Other Special Needs Boys, 0-5

He is 1.5 years old with a neurodegenerative disease called Huntington’s. We hope to find a qualified adoptive family to be Scotland parents.

Scotland has a gentle temperment. He lives with a foster family and each morning begins the day by giving a hug and kiss to his foster parents. From there, the day unfolds typically – with all kinds of playing!

Prior to submitting an inquiry to review Scotlands file, we ask you to learn about his genetic disease. The Huntington’s Disease Society of America website can be found here.

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.

Special needs: Prematurity III stage Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; persistent foramen ovale; peripheral pulmonary stenosis; moderate communicating hydrocephalus; retinopathy of a prematurely born child; convergent strabismus.

This is the case of a male child, born prematurely III degree (1180 g), with a complicated perinatal history and pathological neonatal period. Subsequently he developed moderate communicating hydrocephalus and is delayed in his motor and mental development; there are changes in his tone and reflexes.

The child was diagnosed with a congenital heart malformation (persisting foramen ovale and PAC), which required therapy for a certain period of time. His cardiac status has improved. Given the severe prematurity, he has retinopathy of a prematurely born child and strabismus. The ophthalmic status is being monitored. The boy needs to be followed up by a pediatric cardiologist, a neurologist and an ophthalmologist. A systematic motor rehabilitation is conducted.

The child can flip from back to front, he is unable to sit, he is unable to rise on his feet on his own. The boy reaches out and grabs with his hands and can hold toys for a short time. He follows with his eyes and turns his head after moving toys and people; he smiles when they talk to him gently; he winces and listens to a loud sounds and reacts briskly when familiar adults are talking to him. The boy pronounces sounds and random sound combinations. The child is completely dependent on the care of adults. Diapers are used.

Update Aug 2023:His long list of medical issues are all related to his premature birth; his weight at birth was just over 2.5 pounds. His medical needs include: bronchopulmonary dysplasia; pulmonary hypertonia; persistent foramen ovale; peripheral pulmonary stenosis; persistent arterial canal (collateral); periventricular leukomalacia; and retinopathy of a prematurely born child. This bright boy can hold toys and play with them purposefully. He begins to babble and recognizes familiar people, greeting them with smiles and laughter. He is calm but expresses displeasure by crying when he is unhappy or his needs are not being met. He is not yet able to feed himself, and though he can roll from front to back, he does not yet sit or stand unassisted.

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!

VIDEOS:

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-salvador1
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-salvador2
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-salvador3
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-salvador4
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Password: Adoptmaa

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!

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-jeremy1
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-jeremy2
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-jeremy3
Password: Adoptmaa

He has a medical diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis and is behind in all areas of development. Gabe was recently placed in a foster home, and the one-on-one attention combined with proper nutrition has helped him make gains in all areas. He is presently non-verbal and does not yet walk independently. Gabe needs a family of his own and access to the therapies that will help him develop to his full potential.

This sweet, three-year-old boy has a long list of special needs – Spastic cerebral palsy. Other and unspecified seizures. Congenital laryngeal stridor. Tracheostomy. DNA analysis – homozygosity of UFM1 gene. Feeding via NG tube only. Yes, Isaac needs full care and always will, but he also needs a family to provide that care and the love that every child deserves. Is he your precious son?

Saber is a sweet little boy.  His main diagnoses/conditions are:  epilepsy – grand mal seizures. Infantile cerebral palsy – spastic quadriparesis, severe degree; ROP; cataract in the left eye – condition following surgical treatment; brain cysts; hypotrophy; mixed specific disorders of the psychological development; severely impaired general condition, with severe delay in all areas of development. He is fed via nasogastric tube. He needs constant care, active monitoring by a pediatric neurologist, an ophthalmologist and a physiotherapist.

Sweet Saber truly deserves a wonderful family!  He expresses emotional conditions through mimics. He understands when an adult is in the room and he looks for him with his gaze. He smiles when someone speaks to him or when he is jested. He does not interact with other children, but individual attention by an adult brings him pleasure which he expresses through smiling.

Please help us find this smiley little boy his forever family!

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.

Hennes has Arnold-Chiari type II with spina bifida at level L5.

Hennes is described as a very social and happy child. He communicates well with others. He can ask and answer questions and make general conversation. When he has difficulty with a task, he says, “It doesn’t work” in order to get help. A member of the agency’s team visited Hennes and said that he is “very easy to talk to and very smart”. Videos from July 2022 show him talking, answering questions and interacting with the adults. Hennes moves from place to place by crawling and using his upper body strength. He can pull to a stand and hold onto a support. He likes to play with all kind of toys, like balls, cubes, cars, puzzles and etc. He eats independently. He told the team member that he loves apples and orange juice.

Danny loves being in the playroom at the orphanage. He plays with toys and gets very excited when adults interact with him. He enjoys listening to music. He participates in therapy each day to work on learning new skills.

UPDATE August 2022: He pulls to a stand in his crib. He crawls using his arms to drag his lower body (“army crawl”). He has a lot of upper body strength. He participates in group activities. He plays with toys. He pushes the buttons on toys, “dials” a toy phone, etc. He follows simple directions. He says a few simple words. He responds to his name. He enjoys listening to music. He eats from a spoon and drinks from an open cup. He tries very hard to be more mobile, despite his lower paralysis. As a result, he has broken a bone in one of his legs. The staff tries to keep him sitting in a chair where he can see everything going on in the room and participate in activities, without risking further injury to his leg. He interacts with other children sitting around him.

This is the case of a male child born from a pathological pregnancy with very low weight and indications of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. In the early neonatal period posthemorrhagic internal hydrocephaly was found and at the age of 2 months a VP shunt was implanted. Due to malfunctioning of the shunt, it was replaced when the child was 9 months old.

Dean is in a stationed impaired general state of health with a severe quadriparetic syndrome, pseudobulbar paresis and cortical blindness. Also, total cataract of both eyes has been found which cannot be treated surgically due to the severely damaged state of health of the child. He is fed via a nasogastric tube. He is severely delayed in his physical and neuro-psychic development. His condition is being monitored by medical professionals.

Nevan was born prematurely, to a young mother. He had a difficult neonatal period, with use of mechanical ventilation.
The child has a severe impairment of the central nervous system: posthemorrhagic internal hydrocephaly; a VPA shut was inserted in April 2018; later it was twice revised. The child is in a stationed impaired state of health. ECG: Persisting foramen ovale with positive natural evolution; no therapy needed.

Nevan will need observation by a neurosurgeon, pediatric cardiologist; he needs specialized care, physical therapy and kinesiotherapy.

The child turns his head towards sounds. When placed on his side by adults and with help, he can turn the lower part of his body and flip from back to front and vice versa. When awake he is placed in a baby chair. Coefficient of development: 8.
The boy laughs loudly when teased; he is happy when hearing the voice of a known to him adult that he likes. He reacts to the tone of the voice of the person speaking to him. He grasps a toy but does not manipulate with it. He falls easily asleep and sleeps well. He is fed with a bottle. He is calm when being changed and when being bathed.

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.

James is 3 years old and has the cutest smile and the sweetest little giggle! His relations with others are close and he is not afraid of strangers.

James has a stable mood and strong curiosity. He can also play attentively for more than 30 minutes! We hear that he has a good appetite and is not a picky eater. His favorite food is corn although he also really enjoys pudding! James can fall asleep on his own and sleeps well throughout the night. He primarily crawls around on his belly and forearms to get around. He has attended daycare since September 2020 and receives physical and occupational therapies once a week and speech therapy once every two weeks.

James was born prematurely and has been diagnosed with cognitive and motor delays, as well as cerebral palsy and microcephaly. That being said, James is able to say some words such as ‘okay’ and ‘yes’, can sit up properly in a chair to feed himself, and is able to express ‘bye-bye’ and blow a kiss!

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

Sable 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.”

Sable 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.

Sable has developmental delays and suspected ADHD. He attends occupational and speech therapy. During a recent visit with his social worker, Sable 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.

Cale loves to be cuddled and held. Cale likes to listen to music and feel different textures. Agency staff met Cale in October of 2022. Contact them to learn more about Cale and his listed medical needs!

VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-cale
Password: Adoptmaa

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!

NEW VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-ashton3
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-ashton4
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-ashton05
Password: Adoptmaa

OLDER VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-ashton1
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-ashton2
Password: Adoptmaa

Jeffrey’s favorite toy is his yellow chicken toy, he calls ‘ya-ya’ (duckling)!  He also enjoys playing with toy cars, playing catch and building blocks. When his caregivers take him to the park, he is THRILLED when there is a dog around to play with. Jeffery is described as clever and will eagerly try new things.

Jeffrey has a good relationship with his foster family.  He often plays with his foster parents’ 6 year old daughter and his 1.5 year old foster brother. One of his favorite games to play with his foster family is hide-and-seek!  He enjoys to searching for people he is familiar with, and often wants to play.

Jeffrey has overall global delays.  He receives OT, PT and speech therapies weekly. Since starting his therapy sessions, Jeffrey’s has progressed with his walking, crouching-down and standing-up. Jeffrey is also making great strides with his language abilities and building his vocabulary.  Some of the recent words he has learned to say are ‘ya-ya’ (duckling), ‘hsiung hsiung’ (bear), and ‘che che’ (car)! Jeffrey received 2 minor correctable surgical procedures in June 2020 and April 2021.

If you’ve always imagined yourself surrounded by laughter, hugs, the pitter patter of little (and not so little) feet, and, if we’re being honest, noise, you’ll want to check out Joplin, Jake, Jewel, and Jillian.  They are a precious sibling set of 4 who need a family ready for the adventure and joys of raising a large family.

Joplin is an amazing 11 year old who is described as optimistic and persistent.  He likes Legos and dinosaurs and plays basketball and occasionally hockey.  His favorite subjects are Science and Mandarin.  He has ADHD and is on medication to control it.

8 year old Jake is lively, cheerful, whimsical, laugh-loving, smart, and creative.  Cars, building blocks, and drawing are among his favorite things to do.  Jake also takes medication to help with his ADHD.

Jewel is a creative 6 year old who puts 50-60 piece puzzles together and likes building blocks.  She is comfortable meeting new people and has a smile that will melt your heart!

Sweet Jillian is 4 years old and a total snugglebunny.  She likes dress-up, listening to music, and dancing.  She’s a great learner and has good oral expression.

Parenting a large family is a beautiful, rewarding, and sometimes messy challenge and these 4 siblings will need parents who can walk with them through the hard places they come from and help them reacclimate to living together again.

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!

NEWER VIDEO:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-jordanupdate
Password: Adoptmaa

Freeman’s 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.

Jonte’s favorite activities include finger painting, playing with toy cars, and swaying to the beat of his favorite music! When his caregivers take him to the local playground, he enjoys playing on the swings.

Jonte has global developmental delays and displays characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. He also has G6PD and mild anemia. Jonte attends an early intervention program at a local Developmental Center where he receives occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. One of his favorite activities is playing the ‘imitation game’ with his therapist. Jonte imitates his therapist when they clap their hands, and he pats his head to indicate he wants his therapist to imitate him!

Jonte currently lives in a children’s home, and his caregivers say he smiles often. He usually prefers to play by himself, although engages with his peers when encouraged by his caregivers.

Ping is a sweet little boy, with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and CHD-ASD. Ping was sent to a special home when he was only a few weeks old because he needed nursing care for his skin, extra nutrition, and heart surgery. Ping has had surgery for his heart, but still needs lots of special care for his skin. His skin is easily damaged from ordinary things, like seams on clothing, scratching an itch, and by doing things like rolling over, sitting up, or crawling. During the summer of 2019, Ping started to eat food orally. His nannies are so proud of the progress he’s made! He can sit up independently and loves singing time!

We sure hope Ping’s family finds him and can get him home while he’s still so young!