doesn’t roll over, but when he is laying on his tummy (his favorite position!), he can lift his head up and look around. Jesse loves to practice his walking, especially if he can “chase” the other kids around. I support him by holding him under his arms and then he lifts his feet and off we go. Jesse wears AFOs to use his stander every day. He really enjoys this time and rarely fusses while he stands. He has a musical light up toy that he likes to use during this time and he is quick to fuss if one of the other kids tries to take it. He also goes to physical therapy four days a week where he works hard on continuing to develop his skills. Jesse still wears a diaper, but he is working on potty training and sits on his modified potty every evening before bath time. He will usually use it and always smiles proudly when we praise him for this. Jesse eats well, with mostly pureed food, although he also likes to eat things like crackers or cookies. He does not self-feed, but if we give him the spoon to hold, he works hard to bring it to his mouth. Jesse drinks from a sippy cup and a water bottle with a straw – he especially loves milk and juice, but nothing too cold!

Jesse enjoys spending time being pushed in a supportive swing and fusses when it is time to get out. He also likes watching movies and going for walks in our stroller. Jesse enjoys story time and holding his baby doll or stuffed lamb. He is an amazing little guy who will definitely be a huge blessing to his family!

Ray is facing transfer to the institution.  Please share him so he can find his forever family!

February 2020 Update: Zack continues to grow healthy and strong! Ever smiley, Zack is the social butterfly of his home. He adores when visitors come over and he loves making new friends. When going on walks in the neighborhood, Zack will call people as he passes by with a friendly “hello” and huge grin. Zack’s caregiver and teachers often call him a “handsome hero.” He cannot get enough of it! Due to this fact he has begun brushing his hair to the side with his fingers and smiling up at people until they tell him how handsome he is. It is endearing. Zack is truly the sweetest boy. Anytime anyone is sick or seems sad he will ask to sit with them and attempts to cheer them up or offers prayer. He deeply desires to see all of his friends happy at all times.

In classes Zack is currently learning shapes, days of the week, numbers one through ten, and the first five letters of the English alphabet. In play time he often requests blocks in order to build towers. Once they are completed he will call his caregiver in order to proudly show off his creation. When he is not building blocks he loves coloring, making crafts and playing with toy cars. His new favorite sensory play is with shaving cream. On Christmas the staff in his home filled a plastic swimming pool with shaving cream so the children in his home could play with “snow.” Ever since he has begun asking for shaving cream daily in his sensory class.

Recently Zack was gifted a new wheelchair that allows him to more easily reach the wheels. He has begun learning how to push himself in his chair. He is thrilled! While he is still in the early stages of learning this skill, he is already showing amazing progress! Obtaining this skill will be huge in Zack’s independence! He loves practicing and will often request to be taken on walks. Zack often asks about his future family and is eager for the day that he is able to meet his mom and dad!

July 2019 update: Zack is the naughtiest and happiest boy in his home! He learned all his colours and is now learning his animals. He wants to be more independent! He can scoot backwards to get around by himself. He can make requests in both English and his local language and can translate English words to his local language for his caregiver! Zack loves his caregiver Ammama so much. He always scoots over to be near her and wants to be a part of what she is doing. One day he kept asking Ammama for a new shirt, so when she went on her monthly leave she brought him back a new blue shirt.

He just started talking, and his stature is pretty small.

Emma was recently transferred to a group home where she can receive more specialized care to help her continue to develop and receive appropriate medical care. She is receiving monthly blood transfusions at this time for her anemia. She had surgery to correct clubbed feet in 2020. She can sit unassisted, stand next to a stable support, walk around fixed supports and walk while holding the hand of an adult. Videos from May 2021 show Emma playing with an electronic toy. She is pushing the button to get the toy to make a sound. Her fine motor skills are not well-developed at this time, due to her spasticity. Emma responds positively to adults and other children. She smiles and laughs when adults interact with her.

Adeline is a sweet little girl who was very sick when she arrived into the care of her orphanage, but has begun thriving. She babbles, but does not yet speak. Her BERA hearing test in June 2020 showed moderate bilateral hearing loss and follow up recommended in 6 months. She is on Thyronorm medication for hypothyroidism. She has mild valvular pulmonary stenosis. No symptoms at present, so no treatment required, just routine cardio check ups. Adeline is sweet and joyful. She has appropriate attachments with adults she loves and is cautious around strangers. She is developmentally delayed, but making great progress. She has an adorable laugh! Adeline crawls and walks with a push toy or with an adult’s hands. She loves sensory play. A favorite is playing in shaving cream, and when an adult claps to make the shaving cream fly everywhere she bursts out into excited laughter! Adeline is a darling little girl, who quickly captures the hearts of all who enter her home. She would make an amazing addition to any home!

Anna has cerebral palsy and, as a result, is severely delayed. She and her brother were born very early, each weighing around 2 pounds. Anna is unable to stand. While Anna does vocalize, she is unable to articulate words. She has severe cognitive delays, and it appears unlikely that she will be able to make these up. Anna smiles when she is touched and is willing to play games, but she tires quickly and requires constant stimulation to stay engaged. She is unable to feed herself and is fed through a bottle.

Anna’s twin brother, Alex, has bronchopulmunal dysplasia, cerebral leukomalacia (brain injury from birth), and an intestinal hernia which will likely require surgery. He is described as “lackadaisical” and “good-natured.” Alexander is able to walk 5-6 steps before falling over, and has generally uncoordinated fine motor skills. He does vocalize, but his speech patterns are underdeveloped. The assessment from Bulgaria states that with the appropriate interventions, Alexander could make up for some of his delays, but that his capabilities will always be limited.

UPDATE: 2019 Alex and Anna are twins who are living together in foster care.
Anna has spastic CP that impacts her entire body. When lying on her back, she can raise her right hand to reach for a toy. With some assistance, she can roll onto her stomach and once there, can hold her head up and track objects. She turns her head to sounds. She vocalizes and smiles when she is happy. Sometimes, she reacts to her name by turning her head when her name is called. She will respond to an adult talking to her by making sounds back. She raises her arm when someone waves hello or goodbye to her. She can follow some very simple commands that she repeatedly hears.

Alex also has a diagnosis of CP. Alex is able to walk, though his report indicates that he has a flat food and a possibly shortened thigh length on one leg. He attends an early intervention program, where he is receiving therapy and basic preschool services. He can only say a few words, but is learning to use PECS (picture exchange communication) and is up to PECS level 4, which is the ability to use picture cards to build sentences. He can sort by shape and color, stack blocks, and is learning beginning handwriting skills (tracing, drawing lines, etc). He plays with toys appropriately. He is showing imaginative skills (tucks a baby doll into bed, feeds stuffed animals, etc). He is classified as having a mild intellectual delay based on preschool testing.

Photos and videos are available through the agency.

UPDATE 2021:

Annie turns when called by her name. She makes a short-lasting eye contact. She reacts to adults’ speech with cooing and is selective in her interactions with adults. She likes being around other children, observes them and reacts emotionally when they tease her. She vocalizes so as to attract the other children or adults’ attention. She distinguishes the voice and the tone when someone is talking to her, when she is calm or cries. She participates in joint activities in adapted environment with sensory-based activities. She vocalizes and smiles when she likes a certain activity. She likes soft, stuffed animals and silicone sensory objects. During musical and sensory-based activities she reacts with positive emotion and maintains a good eye contact. She turns her head at the direction of the toy, which makes sounds. She follows a moving object from left to right, from above to below, as well as in the space around her. She raises her head and follows a desired moving object. She makes a choice between two objects or toys by reaching or looking intensively at the desired one. She reaches her hand out so as to reach a desirable object or food. She is fully depends on the caretakers for her physical needs. Her postures during the day need to be changed by an adult – she is verticalized and moved in the space. When she is lying, she is able to reach her hands so as to reach an offered toy. She is able to turn from back to belly, albeit with some support. She is able to hold her hands below the chest and uses her elbows for support. She raises her head and follows a moving object from left to right.
Alec walks independently. He is able to squat down and get up, as well stand upright from a sitting position on the floor. His walking has stabilized but he still frequently stumbles and falls. He climbs up and down stairs with support. He is able to throw and roll a ball but has difficulty in catching it. He uses both hands when manipulating objects. His left hand seems to be dominant. He copes with activities that require the use of both hands with each hand performing a different action (buttoning/unbuttoning, inlaying, cutting with scissors, etc.), but still needs some support. His writing skills are in the process of development – he adheres to the border of the paper, he draws horizontal and vertical lines by imitation and a “nest”, outlines a circle in the internal side of a stencil. He draws a sun, balloon, face and follows dotted lines. He understands and follows short, one or two step, instructions, within the context of the situation. He purposefully uses basic gestures, accompanied by words (“End”, “Again”, “Give”). He more often expresses his needs or spontaneously makes comments about things he finds impressive with a word/sentence. He connects two words in a sentence independently, most often memorized phrases. In his therapy he uses an alternative system for communication through pictures (PECS) – IV phase – line sentence and signs of the object are included (color, shape, size). He independently places the words on the line and constructs sentences such as “I want a big train”, “I want a long spiral”, etc. He properly uses “I” and “you” n familiar situations. He plays with toys appropriately. He has acquired basic models for playing but his playing is sometimes stereotypical (he spins the tires of the cars, examines objects with his eyes/mouth). He has good imitation skills and likes playing outside, recreating observed actions. He willingly participates in activities. He watches cartoons and repeats phrases he has heard. He waves his hand to say “Hello” or “Goodbye”. He gives kisses. He looks for other children and plays with them for short periods of time, but communication with them is still difficult. He still has difficulties sharing his toys and needs support in interaction and common games. With the support of an adult he is able to wait for his turn during a joint game with another child. He compares two objects in accordance to external signs (color, shape, size). He is in a process of building concepts about color, shape and size. He knows some quality concepts (big/small, long/short, clean/dirty, etc.). He counts up to 3. He finds it easier to learn when the educational material is incorporated in his everyday activities.

This will be a two part adoption: Family must be prepared to adopt boy 1, then have to go back to adopt boy 2. this is because only boy 1 qualifies for expedited availability as both have not yet been listed on the registry for one year. Once adoption 1 is done, the family can file for adoption of the second child immediately as a bio sibling of their child.

He has 5 siblings in the family-style children home, they are not adoptable.

Robert is a sweet boy who loves to smile and has a contagious laugh. He happily greets his friends with a double high five and fist bump. Sometimes, he will also jump up for a big hug after.

He understands English as well as his native language. He can say a few words but often only speaks with people he knows well. He communicates non-verbally like with hand gestures and responds appropriately to yes/no questions by nodding his head. He comprehends everything but is a bit inconsistent with how he responds to directions. Some times this depends on the space he is in or the situation. For example, fast transitions are often a challenge for him so he may freeze until you give him the time to complete the task on his own.

His favorite place to be is playing outside. He will often choose to play on the swing, zipline or trampoline. He has been practicing kicking and throwing balls too.

Robert enjoys school. He has mastered drawing circles, tracing shapes, and writing his favorite letter “O.” He can write other letters too though. He also has one on one time for school to practice his letters and numbers. He gets really excited to show off his projects from school and when you compliment him.

Robert is gentle with younger children/babies and children with special needs. He loves to engage with them by singing or dancing with them and will try to hold them. He is such a happy boy with so much potential! We are praying his family finds him soon! Video available.

From a family who met her in March 2021:  Gemma is an adorable little girl. She has a bright and spunky personality and is full of laughter and smiles. She loves to be held and embraced and ran to us with hugs. She played ring around the rosy with us, danced in our arms, and loved to be twirled. When given a kiss, she instinctively gives one back. She is so sweet. She loves to play outside, ride a scooter, play in the sand. She says “yes” (in Russian) for most things but she can say other words. She understands everything said to her. She listens extremely well to the nannies and they speak to her as they would a typical 5 year old. She can do the physical tasks a pre-K age child can do (get dressed and undressed, ride a scooter, play with toys, etc). She is toilet trained, though the nannies had her in a pull up while with us. Her vision is impaired and though she can see well enough to get around just fine, she holds things very closely to her face to see them. She has a hearing loss diagnosis but appears to be able to hear everything, though maybe she could still benefit from hearing aids. We were told that she is developmentally like a two year old. This was true in many of her behaviors but we found that she understands much more than a two year old. She has autistic behaviors without an autism diagnosis. She is definitely a sensory seeker; she has a lot of energy and needs to be given tasks and activities to keep her focused. When she is engaged in something she likes, she is completely absorbed in it. She could play the piano for a very long time oblivious to everything going on around her. Though she appears to be in her own world, we were often able to “intrude” into her world and to play with her, to get her to smile and to mimic us and were seeing gains so quickly. Her smile and laughter bring so much joy! Gemma is smart. She can learn. We taught her some basic sign language (“more”) and she began to use it right away without any coaching. She immediately caught on. She will flourish so much in a family who gives her the tools to communicate. She is truly an amazing child, adorable and full of life.

Kohen has had surgery for his spina bifida.  His mental development is normal.

Josiah can walk, kick and throw a ball, climb steps without support and drive a toy riding car. His fine motor skills are developing. He can manipulate toys and is beginning to work puzzle and make shapes on paper. He can identify his colors and basic shapes. He initiates contact with other children and plays well in a group. He follows verbal directions and responds to his name. He can speak using simple words and is starting to put words together to make simple sentences. He participates in organized small group activities. He loves to dance and will mimic dance moves/hand motions that go along with specific songs. He feeds himself. He can get undressed by himself, but still needs some assistance with getting dressed. He gets tired quickly, as a result of his heart condition. Josiah had his most recent heart procedure in March 2021. He is on a low fat diet and takes several daily medications for his heart condition.