Other Special Needs Boys, 6-9

Jade was born in 2012 and is 10 years old. Jade’s favorite activities include playing dodgeball, cutting out shapes and gluing them to make colorful collages, writing and painting! Her foster mother has accumulated all of her artwork into a book as a keepsake. Jade also enjoys attending church activities, such as Sunday school and summer/winter camps. Those who know Jade describe her as easy going with the ability to easily adapt to new environments. Jade is enrolled in 5th grade, and her teacher stated she is an excellent student. Her favorite subjects being Mandarin and Science.

Jack was born in 2014 and is 8 years old. Jack lives in a foster family. He enjoys playing video games, jumping rope, playing ‘Go’ board game and singing. Jack is a little timid when meeting someone for the first time. Once he has warmed up to them, he will become lively and engaging. Jack is enrolled in 3rd grade and attends an afterschool program. His teacher described Jack as cheerful and smart. His favorite subject is Life Curriculum.

Jay was born in 2015 and is 7 years old. Playing with a diabolo, jumping rope and reading are some of Jay’s favorite activities. Those who know Jay describe him as cheerful and energetic. Jay resides at a children’s home where he shares a room with 3 other boys. Jay has a diagnosis of ADHD. He is enrolled in 2nd grade and makes good grades at school.

Jared was born in 2016 and is 6 years old. Jared’s favorite activities are acting and pretend play. On this particular day, Jared pretends he is a street vendor serving up foods to his customers! His caregivers state Jared is good at playing various roles at one time, while changing his voice and tone. Jared also enjoys playing with toy cars and making his caregivers laugh. Those who know Jared describe him as active and smart. Jared resides in a children’s home where he lives with 6 children of similar ages. Jared is enrolled in kindergarten.

While the siblings live in separate residences, they have occasional meetings and Skype calls.

The siblings need time, love and space to help them re-adjust to living with one another.

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.

Georgie was transferred to his current home in April 2018. He had experienced neglect and under-stimulation in his previous orphanage but already his development is progressing and we look forward to seeing Georgie learn and explore the world. Georgie is functionally blind and has very little light perception. He has been doing so well in his transition into this new chapter of life. Everyday we are more captivated by his bubbly, sweet, gentle disposition. Georgie is rapidly changing and developing. He is learning how to scoot around, bear weight, and explore with his hands. He had no experience in his previous home with self feeding, but already is making great progress and is self feeding with minimal support. He had no English exposure previously, but in just a month his English understanding is already developing and he responds to several commands. He is weak, but gaining strength. He can pull up to a stand using a surface for support. Georgie loves making silly noises and often vocalizes silly babbles, finds interesting surfaces to tap on, or picks things up and throws them to hear their clatter. Georgie is very social. He loves to be held and swung around. He sometimes whimpers when he is put down and communicates non-verbally that he wants to be held. He mimics sounds others make and often bursts with excited laughter when playing with other adults and children. We are so excited to see him begin to hit the milestones he is already working towards.

UPDATE July 2020: Georgie has been making steady progress in his language skills. Lately, he has begun to make requests on his own or make jokes in conversations with his teachers, caregivers, and house mom. Georgie’s favorite little joke right now is to reply “JUICE” to each and every question asked of him. He erupts into giggles and repeats the word over and over until tickles and exclamations prompt him to give the real answer that we were looking for. We recently celebrated Georgie’s 6th birthday, and when asked what he wanted to do for his party he answered without hesitation: “DANCE PARTY!” Georgie can count to 10 and is learning his first braille characters!

Aleks is a sweet boy who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He receives physical therapy and is working on bearing weight and sitting independently. He is active and alert and smiles whenever anyone interacts with him. He loves playing with all the kids and gives big laughs. He enjoys music class and shakes the bells. He dances by kicking his legs and making his chair rock.

Jensen LOVES movies! One of his favorite memories was when his foster family took him to see a Spiderman movie last winter. He excitedly talked about the movie and told everyone “I saw Spider man. There were bad guys. Then he defeated the bad guys!” He also enjoys story books, building with blocks and playing ‘Big Eat Small’ board game.

Jensen is not shy around strangers and has a curious nature. He has a good relationship with his foster family and is especially close with his foster father. Jensen will act affectionately towards his foster father and seeks him when he needs comforting.

Jensen has brain injury history. He is enrolled as a kindergartener at elementary school. He is a quick learner and can repeat words after hearing them once. His 9 year old foster brother is working on learning English words, and Jensen has recently learned red, blue and yellow!

Jean likes to doodle with crayons and play with building blocks! Those who know her describe Jean as lively and not shy around strangers. Jean will take the initiative to approach unfamiliar children and play with them.

Jean has epilepsy and right hemiparetic cerebral palsy diagnoses with global delays. Jean attends weekly PT, OT and speech therapy sessions. She has made progress with her speech and can now imitate saying “no no”, “bye bye”, “yes”, and “thank you”! Jean is enrolled in preschool and attends special education classes.

While Jensen and Jean live in separate residences, they have met each other on a couple of occasions at events sponsored by their social welfare agency.

Half-brothers Noah and Neil live with their foster parents and 13 year old foster sister. Noah and Neil have a good relationship with one another and with their foster sister.

Noah’s favorite activities include watching tv, playing board games and building with blocks! Noah is a little shy around new people and new environments.  Once he warms up, he will seek hugs and wants to hold hands with people he feels comfortable with.

Noah has an ADHD diagnosis, and the file from Taiwan states he has “traits similar to Asperger’s syndrome”. Noah is currently taking medication to help him focus, and he is attending weekly group therapy sessions. Noah is a 2nd grader in elementary school where math and Mandarin are his strongest subjects. During recess, Noah LOVES to pretend he is a policeman with his schoolmates!

Neil enjoys any type of physical activity, such as playing on the playground! He also likes activities that require creativity, such as putting puzzles together and building structures with blocks.

He is described as an outgoing and active child, who loves to smile! He is very curious around new people and adjusts to new environments quickly.

Neil has language, cognitive, motor and social emotional delays. He receives OT, PT and speech therapies weekly. His foster father noted Neil is improving his vocabulary and now able to speak more sentences at home. Neil attends pre-school and his favorite class is PE.

Cory was born premature. He has cerebral palsy, paresis of the limbs, with a predominance of the lower limbs. He moves in a wheelchair, has a vision defect, convergent strabismus, amblyopia, cryptorchidism. Cory moves on his fours or in a wheelchair. The boy tries to be independent – he feeds himself, uses the toilet, gets dressed. He has therapies every day and can walk with adult’s help. The caregiver shared with the agency representative that there is a huge potential that he can walk independently.

Sally was probably born prematurely as well. Not much data about her history as well. She has never been hospitalized. The girl is under the supervision of a cardiologist due to a heart murmur. She is also under the care of an allergist – rhinitis. She has a strong character and could be a leader. She is a very protective of her brother and they have a very strong bond.

They are sweet and cheerful children who curious about the world around them.

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.

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.

Jordi has a creative imagination and likes to draw! He also enjoys Legos, assembling jigsaw puzzles, watching cartoons, and outdoor activities including rollerblading and riding his bicycle!  Those who know Jordi describe him as thoughtful and kindhearted.

Jordi has a close bond with his foster family. His foster mother helps with his homework and reads picture books with him. His foster father takes him outside to play and reads bedtime stories to help him fall asleep at night. Jordi also enjoys playing with his younger foster brother.

Jordi has an ADHD diagnosis and taking medication. At home, his foster mother works with him to improve his concentration and patience. She noted he has made gradual improvements with his emotional growth and becoming more patient.  Jordi is in the 2nd grade, and his academic performance continues to develop with time.

Jordi is waiting for a family that will take him on outdoor adventures!

Evan had a shunt placed due to hydrocephalus when he was 17 days old. The shunt was replaced when he was a year old. Despite living in an orphanage his entire life, Evan is making progress with his physical and mental development. When a team member visited his orphanage, the staff introduced them to Evan as the “staff favorite” and asked them to try to find him a family. Evan has a diagnosed vision impairement, but observations from the staff and team member who visited are that Evan DOES have vision. Due to finances and a lack of staff, Evan has not been taken for a comprehensive eye exam (it requires traveling to another city). Videos from November 2022 (and past videos) show that Evan does appear to have some vision, though the exact severity of his vision loss is not known.

Evan speaks clearly and uses multi-word sentences. He knows the names of all the staff members and their work schedules. He communicates freely, carrying on a full conversation, asking and answering questions and expressing his wants/needs. He can name colors, basic shapes, count to 10, recite poems and identify the names of objects in photos. He understands cause and effect. He understands spacial concepts such as up/down, in/out, around/beside. He seeks out interactions with others. He actively participates in educational activities. His motor skills are impacted. He crawls to get from place to place. He can take steps holding the hands of an adult. His left side appears to be weaker than the right. He can feed himself and washes his own hands. He told the team member that visited him that his wish is to have a new carpet in the room where he plays to crawl around on. He was told to wish for it in his letter to Santa and he did.

Monte has a bright and warm smile. He is described as a social young boy who likes to play with his friends. He also gets along well with adults and is very affectionate with his caretakers. Sometimes he is timid, but he warms up quickly. Monte loves to build things. He follows instructions well and enjoys spending time with his foster family. Contact the agency to learn more about Monte and his special needs!

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

Matt, who agency staff met in October of 2022, has a bright smile that is infectious! Matt recognizes animal sounds. He can wash his hands and face by himself. Matt interacts well with his environment, peers, and adults. He adapts well to changes in routines and plays well with his peers. He can play by himself for short time periods. He can focus his attention on different stimuli. Matt has advanced considerably since entering the care of his current care center. He can move his hands spontaneously and hold a pencil correctly. He can move himself with the use of his wheelchair. Matt is right-handed. His speech is well developed, and he can express himself well.

We hope his forever family sees him while he is still so young! Contact the agency to learn more about Matt and his special needs!

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

Wayne has had surgery to repair the cleft lip and palate. He will be having orthodontic treatment and possible surgery on his nose in the future. His hearing was tested in June 2021 and it was determined that he has mild hearing loss of 10/15 decibels bilaterally.

His physical development is on track for his age. He walks, runs, kicks a ball, climbs, etc. His fine motor skills and speech are delayed. He has delays in his intellectual development and has difficulty with focus and attention. He attempts to communicate using non-verbal gestures and sounds or emotions. He is not aggressive and does not have any behavioral concerns. He was recently moved from a large orphanage into foster care, where he is learning new skills. He is completely toilet trained.

Update September 2022: Wayne continues to make developmental progress.
He follows verbal instructions. His speech is still delayed, but he does well identifying colors, objects and answering simple questions with pointing and gestures. He can make some animal sounds and attempts to mimic other sounds. He appears to understand everything said to him. He does have a documented mild hearing loss and a repaired cleft lip and palate. Wayne feeds himself with a spoon, can dress and undress himself independently and is independent with toileting. He can arrange objects by color, shape and size. His developmental skills continue to improve.

Videos from September 2022 show him identifying objects, answering questions (with pointing and making noises), following simple instructions, playing appropriately on playground equipment and with toys and interacting with the adults on the playground.

Despite his diagnosis of infantile cerebral palsy Teddy walks independently. He climbs on and gets off the bed independently. Teddy examines objects with hands, eyes and mouth. He is able to transfer objects from one hand to another. He is able to hold two toys in his hands and knock them in one another.

When the foster mother leaves the room Teddy would start crying and looking for her.

He likes playing with musical toys and shows excitement when they make sounds. He also looks at and likes some of the TV commercials.

The foster mother feeds Teddy with a spoon and some improvement has been reported, as he is now eating solid food. Teddy loves bananas, biscuits with milk, homemade soups and sops.

Simon is a very sweet little boy who currently lives with several older girls and is the last remaining “baby” in his home. He cannot speak, but does communicate through facial expressions and some noises.

A traveling family met Simon and said, “Within the three days we spent at the orphanage, we were able to bond with him to the point he would smile and get excited when he saw us. The older girls told us he can understand what they say to him. He enjoys being held and carried around, but spends most of his day sitting in a baby walker or high chair. He seems very easy going, as we didn’t see him complain about being put in his crib for nap time, etc. The caregivers are working on his motor skills. He can eat with assistance and enjoyed the ice cream we brought! It’s so easy to fall in love with this little boy! We are praying his family sees him soon!”

Simon has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and has had seizures. He takes 30 mg of Phenobarbital once a day. Simon has mild hearing loss of the left ear. Therapy has helped lessen the spasm and Simon can open and close his hands. Simon loves being around people and making faces! When praying before meals, he bows down his head and says “ahh” when everyone says “Amen.” We’re hoping a wonderful loving family comes forward for this special little boy! There is a $500 agency grant for Simon’s adoption with his adoption agency.

Scotty has little support from his legs. His head control has improved and he can turn from his back to his belly. He sits independently by holding on to the bars of his crib and also makes attempts to stand up. Scotty can hold toys in his hands and tries to clap! He maintains eye contact and recognizes the faces of his caregivers. Scotty expresses appropriate emotions to happiness and agitation and will laugh out loud when teases. He imitates and pronounces combinations of sounds and syllables. Scotty interacts with all children and caregivers. He likes music and toys. Scotty is fed by a spoon and receives additional nutrition from a bottle.

Robby is delayed in all aspects of his development, but has begun to make small gains in learning . He will interact with caregivers and other children if an activity is interesting to him. His attention span when working on tasks has begun to increase. He enjoys playing in the sensory room. He learns best with multiple repetitions of a task.

His current agency has videos and pictures that can be shared with interested families

Ozzie has decreased muscle tone. He can’t walk, but has recently started standing up in his crib with support. He smiles and has positive emotions when interacting with adults and when he is with the other children. He pronounces combinations of sounds. He laughs when playing peek-a-boo.

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

Mike is interest in interacting with his peers. He has limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.

Mathis has a problem eating and is fed with a tube although he has learned to suck a bottle and can eat mashed food. He still receives liquids from a tube. His language skills are weak. He can walk holding on to something and is crawling. He has started to walk, climb, and manipulate toys and objects. He is doing very well and his development in general is very optimistic.

Description from a visiting family: peaceful, gentle, and enjoys adult attention. He understands the language and is very observant. Mathis is calm, quiet, crawls, responsive, content, alert, survivor, easily comforted.

Jace’s favorite activity is building and playing with transformer robots.  When building a Transformer, he is fully focused while following instructions to ensure he does it right! He also enjoys playing with toy cars, drawing, hula-hooping, and running.  Those who know him say “Jace has a lively personality and is not afraid of strangers”.

Jace is living in a residential home with 6 children of similar ages. He attends elementary school, where he makes high marks on his school work.  Jace has a diagnosis of ADHD and his treatment plan includes medication.

Graden was born prematurely and experienced many complications after birth. He spent the first 5 months of his life in the hospital and has lived in one of the biggest orphanages in his birth country since leaving the hospital. He is often sick with respiratory infections and has an inhaler for asthma. He’s  been diagnosed with CHIARI malformation, but no treatment or surgery has been planned.

He can stand with support and will side step when holding on to something. He picks up toys, moves them from hand to hand and attempts to manipulate them. He interacts with staff members and other children. He reacts positively when he is given attention from adults and willingly interacts during therapy sessions and time with his teacher at the orphanage.

Update on Graden August 2022: He’s WALKING!!! Graden continues to make huge gains in his development since being transferred to a group home. Physically, he’s now independently walking, feeding himself with a spoon and in the process of being toilet trained.

Developmentally, he demonstrates interest in the events happening around him, he understands verbal instructions, his vocabulary improves with every week that passes – he understands most of what is said to him. He is able to follow simple, 2-3 step gesture instructions. He persistently goes and takes toys and plays with them. He is emotional and sociable. He likes when a familiar adult speaks to him and independently seeks interactions. He reacts with a smile to tactile and verbal stimuli. He demonstrates interest in musical toys and toys that make sounds. Most of the time he is calm and happy. He seeks contacts with other children from the group. He reacts emotionally when told “no”. He is interested in different activities. He answers when called by his name and recognizes his reflection in a mirror.

 

Drako has undergone surgeries to repair a cleft lip and palate. He is under continues care by medical professionals and will need future orthodontic surgery and other possible surgeries as well related to his cleft issues. Developmentally, his speech, motor skills, and cognitive processing are all delayed. He can crawl, pull to a stand, cruise around furniture/objects, and walk while holding an adult’s hand. He will interact with toys that play music or light up. He babbles, but is not yet saying any words.

Photos and videos are available.

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.

He is happy and  cheerful boy with a great need for individual forms of contact and no behavioral disturbance. He walks correctly, runs, overcomes obstacles, and willingly participates in  the physical games. He has the features of motor hyperactivity, but the boy is able to adjust the activity to the form of tasks. Recognizes pictures, selects them in pairs and combines them correctly. Easily places shapes in the holes of the puzzle. Builds simple and complex structures. Mild speech delay – he can name objects, activities, features. Expresses single sentences, also complex ones, but uses these sentences less well.

From an agency representative who met him June 2021: He is pure joy and his little giggle is contagious.  He is so sweet, always look happy and friendly.  D is getting wonderful care while he waits for a family!

Photos and videos are available through the agency.

Daniel is a boy whose cognitive and physical development is close to his expected age. He is described as very curious, sweet, gentle, outgoing and has good relationships with other children. He makes good eye contact, speaks in words and sentences, implements instructions and has a sweet personality. Diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and mixed development disorder. Pictures are available from the agency.

Brian recognizes familiar adults and has formed an attachment to his favorite caregiver. He is uncomfortable around strangers. He is working with a physical therapist and a teacher on fine and gross motor skills. He can pick up toys and transfer them from hand to hand. His teacher reports that he understands what is being said to him and has recently begun responding to simple directions such as “give me”. He is able to sit unassisted and moves around in a baby walker.

Photos and videos are available through the agency.

Brett lived with a foster family from birth to age 4. He did not attend preschool or receive any interventions during that time. The family was not experienced in how to work with him. He was placed in a small group home at 4 years old. He has thrived in this setting. He has learned many new skills and continues to make improvements in all aspects of his development. He communicates using words and simple sentences. He understands everything said to him and can answer basic questions. He takes care of all his personal hygiene independently (brushes his own teeth, hair, dresses/undresses himself, is toilet trained, etc). He can count to 10, recognize colors and shapes, work puzzles, say his name and age, and also say the names of the other children living in the home. The staff at the group home believe that his mental delays are mild and state that this is because he made such rapid progress once he was placed in the group home and began receiving instruction. The foster family had reported behavior issues, mainly an inability to concentrate. The staff reports no behavior problems and stated that he just needed attention and appropriate instruction. They describe him as very affectionate.

Anthony is an adorable, sweet 1 year old! Anthony has a lack of development physically and neurologically. In late 2015, a ventriculoperiteneal shunt was placed and he has been free of seizures since then. He cannot sit upright by himself and does not talk, but responds to sound. Anthony is tube fed due to lack of suck reflex. He does not react well to teasing or tactile stimulation by smiling but by irritation and crying.

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

Finn is a beautiful boy who will need a special family to care for his medical needs. Agency staff met Finn in July of 2022; they can provide more info on Finn and his medical needs!

VIDEO:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-finn1
Password: Adoptmaa

Ashford enjoys the presence of adults and emotionally expresses himself with laughter, crying and sounds. He laughs when tickled and smiles when he sees familiar faces. Ashford is unable to sit, stand, nor does he have head control. He prefers to be on his stomach. He does not have coordinated movement of his arms or legs and has little ability to hold a toy. Ashford’s diagnosis is Microcephaly. He was born prematurely and received intervention at the hospital at birth. Some history of convulsions, controlled with medication. Suspicion of left nasal atresia.

Anders currently lives in a small Eastern European country. He is happiest listening to soft music or playing with toys that make sound! Anders is described as a happy, calm child. Tests show that Anders has learning and motor delays, as well as occasional seizures.

Ethan is well developed for his age. He is a warm and curious little boy. His best toy is a ball. He laughs and shouts every time he got his ball. Ethan is a cheerful and peaceful child. He likes the other children. Observes and manipulates with toys. He knows how to charm his caregivers and receives lots of attention.

With a familiar adult, Ethan has a good emotional tone – he enjoys a hide and seek game and sometimes gives his hand for “hello”.

He cannot walk yet, but he sits, crawls and staying straight caught for fixed support, showing progress in his motor skill development. The child has flat feet with valgus deviation of both feet – it was recommended to wear orthopedic shoes. Ethan stands up on his own until he is caught on a fixed support, stands on tiptoe, does not step aside, placed in a walker, moves short distances; pronounces long sound combinations.

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)

Mitchell walks independently with an ataxic gait. He talk using simple words and simple sentences. He plays with toys. He shows interest in his environment and everything happening around him. He seeks contact with familiar adults.

Photos and videos are available through the agency.

Rowan is smiley, and loves to clap and listen to what is going on around him. Agency staff met Rowan in July of 2022! Contact them to learn more about Rowan and his medical needs!

VIDEO:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-rowan01
Password: Adoptmaa

Elon walks independently. He feeds himself and cleans up after his meals. He does not talk at this time, but understands what is said to him and follows simple instructions. He responds to his name. He interacts appropriately with adults and with other children. He attends to tasks and works well 1:1 and in a small group.

Brody walks independently. He is able to navigate stairs and playground equipment at the park. Most of Brody’s delays seem to be related to being unable to hear and communicate his wants/needs. For example, the foster family reports that he is not aggressive, but he does demonstrate frustration at being unable to communicate with them to express his thoughts and what he wants. He uses some gestures to communicate, such as opening the refrigerator to express that he is hungry. He is supposed to be under the care of a specialist to work with him now that he has the cochlear implant (and to continue to develop his communication skills), but this has not been consistent due to COVID restrictions and the fact that the family must travel to another town for Brody to see the specialist. The foster family does report that Brody seems to be able to hear now that he has the implant and they have seen improvements with the implant in place. Brody does attend a day program for children with disabilities and has recently become more interested in the other children.

Such a sweet, squishy little guy! His head is completely flat on the back.

Julian enjoys playing with toys. He is well attached to his caregivers and responds to them when they talk to him. When he is happy, he responds by making noises and clapping his hands. His report indicates that when held by the hands, he will take steps.

Update Jan 2020:

Julian sits on his own while supporting his weight on his hands. He uses his hands to change his posture and move his body. He stands in the walker. He actively grabs and manipulates toys and objects, tries to use them as intended – shakes to produce sound, pulls the string of a musical toy. Visual-motor coordination is slightly impaired.

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

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

Bennett is a very social child. Whenever he sees his friends, he eagerly greets them with a smile, a hug, and a “Happy Birthday!” He had hydrocephalus as an infant that was treated with a VP shunt. The shunt was later removed but he still has macrocephaly. He does have a history of seizures which are very well controlled by medication. He receives physical therapy twice a week and has made tremendous progress over the past several years.

He is fully mobile, can feed himself, and go to the bathroom independently. Bennett wears a helmet to protect his head. He has become fond of his helmet though because he can show off his headstand. You will often find him enjoying jumping on the trampoline, playing on the playground or going on a walk. He needs redirection often because he is always on the move. Although he is generally happy, he can get frustrated when people do not do what he wants to do or if he is being asked to do something he is not ready for.

Bennett’s favorite part of school is circle time because he likes to sing songs and answer ALL the questions even if his answer has nothing to do with what was asked. He understands and speaks English as well as his native language. He is known for reciting the four seasons in English quite well. At home, he loves to ask other people to dance and sing with him too. Bennett loves to make people smile!

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.

Introducing Kellet! Kellet is a medically healthy 6-year-old boy who is active and very curious about new people and environments. He likes playing with younger children and is able to interact and share toys with peers. Kellet likes adventures and challenges and takes initiative to play with others. He has age-appropriate gross and fine motor skills; he can pour water without spilling, draw meaningful pictures, run and climb stairs without rails for support, throw and catch a ball, and much more! He also has good verbal expressions and age-appropriate language development. He can count from 1 to over 100! Kellet can also engage in back-and-forth conversation and tell a story by looking at pictures. He sleeps deeply at night and eats the same food as adults for three meals a day. We hear that Kellet has good focus at school and can follow class progress and teachers’ instructions.

Update May 2022:

Kellet was seen as a part of virtual SuperKids in February 2022.  Kellet recently turned 7!  Kellet is in first grade and his favorite subject is Math!  He is doing well in school and enjoys his friend group.  His social worker shares that she is impressed by his patience and involvement with activities during their time together.

Kellet shows his imagination through art and storytelling as he recently drew a picture for his best friend, who is a mermaid and lives in the sea!  Kellet expressed a desire to also be a mermaid, so he can be with her all the time!  How sweet is that?!  Kellet enjoys imaginary play through dress up with peers and enjoys playing with Legos.  Kellet is enthusiastic about life, playing games, and has a high level of attentiveness.  He lives in an area where he is able to hike and run in the outdoors- activities that he appears to enjoy!

Kellet has foster siblings.  When they are available, Kellet enjoys spending time with them.

Myles was just starting to wake up at the beginning of our Zoom call and as his caregivers slowly nudged and tickled him, he showed us the biggest smile and sweetest little giggle. Four-year-old Myles is not speaking, but we learned from his caregivers that he is a quite boy who prefers not to be disturbed. His favorite toy is his teether, he likes being tickled, and dislikes being moved around.

Myles diet consists of mashed foods, his favorite being fruits.  Myles spends most of his time in his bed or in a support chair. Because he is only allotted one therapeutic device per year, he doesn’t currently have a child walker. With more opportunities to put weight on his legs, he may possibly have the potential for assisted walking in the future.

Myles was born prematurely and has been diagnosed with global developmental delays, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hydrocephalus and hearing impairment. Myles resides in a nursing home and receives 30 minutes of occupational and physical therapy at a local hospital each week. The agency has much more information on Myles! Could your family be the one he needs?

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?