Other Special Needs Boys, 10+

He lives at the orphanage since 2016. Normal weight and height parameters. Psychomotor development is normal. He is the victim of parental physical abuse and suffers from post-traumatic past. He is under the care of psychiatrist and take medication. No medical diagnoses in his chart, but trauma. You could tell that he is emotionally somewhat fragile.

He is communicative, talkative and charming boy. Positive relationship with peers and adults. His teachers describe him as very good, active and independent student. The computer class, math and English are his favorite subjects. He loves to play soccer, card games and chess. He has a lot of potentials and wants to be adopted. He is highly recommended by his caregivers. The family with an involved, hands-on father will be ideal for this boy. He would do really well as the youngest or only child (or in a family where the other children are grown). He needs an experienced adoptive family who can give him a lot of one-on-one attention and help build his trust in humanity back.

There is a grant of 7800 euros toward foreign fees (with the agency) and this specific adoption agency will assist with applying for more.

The brothers have been in foster care for many years now and they are such great kids. They want to have a family and to be together as brothers. Next year, because the older one will become 14 in the summer, they will have to move to another town because of his school. There are no options for foster families there and they will have to go to an institution. The social worker is very hopeful this won’t need to happen and that they will be adopted instead.

IRIO – He is social and communicative. He easily makes new friends. In most cases his relationships with the children and the adults are good. According to the foster parents, he communicates well with the children and the adults. They describe him as a well-mannered child, who can assess different situations and adjust his behavior with them. He is aware that there are many social roles in society, which warrant a certain behavior. He participates adequately in the games of his peers. He can follow the instructions and the rules. He prefers games with physical activity, but he can participate in some role plays, too, and symbolic games (he gets into the role of a policeman or a criminal). He seeks the attention of the other children. He enjoys drawing, riding his bicycle, and games with a ball and other sport games. He only likes to be alone if he is using the computer. He fits in well among his peers.

HAMILTON – The boy is calm, observant, and curious about the surrounding world. He is attached to his brother, who is placed in the same foster family. Together they take care of each other, communicate, and play. He talks about his biological family calmly and talks about how they used to live. He did not like the conditions in his home then. He is attached to the foster family, their children, and their grandchild. It is hard for him to accept the pain of others and is always ready to help. When in conflict situations he defends his opinion, he is stubborn. He follows the rules at home and at school. He sometimes presents himself with stubbornness, but he does not argue and is not aggressive. He has an idea of good and bad, and for punishment and justice. He shares his experiences with the foster family and respects them. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and dancing.

Axel has been assessed to have atypical autism against the background of a mild degree initial mental disability. Satisfactory general state of health. Ali understands and follows simple instructions. He imitates speech. He communicates non-verbally by pointing at things. He enjoys in his own way activities such as making things from playdough or clay. He does not get involved in the play and activities of the children in the group. Ali seeks contact with adults and peers in his own way by slapping or by caressing their heads. His play doesn’t match his age. Ali shows no interest in toys or blocks. He prefers to look at pictures and to watch educational videogames with animals. He prefers to do something alone. He likes being alone and does not seek attention. In the 2021/2022 school year Axel studied in the first grade at the elementary school in the town. He has a resource teacher as additional support. He studies under an individual plan for his education. His self-service skills are partially formed. He can eat on his own and prefers to eat with his hands. He needs support and care.

Praise is a sweet boy with lots of love to give! His story is sure to touch your heart! He adores his caregivers and has been very responsive to the therapy he has received so far. He has been diagnosed with global developmental delay, but has made great strides in his health and development since his arrival at the baby home. The changes in him are nothing short of praiseworthy! It is clear that with the love of a family and continued therapy, Praise will thrive in life. Could you give this precious boy all the love and care he deserves?

Update November 2015: He demonstrates interest in musical and mechanical toys. He will play for a short time – studies a toy, puts it in the mouth, transfers it from one hand to the other. He likes activities involving music. He recognizes familiar areas of the orphanage and understands his daily routine related to familiar tasks such as eating. He is very happy when interacting with familiar adults.

Update 2018:  Jesse attention span is short-lived and unstable in relation to objects and people. There is some sharing with a close adult.  Jesse responds when called by name.  His memory and speech are poorly developed. When happy, he laughs loud and when anxious, he cries. Sometimes he pronounces unspecified sounds and separate syllables. He is sensitive and emotional and tends to be nervous around strangers.  When given a toy he reaches out and takes it. He is working on the pinch grip. He hasn’t mastered fully the ability to move a toy from one hand to the other. Jesse is fed with a spoon and sleeps calmly through the night.  He cannot control his physiological needs.  Jesse is entirely cared for by the team in his orphanage.

(Jesse was also previously listed as Andy)

This update and new photos were added in October 2022.

Leonard is one of the most clever boys you could ever meet. Although he’s non-verbal in conversations he often sings his favorite songs out loud for everyone to hear. His favorite toys include tennis shoes, books, and anything that spins! He also loves any sort of sensory experience, such as playing in the dirt looking at moving lights, and swinging. Leonard is not difficult to please. He finds joy in all the small moments in life. His favorite days are water days. He could truly sit in the kiddie pools for hours! He loves splashing and experimenting with how the water moves. Leonard is so much fun to play with and be around.

Leonard is gaining more independence everyday. He can eat, walk, and use the bathroom on his own. He has many ways of communicating what he wants using gestures, verbal sounds, and expressions or body language. Leonard is almost never sad or unhappy. His laugh can be heard even in another room, his joy is truly contagious. When he gets to know you Leonard can be very affectionate. He loves to hold hands or lay in your lap. He might also take your hand to show you he wants his head or back rubbed. He knows how to seek out his favorite people, forming clear attachments to those he loves. Leonard would absolutely thrive with the consistency of a forever family who can love him fully and keep him safe always.

Connor is an 11-year-old boy with joy that is contagious! He is very playful and he loves to laugh. His caregivers say that he is responsive to their teaching and he follows the rules. Connor loves music and likes to pretend that he is playing the guitar. He loves when others join in and make music with him! He appreciates sleeping in after a full day of activity. Connor has a diagnosis that includes global developmental delay, but he continues to amaze his caregivers with his determination to learn and do things for himself. Connor is very strong and is able to stand with some support, get himself in and out of his wheelchair, and feed himself. With a little more therapy, Connor will continue to become independent at even more daily tasks. Connor is an absolute inspiration and has so much potential! Could your family give him the love and extra care he needs to reach it?

This update and new photos were added in October 2022.

Anthony has been waiting for a family for a long time. Despite his Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy he loves to get out of his wheelchair and stretch out on the floor or bed. He is good at moving himself into silly positions, often falling asleep in the funniest ones! Anthony’s favorite toys are those with lights. He loves all colors of lights and often finds them around the room during school. He also enjoys music or being outdoors. Anthony enjoys having people he knows near him, and will often find them and initiate affection with his hand or head.

Anthony has the best smile, but only shows it when he’s truly happy. This might be while he’s being tickled or comforted, during a favorite song, or while feeling the breeze on his face. He has many ways of communicating, such as laughing, crying, and making lots of facial expressions. Anthony is not one to hide how he feels! Anthony would benefit from a family who can care for all his needs, especially as he grows bigger. He’ll bring a sense of love and joy to any household!

Sanders was born in August of 2008 with cerebral palsy, global developmental delays, and epilepsy. In 2019, he has a gastrectomy surgery. Sanders has grown up in an orphanage and has never known the love of a family. Sanders has certain gestures when he sees people of his liking. On February 22, 2018, he had a surgery for tendon lengthening of the adductor muscle. Sanders continues his stage of schooling. In addition, he attends physiotherapies, which are important for his muscle development.

Contact the adoption agency to learn more about Sanders! They’d love to share photos and more information privately with an interested family! We hope his family sees him soon to give him lots of affection and love!

This boy wants to be adopted very much, he writes letters for his future family and asks them to come and visit him soon. He is very sensitive and caring child who longs for love and tenderness but sometimes he gets angry and disrespectful… His grades in school are very good but he doesn’t remember about his homework sometimes. He needs a lot of support and supervision from his teacher along with love and support from his future family.

Dorie

The girl has a poor vocabulary, and therefore difficulties with understanding. She is active in words, conducts a dialogue, makes a simple description, but her statements are simplified and not always logical. Speech defect (interdental). She is an active child, shows great curiosity and wants to attract attention. She is willing to play and imitate but is less fond of organized games and has difficulty concentrating, as well as controlling and planning his activities.  She shows a bond with her siblings, especially her brother Nathan.

Nathan

Strong motor skills – correct for age. Walks, runs, overcomes obstacles. He participates in games, wants to attract attention and is upper active.

Perception and hand-eye coordination – within the normal range for age. The boy notices details, differentiates shapes and colors. Recognizes pictures, selects pairs. He connects the pictures. He places the blocks in the holes of the puzzle. Builds block structures – simple and complex at the age level. Slight speech delay. Social behavior and emotional zone – age appropriate. There is a great need for a relationship, attention and contact. Sometimes he is too impulsive and reacts hypersensitive.

Iggie

Low birth weight,  FAS

Strong motor skills – the boy walks independently, runs, overcomes obstacles with a slightly lower fluency. He imitates simple, single body movements, claps his hands, raises his hands up, stomps his feet, enjoys simple games with adults, keeps up with the group. He puts circles on the pyramid, builds a tower from blocks, creates a row (“trains”). He scribbles with a crayon without imitating the direction and shapes, but he likes to draw with adults.

Speech shaping – reacts to sounds from the environment, looks for the source of the sound, reacts to musical sounds. Active speech at the word stage – repeats many one and two-syllable words on command. Points to parts of the face, says the correct words (ear, eye, etc.).

Social behavior and the emotional sphere – visible improvement of contact and relationships, establishing contact without difficulty. He is cheerful, establishes basic relations with children, reacts positively to games, and imitates. Develops the basics of independence in everyday activities. Eat by himself.

 

The children experienced neglect and abuse before coming to the orphanage.

Alan is amazing 10 years old boy who had a rough start with an unstable and unhealthy environment. He is the victim of parental physical abuse and suffers from post-traumatic past

He connects well with both peers and adults. He is calm, helpful and kind. The boy eagerly learns about nature, sings songs, makes interesting art works, uses computer programs well.

He needs a forever home to support him as he continues to overcome negative experiences of his past and shower him with the love every child deserves.

He has a lot of potentials and wants to be adopted. He is highly recommended by his caregivers. The family with an involved, hands-on father will be ideal for this boy. He would do really well as the youngest or only child (or in a family where the other children are grown). He needs an experienced adoptive family who can give him a lot of one-on-one attention and help build his trust in humanity back.

Jayson is described as brave, happy, active and loves all sports. He is independent and is able to take care of himself. He takes care of his room and tries to help with food preparation. He likes to be helpful and knows how to repair and construct bikes. He is friendly and tends to take a leadership role by organizing different activities. He is sensitive and impulsively reacts negative to criticism. He loves to be outside and to participate in all kinds of sports. He likes basketball, bike riding, jumping on a trampoline and likes to work “with his hands”. He enjoys art, construction, repair, drawing and listening to music.

Leo is very agile and curious. He likes to read and play sports and is talented in music. He has many friends, has completed 3rd grade and is eager to learn at school. He is helpful and quick to understand. He is describe as curious, calm, friendly and smart. He forms his own opinions and quickly absorbs new information. He is very interested in creative play and books. He is talented in music and likes to sing, dance and play instruments. When conflict occurs, he tends to feel hurt and then he checks for others feelings. He tries to provoke other children when he gets angry. He communicates well and has strong social skills. He enjoys playing with other children. He is diagnosed with Hypermetropia.

K is active, strong and is very close with his brother. He enjoys music and is in the 2nd grade. He is independent, curious and likes to think. He is talented in music and enjoys tasks where fine motor skills are required. He has congenital glaucoma and can’t see with his left eye. He is self conscious of his eye, has low self esteem and visits a psychologist to help him learn how to manage his anger and express his emotions. He likes to be alone or in a quiet environment and enjoys watching TV. He has difficulty making friends but wants to communicate with other children and staff members. He has a speech disorder and difficulty with attention, concentration and self regulation. He takes medication to lower his anxiety. He is diagnosed with mixed disorder of scholastic skills, congenital cataract and congenital glaucoma.

Keller: Is there anything cuter than a little 3 year old boy in a train shirt with yellow sleeves?  Keller had just turned 3 when agency staff met him in November. He has some developmentally delays, but seems to be doing really well. He may have some mild hearing loss, there is further testing scheduled. He likes playing with toy cars and playing outside. He communicates in short sentences and can follow 1 step directions. He scribbles with a crayon and made a nice stack of blocks for us. Keller has an older sister who is also available for adoption.

Kelsey:

She did well on all of the tasks asked of her. She even did some simple multiplication!

Kelsey told us her favorite color is pink and she loves bread. Her favorite animal is a water buffalo, which she had recently seen at the zoo. She likes playing outside, and when she gets to play frisbee in PE class at school. Kelsey is in the 2nd grade and her foster parents told us she especially excels in Mandarin and math.

Kelsey has been living with her current foster family for about year. Foster mom and dad both came to meet with us – which is rare, we usually just get to meet foster mom. It was clear that Kelsey has a good, trusting relationship with her foster parents – who we learned are both social workers! Kelsey has had a bit of a tough past, but it seemed to us that she is in a wonderful place now. Her foster parents confirmed that they have seen positive changes in Kelsey throughout the last few months.

Update 2022:

Keller is described as a lively, cuddly child.  To view his original post, click here.  Keller was seen by virtual SuperKids in February 2022 and wow, he has developed into a happy kid, loving to learn new things and share his knowledge!  Shy and reserved around the video camera, he was hesitant to sing for us but did hum the tunes of Paw Patrol while playing and interacting.  Some of his favorite cartoons are Paw Patrol, Robocar Poli, Masha and the Bear and Shimajiro!

Keller is almost 5 1/2 years old and learning in kindergarten class.  He is now able to participate in sports, ride a bike, paint, build towers, and enjoys watching cartoons.  He is receiving early intervention services and has an IEP, with goals of maintaining focus while in groups, improving fine motor skills and interpersonal interactions- all goals he is working hard to achieve!  He receives weekly speech therapy.

On a recent outing, Keller was able to go to Ocean World to watch the dolphin and sea lion show.  He really enjoyed this experience and seems to enjoy learning about animals and nature!  How amazing would it be for him to be home next years with his forever family, enjoying theme parks, aquariums, and the zoo?!

Keller is progressing in multiple areas, including language and motor skills – he enjoys singing songs, counting to 30, and working on fine motor skills such as using scissors.  Keller has received speech services for since 2019.  While he is working on various goals, there have been gains as he is able to shown ability to problem solve, and speaks in more complete sentences!  Keller responds to reward and encouragements in his day to day life.  He is encouraged by  receiving stickers when he learns something new!

Keller has quite the sweet tooth! He likes cakes, cookies and pudding.  He shared that they are yummy treats and shares his treats with his caregivers.   Keller wants to bake and eat cookies with you!

Kelsey: Kelsey will be nine years old soon and is still waiting for her family. When we met with her, she kept a steady smile on her face and appeared to be in good spirits. She told us that her favorite class in school is P.E. and she finds English class to be the most difficult. It certainly isn’t easy learning a second language, but she put her skills to use saying ‘thank you’ several times during our visit. We learned that Kelsey’s favorite sports are dodgeball and frisbee, and summertime is her favorite time of year. Kelsey showed off her knowledge by correctly answering our multiplication math problems without hesitation. Kelsey’s favorite colors are yellow and blue, and she told us she wants to be a dancing police officer when she grows up! Kelsey is a medically healthy and active young girl waiting for the loving family she deserves. She has been diagnosed with ADHD which is controlled with medication.

Abram is a handsome, 14-year-old boy. He has a diagnosis of mild mental impairment. His sister has already been adopted, and he worries that he may never have a mom and dad of his own. He does well in school, needing fewer educational supports as he matures. He is described as calm, communicative, and helpful. He enjoys team sports. Does your family have room for a soccer player?

Mace came across so shy and quiet at first when Gladney’s Superkids team met him in May. Before long he was chatting away to his caregiver about his Lego adventure. My job was to turn the pages as he followed the directions and occasionally direct his eye to the piece he was hunting. Before long the whole kit was together and he was a happy little guy.

With the Lego kit together it was time to try out the lollipop… of course he tried the blue one. Mace was excited to try that flavor since it was new to him. It was a Kodak moment when his tongue became blue. He was eager to show it off to the camera, giggling all the while. Even with the blue tongue he claims his favorite color is red. He also told our Superkids team that he wants to be a ninja when he grows up so that he can protect the earth!

Mace loves to draw, paint and play sports. He enjoys playing with toy cars, balls, and riding on a scooter. 

Mace has some developmental delays. He recently participated in play therapy where he learned a lot. His counselor noted that his ability to recognize and control his emotions greatly improved, along with his sense of self-confidence.

Update: 4/2022

We have met Mace several times with the Superkids team over the last few years. Mace is a considerate, smart, articulate and athletic 11 year old boy. He is currently in the 5^th grade and works hard at school – he even told me that he likes doing homework!

Mace loves to play with a remote control airplane. He also likes drawing and Legos. He has a special ability at dodgeball and is on the dodgeball team at school! He told us that his favorite color is blue and that his favorite food is watermelon – answering both questions in English! When Mace grows up he wants to be an inventor.

Mace takes medication for ADHD. Mason lives at our partner agency’s children’s home where he is getting excellent care. He also attends counseling to discuss the possibility of being adopted. He told us that his biggest worry about being adopted is learning English and getting caught up in school.

He resides in a family-type home for children with disabilities. Until the age of 8 years, he was raised in a family environment, with evidence of physical aggression against the boy by the stepfather. He has had multiple changes of foster families. Maddox has moderate mental delays.

To some extent, he maintains friendships. He wants to impose himself on the other children. Seeks encouragement and approval. Responds to praise and scolding. Sometimes he imposes his wishes, and when he is not satisfied, he shows aggression. In general, good integration in the team, good communication skills. Irritable at times. Follows verbal instructions and briefly answers questions. Makes eye contact. He also enters into verbal contact, but is poorly informed, quickly diverts the topic to something interesting for him. When asked a question, he answers shortly after a certain time. He understands the speech of others. Maddox often talks too much, at a slow pace, unable to listen during a conversation. In communication and communication with other children, Maddox experiences difficulties. He does not have well-developed skills for observing order and discipline. Involves and participates in the life of the family-type home for children with disabilities and beyond – celebrations, theater and concert visits, walks, excursions, camps, sports events, etc.

He likes to participate in various role-playing games. He has difficulties in communicating and interacting with other children. Prefers to dominate other children. He lacks the skills to play with them. Irritable at times. When he is restless, his behavior is slightly provocative. Has a tendency to get annoyed with children. When he is calm, he prefers to play with toys by himself. He likes to draw while explaining what he is doing at the moment. He likes
watching cartoons.

In the 2022/2023 school year, Maddox is a 7th grade student. He studies in a mass class with a resource teacher for children with special educational needs. He has a positive attitude towards the learning activity. Can write the letters he knows – printed and handwritten. The child has many gaps and lags behind in his educational level, according to
his individual skills and abilities. He loves to draw and is quite good at it. He has not mastered the minimum knowledge for his age, he cannot read. He attends two centers for accompanying social services – psychological support and social rehabilitation and speech therapy.

Maddox has developed elementary hygiene habits – he washes his hands, face, teeth, bathes with help. Performs daily household activities under instructions but needs reminders and control. Works willingly, but sometimes does not comply with instructions. Maddox does not have an opinion about adoption.

Eduardo has been in care since March 2018, with a mild cognitive disability. He has slight delays in general development about 6 years, and is making progress. Under normal weight and short height for age from chronic malnutrition. Astigmatism, myopia and strabismus, wears glasses. Difficulty in reading and writing, math and retaining information. Difficulty to maintain attention. Can become frustrated when can’t perform tasks that peers can. Needs motivation to keep trying. Child has no behavior problems. Gets along with peers. Takes pride in personal appearance. Follows instructions. Reserved with strangers, but affectionate with those he knows. With peers friendly, calm, and supportive. Interest in outdoor activities, sports, especially swimming, board games, puzzles and reading stories. Desires a mother and has an idea of having a brother to play with.

Pattie has FAS, hypothyroidism and mental delay.

She completed 3rd grade and needs help with her classes. Her caregivers describe her as kind and nice girl who smiles a lot. She has a positive attitude with her peers and adults. She is very close with her brother.

Paul graduated from kindergarten this year. His health is good, but he has a speech impairment and minor developmental delay.  He likes to play outside and enjoys soccer and biking. He loves art and is making progress with learning.

They are nice children who are dreaming of having parents and will do well in a family.

Agency staff met Jay in October of 2022. They said they love his smile! Contact the agency to learn more about Jay and his listed medical needs!

There is a $500 agency fee reduction for Jay’s adoption with a specific adoption agency; additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

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.

Christopher is 13 years old. He has learning difficulties in school and says he wants to participate in an apprenticeship program to learn a trade for a career. Samuel is 10 years old and Stephen is 7 years old. Both Samuel & Stephan are doing well in school. Neither of the boys have any health concerns or known disabilities.

Adam uses a wheelchair and can also move around using his hands and arms. He does not have any cognitive delays or health concerns. He was born missing both lower limbs and was abandoned shortly after birth as a result.

Adam attends school. He is doing very well in math class. He enjoys helping with housework, especially washing clothes. He enjoys going to church. He loves to dance and performs with a group from the orphanage. He gets frustrated when he cannot perform certain dance steps like his friends. He is self-conscious about people looking at him due to his missing legs. He needs a family that will help him grow into confidence with who he is. His favorite extracurricular activity is swimming. His social worker believes he can develop into a very good swimmer and that swimming is a great activity to help his confidence.

Agency staff met Andy in October of 2022. Contact the agency to learn more about Andy and his listed medical needs!

There is a $2000 agency fee reduction for Andy’s adoption with a specific adoption agency; additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Kollen has started taking independent steps. He also crawls, sits, pulls up to a standing position holding on to a support, stays up for a short time without support, and walks holding on to two hands. His fine motor skills are improving. He fits in 3 cups, winds and unwinds toys on screws, “reads” books. He plays well with toys and explores their functions, imitates activities demonstrated to him, knocks on door before going in, claps his hands, stamps his feet, shows where his belly is. He eats with a spoon and attempts to do it independently. He is a calm and quiet child, makes a good eye contact, smiles, delights in interaction, recognizes and differentiates between the adults, has an emotional bond to a caregiver that works 1:1 with him. He pronounces sounds and syllables and currently says 3 words. He also used gestures to communicate his wants and needs.

Updated bio from Feb 2023:
Robert is much more easy going and independent now. He’s made a lot of progress in the last couple of years! He’s honestly such a happy boy who loves people, hugs, and music. He’s quite good at taking selfies on cell phones too.

He loves to play on his own, not in a way that he doesn’t play with others but meaning he doesn’t need someone to entertain him. He builds with magnetic tiles and enjoys creative play with his dolls/stuffed animals. Sometimes he sets up his stuffed animals and babies to pretend to feed them or do school. Other nights he’s hanging his sheet across the room to make a hammock swing. He makes his foster family laugh a lot!

He’s independent with getting dressed, showering, changing his sheets and etc. Occasionally, accidents at night but they are few and far between. He eats and drinks on his own but he doesn’t chew well. He could use OT for this.

He is such a kind helper and aware of routines or tasks needing to be done. For example, if his foster mom is getting another child ready, without prompting, he will go get clothes and socks/shoes for them too.

He LOVES his big bike! 3 years ago he was scared of a bike but now he rides around on his 24inch bike, no problem! He enjoys jumping on the trampoline and going on walks. He is still drawn to trees and shadows for sensory input.

He may cross his arms and refuse to cooperate. Sometimes shakes his head or cries. This used to happen frequently but it is not frequent anymore. We can work through it much easier now though. He mostly does it when he is trying to express something he needs/wants or doesn’t want. So he is using it to try to communicate where his speech is limited. He makes noises or talks with the handful of phrases he can say. He is learning to expand his vocabulary.

His natural response used to be to run when he was scared but very rarely does he do that now too. For example, medical appointments were always difficult for him, needing days to prepare ahead. Now he is fine to go and doesn’t need much prepping.

He’s such a joy to live with and he would flourish even more in a family!

School update: Robert loves school! He is such a fun student to have because he is excited about everything he does, and other kids too. He is constantly cheering for himself or for his friends and wanting to help them out in any way! He has transitioned to a full day of school easily.

He is very good at sorting. He can match or sort any colors, letters, and numbers. He has delays but we are continuing to work with him. He likes sensory play like kinetic sand, shaving cream, and water beads.

He has so much potential to learn so many things if he were to have access to more services!

Jack is a smiley boy who enjoys hot cocoa. Agency staff met sweet Jack in October of 2022. Contact the agency to learn more about Jack and his listed medical needs!

There is a $500 agency fee reduction for Jack’s adoption with a specific adoption agency; additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Update: Jan 2023:  Agency reported the boy is will waiting on the list as available for adoption, but neither of his sisters are.   The agency assumption is that she has been adopted.

Update Sept 2022: Agency reported the oldest girl was no longer listed as available for adoption. The younger girl & the boy are still on their country’s list, and listed as available for adoption together or separately.

Original listing for “Andy, Izzy & Kayla”:
Currently, Andy & Kayla are being raised together in a foster home, while Izzy is being raised in a different foster home in the same town. The children see each other often and want to be adopted together so that they can all live in the same home. The foster families do not speak the country’s native language in the home, so the children speak one language while at home and a 2nd language at school.

Andy tested at age appropriate levels on all psychological and emotional testing. He does well in school and does not have any behavioral concerns. He has age appropriate friendships, social skills, communication skills, and self-help skills. He likes to play football and eat French fries. When he grows up, he wants to be a policeman.

Izzy tested at age appropriate levels on all psychological and emotional testing. She does well in school and does not have any behavioral concerns. She has age appropriate friendships, social skills, communication skills, and self-help skills. She enjoys playing outside with her friends. When she grows up, she wants to be a teacher.

Kayla has speech delays that make it difficult to understand what she is saying. She is working with a speech therapist and learning to make the correct sounds so that her words are more easily understood. She is very active and takes medication to control impulsive behaviors and to help her attention span. Her foster mother reports that her behaviors have greatly improved with the addition of medication. She is attending kindergarten and responds well to play based learning.

Thomas lived in an orphanage for the first 4 years of his life. He was then moved to a group home with 10 other children with disabilities, where he lived for another 4 years. He made developmental progress while in the group home, but was still not receiving the 1:1 care and attention that he needed. He was moved into foster care at age 8 and has made significant gains in all aspects of his development since then.

Thomas can communicate verbally with words and short phrases. He also uses gestures and pointing to objects, in order to communicate his wants and needs to his foster family.
He is a sociable child who enjoys the company of other children, particularly his friends with whom he loves to play. He is so full of energy, enjoying running, climbing, and riding his bike (which is fitted with stabilizers). He particularly likes to kick a ball around in the garden with his friend and play with balloons. On outings to the park and the zoo, he takes great interest in everything he sees but loves most of all anything with wheels.

His motor skills have improved recently and he is able to do more complex activities without being told how. For example, when his jacket sleeves are inside out he turns them the right way round before dressing himself. He takes great interest in many different kinds of toys. He loves the rides in the school bus every day. He is in a small class group. He is independent with self-help skills such as dressing, undressing, toileting, eating and drinking.

Enrique is an active young boy. He enjoys school and earns good grades. Math and art are Enrique’s favorite subjects. He also likes to draw. He loves to eat soup, especially seafood soups. Enrique’s favorite colors are orange and blue. Adoption agency staff met Enrique in October of 2022! Contact the agency to learn more about Enrique and his listed needs.

There is a $2,000 agency fee reduction for Enrique’s adoption via a specific agency; additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Updated 2022:  When he was 11 months old, Brogan was abused and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He has weakness on the left side of his body as a result. His gross and fine motor skills are slightly uncoordinated. He walks, runs, and navigates stairs independently. He’s worked extensively on fine motor skills and can now write and draw more purposefully. He can talk, though he has some expressive language delays, particularly with articulation. He can answer basic questions. He will use pointing and gestures as needed to communicate. He is becoming more confident with his speech and expressing his thoughts and opinions verbally.  He is very empathetic and helps care for younger children. He has a great desire to learn and will ask a lot of questions in order to gather information on a topic of interest. He tries very hard to learn new skills, but is aware of his delays. As a result, he prefers to play and interact with younger children. He has numerous self-help skills and is learning to perform all the household activities and tasks in the foster home where he currently lives.

Original posting from 2017:  Brogan is amiable, friendly, at times is too enthusiastic. He cooperates with others; participates in group activities; He shows that he is proud with his achievements; often searches for the approval of the adults and insist to make things independently. He likes role games and pretend games. Brogan easily memorizes and reproduces what he learned and his attention is more sustainable and focused. Because of that he is secure in his expressions and does undertake initiative in the learning process. He likes to impose his opinion in the game and to be a leading figure, but agrees with the opinion of the others as well. He willingly communicates with the others, without too much physical closeness, and seeks approval of his foster parent. His understanding corresponds to his age and environment. He is able to lead a dialogue with others and is empathetic towards others. When communicating with others he uses non-verbal methods as gestures and mimics for better communication. He has some vocabulary is working on that. He knows his first name and his age. He understands and uses the specifications for emotional states, features of the character, for himself and others as well. He loves to listen to tales or stories, expresses interest towards the pictures in the books. He can tell overall if he likes certain story or not. He has established perception of his body structure. He has developed feeling of good and evil. He has developed a sense of justice. He is more patient. He has vast desire to explore the world around him and is constantly asking questions until he receives a satisfactory answer. He demonstrates care for the others and his foster parent.

He loves to play with car toys, constructors, to listen to music and dance. He enjoys independent and group games with peers. He had surgery at 11 months old for inter-cranial trauma. He shows mild to moderate delays and occasional seizures if ill or upset.

Update October 2022: Breckin is a happy, silly, 11 year old with CP, sensory processing difficulties, and epilepsy well controlled with medication. He LOVES any sort of 1:1 time with his favorite people and lights up the whole room with his smile and laugh when he sees someone he loves. He gives the best hugs, if it were up to him he would be hugging someone 100% of the day! When he is super happy (most of the time) he has a happy dance that he does with a high pitched laugh. He recently started standing in a stander and walking with a gait trainer and has made so much improvement already! His favorite things are any 1:1 time, singing, school, being bounced around on the trampoline, swimming or any water play, going for bike rides in a bike trailor, playing with shaving cream, and cuddling. He can get out of and into chairs well by himself and likes to scoot around on the floor. Most of the time he scoots himself over to get up on the couch or to look in the wall mirror. He loves his caregivers so much and has so much love to give to his future family! He needs help with putting food into his mouth but can hold his water when he drinks independently. He can help putting his limbs through shirts and pants but needs help getting dressed fully. He is in diapers at the moment. He used to bang his head a lot out of boredom and habit, but when he is engaged or in a chair/stander that is more difficult to hit his head against anything he likes to stim by shaking his head around, putting his hands in his mouth, or grinding his teeth. He listens when told to take his hands out of his mouth and can easily be redirected if he is self stimming inappropriately. Videos on request!

Update July 2020: Breckin is such a fun kid who loves hugs and one on one interaction. If you go in for a hug, be ready to stay awhile because he will want to hold you there. He can currently hold his own bottle to drink on his own. He is spending more time in a walker in therapy. He needs encouragement in it, but is getting better. He will walk with you with support for a little ways as well. With more intense therapy, he would really excel in this area. He loves it when his caregivers sing his favorite songs. He really likes hymns as well as the Goodnight Song sung in his house.

Update Jan 2015: Breckin has cerebral palsy, but he can sit up and stand with assistance. He can even take a few steps if you hold onto his hands. He has been receiving regular therapy and loves this time. Breckin is making great improvements – he now has a modified crawl that he uses to get all around his house and can quickly move to wherever he wants to be. He can also pull himself up to stand and does this often. Breckin does not yet feed himself, but he has practiced holding his own spoon and sippy cup and has made great progress. Breckin is a happy little guy who loves to play.

Zeke has a pair of small eyes, but his eyes are bright. He is an obedient child, is active. Every morning he helps mom to fold up a quilt, clean and take care of young sister; he helps sister to put on clothes and he is very diligent. He holds sister’s hands to go to school and helps sister to go upstairs when back home after school; he teaches sister to sing children’s songs, play games, draw and he watches carton with sister together; he puts food onto the plates of sister when having a meal; he is a little sweet guy and is so caring. He speaks clearly.

Zeke gets along well with classmates in the class; they like to play with him. When his foster mom takes him to play outdoors, he always runs around mom and doesn’t let her out of his sight; he is naughty and adored. He loves sports, loves to run, loves to jump and loves small toys. He likes to take photos and is good at making pose; he always makes a handsome pose to ask mom to take photos for him.

Zeke is very clever. He loves to learn, to use his head and has good memory. He knows the knowledge taught by the teacher and is able to finish his homework alone; he would teach sister to draw and write after school. He is careful in learning; he also likes to play puzzles with sister and spell outs various patterns.

From Zach’s host family (hosted December 2014)
Zach is a lovely 6-year-old boy and an absolute delight. He has a joyful and cheerful disposition, a sweet spirit, and an infectious smile. He is smart and resourceful in his interactions and playing. He enjoys playing with cars, dolls and animals, flying helicopters, and almost any mechanical objects. He enjoys playing pretend games, like pulling pretend luggage around the house and pretending to cook and serve us with play food, plates, cups, saucers, etc. He loves music and often sings as he goes about his day, and he’s been enjoying learning to play his new harmonica. He interacts well with other children: in our case with our 7- and 8-year-old daughters. He also has a good memory and surprised us by quickly learning things like where all of our dishes go and where we turn to get to our house. He has adapted so well to life in a family, and loves the bedtime rituals of bathing, brushing teeth, getting into his pajamas, and reading; but he also has an endearing habit of making sure the proper lights are turned off, doors are locked where they need to be, etc. He clearly is proud to show he can take on big-kid responsibilities. Zach has to work harder than most children to climb up steps and to get himself up off the floor. But he does navigate steps well, though he needs a boost at times getting into vans or other high places. In December, he was still able to walk normally, except that he has to be more careful than other kids in negotiating uneven surfaces, and steps. He doesn’t let this slow him down or limit his activities. On playgrounds, even with many unfamiliar children, he is not inhibited about climbing the equipment and riding down slides. He accepts help sometimes from us or from our children; other times he wants to show that he can do things alone even if it is harder for him. Zach can sometimes act like a much younger boy. He has a strong stubborn streak, which will sometimes manifest itself in a tantrum. Those tantrums did lessen over the weeks, however. He also enjoys being held, cuddled, and paid attention to and will come and say “Mama bao bao” when he wants to be picked up and carried. As our 7-year-old (without prompting from us) wrote in her journal, “Zach is the best boy I have ever met. He is cheerful and happy.” The medical evaluations we were able to do point to significant medical challenges ahead for Zach, and he will need a loving family to support him through those and ensure that he has the best care possible. Zach loves being a part of a family and will be a blessing and joy for whomever is lucky enough to adopt him.

Seth and Victor are brothers currently residing together in a foster home. Seth has a moderate mental and physical delay but is otherwise clinically healthy. Victor has hypothyroidism but is otherwise healthy and not delayed.

Kellan is an adorable little guy who has just turned 3 years old! He came into care as an infant and was found to have ectrodactyly affecting both hands and both feet. His report is not up to date, and his agency hopes to get an update soon. When Kellan was about 12 months old, he was very social, and able to use his hands to grab and play with toys. Kellan is a comical little one…when he was just a baby, he would look into the mirror and raise and lower his eyebrows, making faces at himself! This sweet little guy needs a family!

Joe has a ready smile, he watches what his caregivers are doing and gets their attention by shaking his head and wiggle his upper body. Perhaps because of his body, he prefers to have motion of upper body, shake head, wiggle body and roll over to one side etc. At 10 months old, he could sit alone, say ba and ma, liked colorful toys; he liked to be close to others. He communicates with others with his eyes and has sweet smiles.

Ezrah can keep his head steadily and can hold his head up; he can stand up with wrists held slightly; he can recognize the aunt who cares him, can make sound of ma-ma, nai-nai, can shake and stare at the rattles, can take a block in a hand and take another one, can reach and grasp the toy beyond, and can shake the rattles consciously; he can chase the toy with hands and can look for the dropped toy; he can react to the game of hide and seek and looking oneself in the mirror; he is very curious and likes to discover and recognize all kinds of never seen objects and fresh things. He cares about the changers of around people and things.

Ezrah has an extroverted personality, is active, likes to play games with peers; he likes colorful toys with making sounds; he responds actively to stimulation of new things or strangers.

In an update from January 2016: Ezrah isn’t receiving any therapies for his conditions, and can’t yet stand or walk on his own. He gets around very well by crawling using his arms. Ezrah can speak in simple phrases, and express his ideas easily, as well as follow simple instructions from caregivers

April 2016 update: Ezrah is active and outgoing. Ezraht’s mental development is the same as kids the same age. His lower limbs make it so that he cannot walk. He knows and will tell adults when he needs to go to the bathroom. He can use the baby toilet by himself. Ezrah is well behaved and obedient.

He cannot walk, but he can move on his bottom with hand coordination. His fine motor skills are good and he can pick up rice. He cannot go to school due to his special need. Ezrah has good emotional development. He can read faces. He is attached to his foster mother and will share food with her. Ezrah can express his needs well and can follow simple directions. He is a very smart child! He can call the familiar people properly. Ezrah likes to play games with his foster family and other kids. He has been in the same foster family since March of 2014. He is not on any medication.

Conner is a handsome boy who will be 5 years old in February. He came into care when he was about 1 year old, and was found to have mild hearing loss (30dB) Conner’s file was done when he was 2 years 7 months old. At that time, Conner’s motor skills were on target, and he was imitating words. Conner is active, engaging, and lovable. He enjoys listening to music, and can swing all by himself (at 2 years 7 months old). As often happens, a child with hearing loss can be misdiagnosed as having an intellectual delay. Conner’s medical reflects this misconception. Conner appears to be a typical little guy who happens to have some hearing loss. We do not know if this could be improved with treatment, or hearing aids (if necessary), but he will certainly not receive the help he needs until he comes home! Conner is ready for a family!

Ollie is now living in foster care. He is physically well developed. He has good coordination of his hands and feet. He walks without falling, and can run as well. Climbs up and goes down by the stairs when holding an adult or the railing. He can play with cubes by putting them and taking them out of a cup, but has some problems manipulating with smaller objects. He cannot eat and dress by himself yet, but does make attempts. He understood almost everything and fulfils small tasks. He likes playing hide and seek. He hides behind the door and when he is found, he laughs and stomps his feet. He is interested in musical cartoons and copies the movements of the actors.

*There is a younger child that is believed to be Ollie’s younger brother. However, they are NOT listed as needing to be adopted together. The other child is listed as Ozzie.

Rocky is a calm, pleasant  boy who lives in a group home in Eastern Europe. He is attached to his caregivers and responds well to them.

Although Rocky was born premature and with low birth weight; cerebral palsy; and speech, motor and cognitive delays, he is making good progress in his physical therapy and other supports. He can walk with minimal support, and his fine motor skills are also improving.

Severely impaired condition, polymalformative syndrome: Dandy-Walker syndrome, epilepsy, congenital hydrocephalus-ventriculoperitoneal shunt installed, dysfunction of the valve with a neuroinfection and a surgical treatment and revision of the valve system in the spring of 2015; anal atresia, sigmostoma and sagittal proctoplasty; mylticystic right kidney, kidney dysplasia, pyelectasis and hypertrophy of the left kidney, severe mental delay.

Connor is being raised in one of the biggest orphanages in Bulgaria where children often suffer from severe malnutrition, muscle hypotrophy and have severe delays in the neuropsychological development. He has a polymalformative syndrome, but one could see a dramatic change in his appearance in just two pictures- the first one taken in the end of November 2014 and the second one in June 2015.

He grabs a toy that is handed to him, holds it for a while and manipulates with it. He has started to more and more often reach with his hands and manipulate with hanging toys independently.

While involved in active interactions with adults, he would make his emotional responses known with his nonverbal behavior. He seeks contact with familiar adults by reaching out his hand, grabbing an adult’s hand and he would even sometimes direct an adult’s hand towards his face so as to be caressed.

He falls asleep easily and his sleep is calm. He is fed with a bottle. He gets anxious while his clothes are changed and while bathed.

Jonas is on several medications.  Jonas’s motor activity completely corresponds to the expected developmental level for his calendar age.  Although his fine motor skills need to improve further, Jonas is able to hold a pencil properly. He can inlay elements with some guidance. He puts cubes one on top of the other. He threads colored rings on a fixed stand, but not yet in accordance with their size.

There are some difficulties in attracting and keeping his attention focused. Jonas plays for a longer period of time whenever he is interested in the respective activity. Jonas orientates well in a familiar environment. He distinguishes between day and night based on his everyday routines – sleeping, meal times, rest. He recognizes the neighborhood around the foster family’s home.

Jonas is reported to have achieved noticeable progress in terms of expressing his emotions and feelings, which are becoming more diverse. He reacts appropriately to smiles and angry faces and also to the tone of voice one talks to him with. He demonstrates his love, attachment and attention for others. He greatly enjoys it when others play with him. Jonas has attached to all members of the foster family.

Clifton lives with a foster family.  He loves to listen to music and dance and is always looking for a dancing partner! His foster family is working on him walking longer distances independently.  He is learning how to play with toys and interact appropriately with other children.  He has few words and does not follow verbal directions.  Clifton is receiving therapy multiple times a week.

Clifton’s gross motor skills are well-developed – he moves around independently, even at long distances, and he has no difficulties walking on different surfaces. He can now run (since the beginning of January 2017). The deficits noted previously in Clifton’s fine motor skills have been compensated to a great extent. He can transfer small elements with a spoon from one bowl into another with an adult’s assistance, he plays with certain materials and toys, he clips and unclips clothes pegs, he looks for an object hidden in the sand and he takes it out with great interest. He holds a pencil and leaves pale traces with it on a sheet of paper. He does great eating with a spoon. Clifton accepts the toothbrush and allows for his teeth to be brushed.

It happens more and more rarely for Clifton to demonstrate anxiety in response to being introduced to unfamiliar places and people. The stereotypic movements he demonstrates when someone initiates interactions with him have decreased significantly. He imitates actions he has observed more often and more successfully than before. Clifton becomes lively and starts dancing whenever someone is singing or plays music.

Clifton is  calm in his new foster family, he often smiles and he laughs aloud while playing with an adult (or with the girls in the foster family). He is especially attached to the foster father and the younger daughter in the family. Clifton has become a lot more sociable in the last 6 months: he seeks children’s attention, initiates interactions, accepts unfamiliar people a lot easier, maintains a smaller distance between himself and others and makes eye contact.

Although Clifton has poor passive vocabulary, he follows simple instructions provided that those are accompanied by nonverbal means of communication. His speech development is at the level of producing chains of syllables. He uses “No” appropriately so as to express his disagreement, he sometimes uses “Yes” and “Give me”. Clifton initiates physical and emotional contact with his foster parents and their children as well as with the specialists working with him. He is especially attached to the foster father and the youngest daughter in the foster family. His interactions with other children have changed significantly – he plays with them for a long time and he is making attempts to cooperate with them.

More photos/file are available from his agency

Norton is a boy who lives with a foster family in Eastern Europe. He loves to play with other children and particularly likes to play with musical toys and cars. He also likes to paint using watercolor paints. He manages to play games for a long time, and he likes to help around the household.

Norton is in good health and is stronger than typical of his age. He can independently move larger items, including furniture. He loves to run and jump, and he knows how to roll over forward and squeeze in narrower spaces. Like many little boys, Norton brushes his teeth twice a day. He can tell others when he needs to go to the restroom, and he eats with great appetite. He naps for two hours in the afternoon and sleeps peacefully at night.

His short-term and long-term memories function at a good level, and Noah can easily remember things related to the lifestyle, as well as past events related to pleasant or unpleasant memories.

Although he has been diagnosed with hyperactive disorder, mild mental disability and a speech delay, Norton has shown progress in his development. He understands everything that is required of him, executing commands correctly. He is persistent in his demands, but he understands when he has violated rules, and he does not oppose correction.

Norton chatters a lot, but he is incomprehensible. He repeats syllables he hears, and he uses gestures to help him communicate with others and make them clearly understand what he wants or wants to do. Norton is working with therapists to improve his speech abilities.

Paddy can turn over on his own, and sits independently. He will walk holding hands or using a walker, but does not like to walk over uneven surfaces. He likes musical toys and has recently started imitating simple actions like a ring stacker. Paddy likes to interact with familiar adults and may pout when they leave. He eats mashed food and drinks from a cup.

Update from a family that met him in 2015: Paddy is a truly beautiful boy! He does have some behaviors, shrieking and flapping for the majority of the time we observed him. He did not make eye contact with us or the staff. We asked the staff about his medical information and they stated that he did not need regular transfusions, but did have a seizure disorder. A family that is prepared to deal with autistic like behaviors would be ideal!

As of June 2013: Bentley is mostly passive, his muscles are weak. He can not sit, stand or walk on his own. He does not like to have a close contact with a person, cries when is picked up. Bentley likes to sit in a special chair and rock. Sometimes the boy pronounces accidental sounds. Does not picks up yet toys in to his hands, when is talked to – does not react. Sometimes when he sits alone it was observed that he started to smile. He needs help while eating and drinking. Child’s motor development is delayed, compared to his age.