Other Special Needs Girls, 0-5

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.

Family history: mother with thalassemia minor 

Josie currently lives in a group home. She is very small for her age. She can turn from her back to her stomach. She tracks objects with her eyes and reacts with smiles and positive movements/expressions when an adult interact with her.  

Juney loves to play outdoors! She usually can be found riding a bike or scooting around on a kick scooter! Juney also enjoys playing with dolls and jigsaw puzzles. Juney is not shy when meeting new people, and she loves to laugh.

Juney resides in a children’s home with 8 other children between the ages of 2-6 years old. She has a good bond with her caregivers and often asks for hugs. June is currently enrolled at a local preschool.

Juney has global developmental delays and will likely need long term support for cognitive issues and a spectrum of long-term special needs.  She currently attends weekly physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions. She tends to use single words or monosyllable sounds to express herself. Caregivers at the children’s home work with her to practice enunciation, improve communication skills, and become more independent when completing daily tasks, such as putting on her shoes or coat.

 

Miriam came into care at six months of age. She was very small and had poor sucking reflex. At the age of 16 months, her skills were at about the 11-month mark. She is listed as having global developmental delay in the moderate to severe range. In April of 2022, Miriam walked without any assistance from anyone for the first time. Everyone was thrilled! Despite her delays, Miriam shows remarkable improvements daily. She is becoming active and physically strong. She is emotionally attached to the staff and relates well to all the house parents and caregivers. Miriam plays and interacts with some of the children. She is sweet and lovely. Her smile makes her even more adorable. The whole team is very fond of her. Miriam needs a family that would wholeheartedly accept her condition and one who is willing to walk her through the struggles and challenges of Noonan Syndrome. The family must be willing to seek the professional help she will need as she grows. Contact the agency to learn more about Miriam!

Initial testing shows that Luann has Sickle Cell Anemia. Her pediatrician has made the determination to not conduct further testing until after her first birthday. She is currently developing on target for her age.

Photos are available through the agency for qualified families.

Feb 2023 Update: Priscilla arrived in her care home in July 2021 and has become more alert and engaged since her arrival. She can roll on her sides. Since arriving in her current home, she sits with support much more easily and is lifting her head more purposefully. She also laughs more often and smiles when her name is called! She doesn’t yet appear to have very developed receptive language but communicates with her caregiver with cooing sounds and smiles when they interact together. If she is upset, she visibly relaxes when her caregiver talks to her. She knows when it is mealtime and gets very cranky if the food is late!

At the Christmas party in 2021, Priscilla moved from lap to lap of all the aunties in the home, as they each wanted to take part in watching Priscilla experience her first Christmas! She received a swing for her gift and seems to enjoy the soothing motion of being pushed in the swing. The following year in 2022, Priscilla had a chance to perform in a group dance with the support of her caregiver!

Priscilla prefers a slow morning, easing into her day by her caregiver’s side or in her arms for a snuggle. After her morning snack, Priscilla has a PT session and then spends time in her Zing stander. When she is in it, she interacts with her peers and caregivers at a higher level compared to when she is on the floor or in her wheelchair. Priscilla is tired after all that exercising, so after lunch she has a nap. In the afternoons, Priscilla takes part in tummy time which she likes to do while watching TV or listening to music. Then she joins group sensory play time! Priscilla’s favourite is kinetic sand. She will squish it in her hand or fling it all over the room, laughing. Evenings are a little more relaxed and our sweet girl ends up in her favourite spot, right back with her caregiver. She has a sweet relationship with her caregiver, who loves dressing her up in the very fanciest of outfits, no matter what the occasion! Priscilla is always the best dressed girl in the room!

Polly has been given a diagnosis of childhood Autism and is on several medications. She is now in a day program for children with disabilities and is receiving therapy services. As a result, she’s made progress in all aspects of her development. Polly speaks using simple words and small sentences. She understands everything said to her and can follow 2 and 3-step directions. She is able to express her wants and needs either through words or gestures. She asks questions. She learns new tasks best when a combination of verbal directions and visual demonstrations are used. She prefers playing alone and can play or work on a task for 10-15 minutes at a time uninterrupted. She plays appropriately with toys that interest her: coloring, building with blocks, kitchen/household toys (play kitchen, etc). She feeds herself with a spoon and drinks from an open cup. She’s toilet trained during the day, but still has some accidents when sleeping.

Zoey is one of the most beautiful little girls you’ll ever meet. She was born with some developmental delays, but then experienced a stroke when she was two and a half. This greatly set back her abilities. However, since then she’s been in a foster family where she’s relearned how to sit, roll, and grasp toys. She is working on self-feeding and becoming verbal again. Although Zoey had a seizure with her stroke she hasn’t had one since, and rarely requires medical care now. However, she may benefit from a better neurologist to understand her brain’s unique functions and abilities. Zoey is not short of opinions and will let you know exactly how she is feeling with tears or laughter! She loves to play and her giggle is absolutely infectious. She loves playing with water, musical instruments, and anything that makes noise. Zoey also loves to eat and isn’t picky at all! She is a social girl who has loved having two foster brothers. Zoey will bring an abundance of joy to any family who chooses to love her forever!

June is a little girl, but she can make a lot of noise! You can often hear her in every room of the children’s home. Just when you start reading a story or giving directions June will start up, blowing raspberries or just experimenting with how high she can yell. When she’s feeling less feisty June loves to cuddle. She enjoys spending time in someone’s arms or a carrier, and will often fall asleep there. June cannot see well so she prefers toys that make lots of noise- she’s especially good at using her legs to kick the piano mat or crinkle wrapping paper. She also enjoys being tickled or gently bounced on a lap. June is working very hard at sitting up on her own- she has fantastic head control, can flip herself onto her stomach, and is also improving at grasping toys independently. June would benefit from good medical care to better control her epilepsy. She will bring lots of noise and fun, as well as an abundance of love to any family that chooses to bring her home.

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.

Hanelle was admitted to the Group home in March 2021. The director of the home reported that since then the child has improved significantly – she has become stronger, she has started to eat better; she can now turn her self from the back to the abdomen. There is no support for the legs – when they put her on her feet. If she is put to sit, leaning on pillows, she stays in this position stably. She does not receive any therapies. She has better head control, now. 

The child has adapted to the new environment. At first, she didn’t want to eat. She is eating well now. She likes to be paid attention to, held in her arms and rocked, she likes to be massaged. She seeks attention and tries to attract attention to herself by making sounds. She smiles, even laughs out loud at the teasing of adults. She reacts when they talk to her and when she hears her name. 

She started eating better. She eats pureed common food with both a pacifier and a spoon. They feed her. She prefers to eat sweet things. Hanelle loves mashed fruits and vegetables. They give her adapted and vitamin-enriched milk with biscuits. Drinks water from a pacifier; can’t drink from a glass.

Introducing….Natala! Natala likes crawling, rolling around, and making sounds like she is talking. Sometimes, when she is unhappy, she lets you know by crying and fussing but will calm down quickly once attended to. Natala has good adaptability for a young child and is not shy with strangers. Currently, Natala takes 2 short naps each day, once in mid-morning and once in the early afternoon. Her nap schedule is flexible. She can flip herself over while lying down, stay seated for up to 20 minutes with support, and has recently started crawling! Because she has high muscle tension, her legs sometimes stay lifted slightly in the air while crawling. Among many other capabilities, Natala is able to grasp objects in each hand and pass them from one hand to the other. Although Natala has delayed speech, she has shown progress between her most two recent visits in March and August of 2021. She currently understands a couple of simple words including ‘goodbye’ and ‘kiss’, in her language of course, and has normal hearing. Doctors are monitoring mild vision damage and plan to continue to assess her vision as she develops. Natala has also been diagnosed with epilepsy however since beginning medication, no tremors or twitching have been observed. Natala is currently being cared for by a foster family and has formed appropriate attachment to her foster mother. Young Natala needs a forever family that can support her, love her, and celebrate along with her as she continues to reach milestones. Could you be that family?

Update 2022:

Natala participated in our February 2022 Virtual Superkids trip.  She was 2 1/2 years old during the visit. Natala is a special girl who will require lifelong care by her adoptive parents.

Natala expresses her joy through smiling and laughing.  She enjoys toys that make sounds and lights up when playing with dolls.  She expresses sadness through crying.  Natala has global delays in development and non-verbal.  She is most comforted and connected to her foster mother.

Meet Jolie!  Jolie enjoys walks with her caregiver.  Her favorite part of their walk is when her caregiver speeds up pushing her stroller, and Jolie giggles with joy!  Jolie loves being embraced by her caregivers and communicates with them through giggles and cooing.  

 Jolie has a diagnosis of epilepsy, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, low vision, and overall global delays. Jolie continues to make progress in physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, which she attends once a week.  Jolie recently accomplished being able to turn her body over from her back to her side! 

 Jolie needs a loving, patient, and caring family who will be able to provide lifelong care and help her develop to her full potential.

Sariah is an adorable little gal, born in summer of 2019, who is described as affectionate and calm. She has established routines for sleeping. She has right hand dominance and can play independently for 15 minutes. She is not potty trained yet. Sariah can reach for objects in front of her, can turn around, and has good head control. She can move around on a mat without help and follow objects with her eyes. She reaches for objects close to her, can adapt to other spaces, and shakes objects that make noise.

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-sariah
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-sariah2
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-sariah3
Password: Adoptmaa

Julee likes to live a relaxed and easy lifestyle. She laughs around familiar caregivers and takes initiative to ask for hugs. Her caregivers report that she has a persistent personality and clear preferences. We have videos of Julee playing with toys, feeding herself with a spoon, walking with a baby walker, and more. We can see in the videos that she maintains good eye contact and are told that she is able to walk for 20-30 minutes if pushing a baby walker. She of course will take pauses to rest, but typically doesn’t sit down. Julee likes to watch T.V. and play with toys that make sounds. She has been diagnosed with spinal bifida and hydrocephalus and has delayed speech when compared with children her age. However, she has been receiving early interventions on weekly basis and she practices walking 3 to 4 times daily. Julee has received leg splints to support walking and improve muscle tone, and with great success, she is now able to stand up on her own! Could your family be the one Julee needs to support her as she reaches more developmental milestones?

Janice enjoys outdoor activities, especially riding her tricycle, sliding down the slide in the neighborhood park and bouncing around a basketball.  When she isn’t participating in a physical activity, Janice likes reading books and singing nursery rhymes with “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and “The Butterflies are so Beautiful” being her favorites!

Janice is shy around strangers, but interacts with them once she becomes familiar. Janice acts affectionately towards people she is familiar with and asks for cuddles. Janice has a close bond with her foster family and likes to seek their affection.

Janice has a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis with moderate cognitive and motor skills delays.  She currently attends physical, occupational and speech therapies. Janice has made good progress, and she is now able to climb stairs, jump on the ground 10 times in a row, and complete a 4 piece puzzle! At home, Janice will imitate her foster mother’s speech and ask questions.

Could you imagine pushing Janice on the swings at your neighborhood park or teaching her how to ride a bicycle?   If you think you could be the right family for her, don’t hesitate to reach out

Sadie has limited movement in her neck, back and hands/arms (due to limited movement of the shoulders). She has more range of motion in her left arm vs her right. She compensates for her limited mobility. She stands on her toes to reach objects (when she cannot extend her arms) and holds on to a support to bend down or she seeks assistance from an adult. She walks, plays with toys, and interacts with her environment. She can put together wooden puzzles, stack rings and perform other basic tasks. She can take the cap off a pen and tries to draw shapes. She interacts with familiar people. She initiates games such as peek-a-boo. She will point to things she wants to communicate her wants/needs. She dances along to music. She can say some simple single syllable words such as ma-ma, but mostly communicates with gestures. She lived in a home with a younger child for a while and did well with the younger child. The foster family limits her interactions with other people, because they are afraid she will get hurt, due to her physical limitations. She plays well with other people, when she is around them. She does not go to preschool due to the fear her foster family has that she will be injured. She shows a preference to certain objects and TV shows (Peppa Pig and Masha the Bear).

Videos from May 2022 show Sadie walking, playing with toys, putting a puzzle together and interacting with adults. The videos show Sadie’s physical limitations.

Alyssa was a sleepy girl at the beginning of our Zoom call but as her caregivers slowly nudged and called her name, she began to wake up. Two and a half-year-old Alyssa is not speaking, but we learned from her caregivers that she is a cuddly child who loves being held. She will also smile when she hears her name called. Alyssa likes listening to music as it helps to calm her, along with additional cuddles when she is upset. Alyssa seems curious in new environments. She doesn’t interact much with other children due to her mobility. Instead of playing with toys, she would rather be rocked and listen to music.  Alyssa’s diet consists of her formula which she consumes through a nasal feeding tube.

Alyssa is diagnosed with global developmental delays, hydrocephalus and seizure disorder. She resides in a nursing home and receives 30 minutes of occupational and physical therapy each week. The agency has much more information on Alyssa. Could your family be the one she needs?

Joyana’s favorite activities include playing on a yoga ball, hugging her ragdolls and playing with toys that light-up and make sounds. Joyana also likes nursery rhymes, with “A Mud Doll (Ni-Wa-Wa)” being her favorite! When she hears her caregivers sing Ni-Wa-Wa, she will sing along to the words ‘wa-wa’ and sway her body to the beat. Joyana is shy in new environments and around new people, but happily plays once she has warmed up to them. She has a close bond with her foster family and enjoys playtime with her 3 year old foster sister.

Joyana has cognitive, motor and speech developmental delays. Joy currently attends occupational therapy, and her caregivers hope she will start physical therapy soon. In the meantime her caregivers continue to work with her to practice and improve her muscle strength and endurance. At the time of this report, they were helping Joy learning to climb up and down stairs by herself! Joy has a surgical history of craniosynostosis surgery and polydactyly surgery (12/2020).

Can you imagine singing nursery rhymes with Joy as part of your nightly bedtime routine?

The boys are both listed as healthy.  All three should be adopted together.

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