Other Special Needs Girls, 0-5

Yara’s spark and tenacity should be an inspiration to us all!

Yara came into protective care after her mother determined she did not have the resources or emotional support network to care for her daughter with complex special needs. She is a brave girl who navigates several neurological and physical health conditions. Yara was born following a normal pregnancy and delivery, but despite this fact, her diagnoses include right-sided spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a congenital brain malformation, and focal epilepsy. Because of these conditions, she experiences some developmental delays. She also has visual impairments, including strabismus (both convergent and vertical), astigmatism, and amblyopia. Additionally, Yara has an expressive language disorder.

Despite these complex diagnoses, Yara is in excellent nutritional health. She maintains an adequate weight and height for her age. Her vaccination schedule is completely up to date, with her next boosters due when she turns five. She will require ongoing, comprehensive management by medical specialists to ensure her continued rehabilitation and health. 

Yara shows incredible physical determination and a wonderful spirit of resilience. Anyone who hears of her diagnoses will be AMAZED by her gross motor skills. She moves independently from one place to another, runs, and even jumps on one or two feet. She can climb stairs easily, alternating her feet as she goes. Due to her right-sided hemiplegia, she experiences difficulties with fine motor skills in her right hand, particularly with gripping and using a pincer grasp. To help her improve, she currently attends physical and occupational therapy three times a week. Yara has an expressive language disorder, meaning she needs extra patience and support to help her communicate her thoughts and feelings. Her medical history impacts her overall developmental timeline. She benefits greatly from a structured environment and dedicated therapies that help her build daily living skills at her own pace. 

Yara is a child who demonstrates quiet strength every day. Through her intensive physical and occupational therapies, she shows a remarkable willingness to try hard and push through challenges. While she navigates a world that can sometimes be physically and communicatively frustrating, she responds beautifully to patience and gentle guidance. She needs parents who can offer a deeply secure attachment style, providing her with the emotional safety required to process her feelings and build her confidence. With a predictable routine and a supportive home, Yara has the foundation she needs to develop healthy coping mechanisms and emotional regulation. 

Yara is an active girl who loves to use her body to explore the world. Because she enjoys running, jumping, and moving around independently, she will thrive in a home with safe, open spaces to play.

Tiana is a social, affectionate toddler who enjoys interacting with adults and responds well to familiar caregivers. While she is not yet using words to communicate, she understands simple directions such as “give” and “walk,” and communicates through gestures, pointing during play, and imitation.

A recent and exciting milestone is that Tiana has begun walking, showing growing independence, stability, and confidence. Motor development—especially locomotion—is one of her strongest areas and has allowed her to explore her environment and increase interaction with caregivers.

Tiana has a global developmental delay. At 19 months, her developmental skills were assessed at approximately a 13-month level. She shows progress across areas, with particular gains in mobility. She has a short attention span and prefers sensory-based play, especially activities involving sound and movement. She can be sensitive to noise and visual stimuli but is gradually becoming more tolerant of touch and motion.

She demonstrates oral sensory-seeking behaviors and has a high-arched palate, which may contribute to mouth breathing. Her eye-hand coordination is improving, and she can track and grasp objects, though her exploration remains limited.

Dolly is a sweet and friendly girl. She enjoys spending time with her peers and especially likes one-on-one interactions with adults. She is usually in a good mood, and both the children and caregivers are very fond of her.

During the 2024/2025 school year, Dolly attended the 2nd grade. She is well integrated into the school environment and enjoys going to school. She receives support from special education teachers and also benefits from Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physiotherapy.

She also has chewing difficulties and is non-verbal. However, she shows some understanding of simple messages, such as recognizing when someone is calling her or playing with her. She makes sounds and vocalizes when engaged or entertained.

Rita is friendly, sociable, affectionate, and highly expressive. She communicates through facial expressions, gestures, and pointing, and is very attentive to her surroundings and others’ nonverbal cues. She responds well to sensory stimuli with smiles, vocalizations, and interaction, though she has moderate motor limitation on her right side.

Rita is good-humored, loves physical affection, and bonds easily with caregivers. She interacts well with other children, enjoys play, and imitates what interests her. Having experienced a disrupted adoption, she may carry unexpressed fears, but she continues to seek comfort and show affection, indicating strong potential to thrive in a loving, supportive family.

Isabella shows a delayed psychomotor development. Her concentration is short but good. She shows a great interest in her surroundings, follows objects with her eyes. She grabs toys with her hands and puts them in her mouth. She can grab two objects and rotate them with her hands.
She recognizes the familiar people from strangers, and she reacts to her name. Her active speech is delayed – she doesn’t speak full sentences yet but she can say a simple words.  She actively participates in the group activities and also can initiate games by choosing some toys.  Motor skills are delayed – lack of age-appropriate skills, but she is learning every day.  She is very active and her behavior is described as high hyperactivity with anxiety. She is able to understand and follow the instructions; she is doing with in a group with other children. She is learning to put on shoes independently. She can eat some food without help if it is sliced to small pieces.

Recent visit Feb.2026: Isabella is a very promising child. She has undergone cardiac surgery. It was not possible to test her hearing, but she functions normally. Despite her heart problems, she never had blue lips or excessive fatigue.

Her currently weight is 12 kg. She communicates verbally very well and is able to express her needs and emotions. She still uses diapers but she is in the potty training. She is a very active child, but not hyperactive. She functions well one-on-one. She has two favorite friends at the orphanage. She likes to play with other children and does not exhibit any aggressive behavior.
She is a picky eater, but she likes to try new flavors (she recently enjoyed olives). She sleeps throughout the night. She sometimes takes naps during the day. She likes to do puzzles (30 pieces) and “read” the books. She is a girl who likes to dress nicely and has a pretty hairstyle.

Sienna is generally very calm, smiles often, and responds quite well to different people. A year ago, she developed a dysfunction of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and the child had to undergo revision and valve implantation. After this procedure, she became calmer and began to be more active, crawling freely on the available surface, and when in her crib, she eagerly pulled herself up to a sitting position.  At the end of last year, she began to use orthoses.

Sienna has a speech delay, although she has recently been eagerly repeating and saying words on her own. Some words are difficult to understand, but progress in speech development is evident. The girl also has difficulty understanding speech, but here too, progress is visible. She understands simple words, especially when they are supported by gestures. The girl can be engaged in a simple form of “dialogue” through play such as sharing toys. She is learning how to draw and eat independently using the spoon. She is able to pick up food cut into smaller pieces and put it in her mouth, although she does so slowly and uncertainly. She has difficulty biting off solid food and chewing it.

Sienna is a very cheerful and smiling child. She is speaking more and more – she can use many basic words, such as “give,” “more,” “come,” “yes,” “no,” “auntie,” and “hello.” She uses them in appropriate situations to express her needs and emotions. She recognizes various animals and can imitate most of their sounds.

Sienna to cuddle and read books. She participates enthusiastically in the group activities and enjoys walks. She responds to smiles, touch, and the voice of her caregivers. The girl has recently made significant progress in her emotional and social development. She is also able to initiate contact – she waves her hands in greeting, says “hello” in her own way, or responds with simple vocalizations. She is able to express her dissatisfaction, joy, or excitement and her progress is getting better and better in many areas.

She has been diagnosed with a rare syndrome characterized by tall stature and congenital facial differences. While these differences may be noticeable, they do not define who she is.

Since being placed in a loving foster family, her story has already begun to change. She has shown accelerated growth, improved neuropsychological development, and her physical development is age-appropriate. She is in good general health and does not require ongoing medical treatment at this time, aside from her speech delay, related to her congenital anomalies.

But here’s the part that matters most: she is making real progress. She forms 3-word sentences, asks questions, uses polite expressions, initiates communication, and loves role-play and interaction. With consistent speech therapy, her potential continues to grow.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome type 12. Other congenital anomalies (developmental malformations). Tubulointerstitial nephritis, unspecified as acute or chronic. Specific disorders in the development of motor function. Postaxial polydactyly of the four limbs.

 

Update 1/2026

Anastasia is a calm, emotionally responsive 1-year-old child . She enjoys interaction with adults, tolerates touch well, and shows good eye contact. She often initiates contact by vocalizing, smiling, and reaching out to be held. She recognizes familiar people and responds positively to attention.

She is relatively active and moves both her arms and legs. She can hold her head in the midline while lying on her back and supports herself symmetrically on her elbows. She is not yet rolling over or sitting independently. Her fine motor skills include a present grasp reflex, good hand-to-hand and hand-to-mouth coordination, and the ability to purposefully grasp and hold a toy. When placed on her stomach, she extends her arms.

Anastasia has a diagnosis of polyformative syndrome with genetically confirmed Bardet-Biedl syndrome type 12. She was born from a first complicated pregnancy with prenatal tumor formation. Her birth weight was 3,200 g, and her current weight is 8,510 g. She has a good appetite and is fed by an adult, accepting food from a pacifier.

Congenital anomaly of the nervous system (CANS): Spina bifida aperta, condition after surgical treatment; Hydrocephalus, condition after implantation of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). Cerebral palsy. Symptomatic epilepsy. Pseudobulbar paresis. Pelvic-reservoir deficiency. Bilateral inguinal hernias. GER. Protein-energy deficiency. Cortical blindness. Profound delay in neuropsychiatric development

Update dated  Sep. 2025:
Significant progress in her skills has been observed in the child’s functioning. She is active, cheerful, and interested in her surroundings. Her gross motor skills require further intensive stimulation. The girl  moves dynamically in a crawling position. She is becoming more stable when standing upright, trying to climb, and taking her first steps with the support of her caregiver. She can move sideways with support, turn around with her back and maintain her position by leaning against a stable surface. She sits independently, but in an incorrect W-shaped or asymmetrical position.

She successfully manipulates toys, grabs and pulls objects, and looks at them. Her orientation is preserved. The child moves her gaze from object to object, looks for the source of sound, and follows the movement of people and objects. She focuses on illustrations in children’s books. She looks for objects that disappear from view.

Her communication skills continue to progress. The girl actively vocalizes and syllabifies, using her own speech more and more clearly. She does not speak, but understands repeated words, mainly those with emotional connotations. She displays appropriate social behavior. She responds to smiles and voices with smiles and vocalizations. She is responsive to changes in facial expressions. She listens to what is said and responds to her name. She willingly cuddles with her caregiver, initiates contact with adults she knows, and maintains an appropriate distance from strangers, as is appropriate for her age.

She does not use pointing gestures, but she does use gestures to express emotions and imitates clapping. She is interested in her reflection in the mirror and laughs. She is reactive to the presence of others. The  girl actively seeks attention and initiates interaction with people around her. She plays with her peers. She maintains a daily rhythm and has a normal appetite. She drinks from a cup, is fed with a spoon, and tries to eat solid foods on her own.

Update November 6, 2025: Little Ember started walking today!

 Epileptic encephalopathy. Microcephaly. Cerebral palsy. Congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Delay in neuropsychiatric development. Protein-energy malnutrition

Everly is an adorable little girl with a bright smile. Everly was born prematurely, and has several special needs. She loves bath time. She also loves affection. Everly is continuing to grow and develop. We hope a loving family sees her while she is so young.

Videos available!

This sweet girl loves music, animation, musical toys, taking baths, being outdoors and riding in the stroller. She often plays in the playpen and ball pool. She likes to sit and play alone. She can sit, roll, clap her hands, tries to stand up on her own in the crib, struggles, but stands up holding onto the crib rails. She is spoon-fed and likes a variety of mashed food. She drinks well from a bottle and from a baby bottle. She takes a variety of toys in her hands and holds and plays with them. She likes dolls and has a favourite doll which she plays with nicely. She has attended rehabilitation services and physiotherapy and occupational therapy specialists work with her. She responds to being spoken to by her name and observes and makes eye contact.

Diagnosed with mixed specific developmental disorders, disorder of normal physiological development, congenital hypotonia (reduced muscle tone); bilateral unstable hip joint; specific motor development disorder, hypermetropia (farsightedness).

This precious child is calm, responds to being spoken to, smiles often and is interested in everything. She knows how to clap her hands, likes different musical toys, dolls, blocks, animation and radio. She is rolling in her bed and can sit up by herself. She has a gastrostomy but can eat mashed food from a spoon and drink liquids from a bottle. She sleeps soundly. The institution has medical staff working with her:  nurses, nurses’ assistants, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and she gets massages.

Diagnosed with subarterial ventricular septal defect, multiple congenital malformations, not elsewhere classified, oter secondary pulmonary hypertension, atrioventricular block, complete, supraventricular tachycardia, congestive heart failure, mild to moderate intrathoracic asphyxia, neonatal cardiac arrhythmia, other neonatal feeding disturbances, cerebellar reduction abnormalities, secondary atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, congenital absence of umbilical artery, oesophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, unilateral renal agenesis, cardiac appliance, and specific motor development disorder. It should be noted that prospective adoptive parents should have the knowledge and skills to be able to provide the necessary assistance, as the girl needs nursing and care.

Darling Brianna sometimes turns herself to a side position. She grabs toys with both hands and handles them. A smile is observed when interacting with an adult. She looks at herself in the mirror. She pronounces vowel sounds. She enjoys individual attention, and she gets upset if she is not paid attention to or if she is left alone in the crib after she has been paid attention to. She tries to initiate contact with her eyes and facial expressions, and she responds to her name.

The position of Brianna’s legs doesn’t allow her to sit and she doesn’t straighten her head, but sometimes she rotates her torso laterally to some extent.  She reaches and grabs a toy handed to her by an adult or placed in her immediate environment and handles it briefly. She follows moving objects and people with a glance and a turn of the head.

Brianna is described as “absolutely adorable, easy to communicate with, and curious about new people and new toys.” Her caregiving staff says she is a calm and gentle child and is “everyone’s favorite in the house where she lives!” Please help us find Brianna’s family!

Lexi is a bright-eyed 4-year-old girl with bilateral hearing loss and developmental delays, but these do not diminish her joyful spirit. Lexi communicates in her own unique ways and is curious about the world around her. Lexi will thrive in an environment where she receives consistent, patient attention and where her efforts to communicate are celebrated. She’s looking for a family who will provide a nurturing and stimulating home, eager to support her continued development and help her reach new milestones. With love and encouragement, Lexi has the potential to blossom and bring immense joy to her adoptive family.

Meet smiling Melly.   She had surgical treatment for correction of a meningocele.  A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was also implanted to treat hydrocephalus. Unfortunately after surgery Melly’s lower limbs are paralyzed.

Melly moves independently in a wheelchair. She can pull herself up with her hands She enjoys contact with children and adults.  She plays with toys, handles them, and can throw them.  Melly pronounces various sounds and syllables although she points to make her needs known. She can maintain interest in an activity for 15-20 minutes.

Anne is delayed in all aspects of her development. She recently began eating from a spoon, and the NG tube was able to be removed. She enjoys attention from staff. She smiles when caregivers speak to her. She reaches and grabs objects, but is not yet playing with toys.

Eloise is a joyful, affectionate, and calm child, who enjoys the simple pleasures of life such as music, dancing, and storytelling. Her sunny disposition radiates through her interactions, whether she’s playing freely in the park, lying peacefully on the grass, or engaging with her peers. Despite any initial nervousness around new people, her warm and gentle demeanor quickly puts others at ease, leading to the formation of close emotional bonds, particularly with her foster mother.

Eloise’s ability to communicate her needs and emotions through gestures and sounds demonstrates her keen self-awareness, and her empathetic nature is evident when she comforts her loved ones. Though faced with medical challenges, Eloise has proven to be remarkably resilient.

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-eloise01
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-eloise02
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-eloise03
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-eloise04
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-eloise05
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-eloise06

Password:  Adoptmaa

Agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Nany was born with an extremely low weight and a complicated neonatal period. She has retinopathy of her left eye, cerebral leukomalacia with manifestation of spastic quadriparesis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and asthma. This sweetie needs a very special family.

The agency staff member who met her during March of 2024, says the following: Nany likes music, and it seems to settle her down. She also likes being in the swing. At times she turned to various sounds. She can lift her head slightly while lying on her stomach. Nany is an extremely fragile, sweet and lovable little girl who needs lots of love, attention, understanding, support and lots of cuddles. Given the serious diagnoses, working with additional specialists definitely would ease and help the child’s condition. Nany is in need of a very prepared and supportive family.

Nany’s current adoption agency has grant funding is available for qualifying families.

Bianca was recently transferred from a large orphanage to a small group home. She’s been making developmental progress in her new home. She can pull to a stand in her crib and cruise along the rail. She will take steps when holding the hands of a caregiver. She reaches for toys and will hold and explore them.

The caregivers describe Jayne as a very sensitive child who needs a lot of attention and encouragement. There is a recent positive change in her development – she can plays with toys, willingly participates in the games and other activities, she can learn songs and can speak simple but logical sentences. Her speech is delayed and motor skills needs improvements. She walks independently. She can eat without help but still required assistance with self-care things.

Lily (6) is also described as friendly and one who likes to help others. She has delays in her fine motor skills, though improving, and her speech development. She is receiving therapy for both. Lily is a hyperactive child who has recently started taking medication and it seems to be helping, especially with her night movements which have included head banging which has significantly decreased. She lives to sing and dance as well as draw.

Pia (5) is described as a friendly, kind-hearted and playful child who expresses her emotions readily. However, while she shares her emotions readily, sometimes she has difficulty controlling her emotions and is in therapy to assist her with this—yet it is reported that temper tantrums are not frequent and she is able to regain emotional regulation quickly. She has age appropriate gross and fine motor skills as well as speech development. She loves to sing and dance.

The girls are listed for adoption together. Their older sister, Winnie, is also available for adoption (but separately).  The agency is hoping to find two families, so the girls can maintain contact.

Her caregiver described her as cheerful and happy girl. She has no issues with trust, open to new people and likes to cuddle. She is curious about her surrounding and asks a lot of questions.

She doesn’t always listen what is said to her and has some difficulties with rules and directions. She can be stubborn and needs help with her emotion’s regulation. She started pre-school in September 2024. She loses an interest quickly and has problems to finish her tasks. She enjoys looking at the books, stalking blocks, working with small objects and clay. She likes music and willingly participates in singing activities.  Her vocabulary increased and she learns how to ride a scooter. She likes walking and playing outside.  She still needs help with her physiological needs. She can dress without help and eats independently.

Mae is a precious little girl, born in September of 2021.  Agency staff met Mae in August of 2023. She is an adorable little girl! We’ve been told she is doing well in her current care center since our staff visited her. Mae is described as a sweet, affectionate, and cheerful young girl. She is always smiling! Mae has managed to adapt to the routines around her required special care. She has made great progress since entering her care center, and she learns quickly through repetition She is a girl who likes to move forward and shows interest in learning new things. It is evident that she manages to bond with her caregivers. Contact us to learn more about Mae and her listed medical needs from her placing agency!

NEW VIDEO:

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae20

 

Update: 10/24

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae21

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae22

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae23

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae24

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae25

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mae026

Password: Adoptmaa

A female child with a proven genetic neurodegenerative disease – pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency (identified homozygous for mutation p.R446* (c.1291C>T).  She was born from the 15th pregnancy, 12th birth. On the second day after birth, transferred to the intensive care unit due to hyperexcitability, hypertonus of the limbs, with convulsive equivalents. With evidence of respiratory distress syndrome and metabolic acidosis. Held oxygen therapy for 5 days. A delay in the NPR was found, mainly in the motor development, with axial hypotonia and hypertonia of the limbs, combined with lactatemia. Submitted material for genetic testing and metabolic screening. Abdominal ultrasound: Pyelectasis (mild) of the left kidney. with microcephaly, developmental delay, tonus changes, elevated lactate and proven pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency (identified homozygous for mutation p.R446* (c.1291C>T). At the age of 1, a severe delays in the NPR with quadripyramidal syndrome and microcephaly was formed.

Currently, the child has no apparent epileptic seizures, and the EEG shows no epileptiform changes. Remedial nutrition with KetoCal is recommended; reduction of carbohydrate intake. A new hospitalization is forthcoming to start a ketogenic diet with KetoCal.

FAS, defect of the atrial septum, kidney agenesis, impaired and delayed psychomotor development, hypoplasia of the corpus callosum. The girl is making progress, but her development is now estimated at 12-15 months of age. She is curious about her surroundings and active in movement. She walks alone (still with her legs wide apart) and climbs the stairs holding her caregiver’s hand. Klair manipulates objects by shaking them or tapping them against herself. She can put items into box and take them out and build the tower. She does not know how to use a crayon yet and she can’t trace. She seeks contact with adults. She likes to be carried, tickled and hugged. The girl is making progress, but her development is estimated at 12-15 months of age.

Jesslyn is a snuggly baby that likes to be cuddled and hugged by her caregivers. When tired or upset she is able to relax when she hears music or soothing sounds. Although Jesslyn is not able to say words yet, she is able to vocalize through babbling.

Jesslyn needs parents who are comfortable with the many unknowns that are presented by her significant special needs. Jesslyn has epilepsy, hydrocephalus, global developmental delays, and vision concerns.

Evalina is looking for a forever family. She is a happy and playful child, with good behavior. She does suffer from a variety of developmental delays, specifically in her motor skills and communication skills. Evalina smiles often and likes to be around people.

Monica is described as very sweet with a good appetite. She has a calm disposition and is always in a good mood. Her development is impaired with delays in fine motor skills, speech perception, expressive language, auditory attention, independence and sociality. Gross motor skills are significantly impaired. Visual attention is the most advanced. She gurgles and is very interested in various toys. She loves to touch and feel things. She observes her surroundings, knows people who are often with her, and is reluctant to accept strangers until she is used to them. She is very happy to be spoken to, moves her hands, smiles, giggles, chuckles, laughs loudly, and responds in her own language. She loves to be held, picked up and carried around. When placed on her tummy, she raises her head, holds it a little, tries to reach for toys. She has a calm disposition and a good attitude. She is catheterized every 4 hours, with an 8-hour overnight break. She is becoming more independent, tries to drink from a cup she is holding, eats by herself holding a biscuit in her hand, holds a spoon, picks up small crumbs with her fingers and puts them in her mouth.