Other Special Needs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dillon, 10, entered protective care he was 16 months old due to his mother’s inability to care for him. The grandmother indicated that his mother had mental health issues, but that she had been unable to get her to seek psychiatric care.

Dillon is in the 2nd grade. He is respectful towards his teacher and classmates. It is hard for him to fully understand subjects such as math and language, but improvements have been made in his reading. According to an IQ test, his intelligence is lower than expected for his age. He can stay focused for short periods.

Dillon´s social development has been challenging. During the pandemic he did not interact with other children. He is currently learning to be calm during his interactions and not to become aggressive towards them. Dillon participates in group activities for short periods since he might become aggressive or behave in a bad way. There are days when a situation has triggered Dillon and he then does not want to obey instructions. Dillon gets anxious about loud noises and insects. Sometimes Dillon demands the full attention of his foster mother. While Dillon is very affectionate towards people he is familiar with, he gets anxious and nervous when around unfamiliar people. He gets worried about going out, mainly because he worries about unknown people. Dillon is still learning to manage his impulses and frustrations, and when he is upset he usually hits the walls and screams. It is important to mention that Dillon gets along better with younger children than with his peers. Dillon’s fine psychomotor skills have improved over time. There are no major concerns regarding his gross motor skills; however, due to his diagnosis, he is restless and harms himself sometimes. Dillon is learning to become independent in his daily routines, but he still needs supervision and support. He has good sleep and eating habits. Dillon is still learning to urinary and bowel control, and he often will urinate/defecate outside instead of going to the restroom. He does not take care of his personal belongings and is still learning to have proper hygiene habits.

Going to the park or getting to do errands with his foster mother makes Dillon happy. He likes to play alone, and he has a favorite outfit that he would love to wear every single day.

Report is from August 2024 — Roman, 12, lived with his biological and an older brother until he was 7 years old. At that time, the place where his mother worked burned and she had to leave his brother with that child’s father, and she moved to a different town with Roman. Unfortunately, she could not find a stable job or place to live and she sought assistance from Protective Services. Roman was previously hosted by a family, but that family opted not to adopt him. More information is available.

Roman is in the 4th grade. It has been observed that Roman has great leadership skills, especially at school. Most of his teachers have stated that Roman has a lot of potential but his lack of motivation hinders his progress and development. However, Roman has great skills in math. He recognizes authority figures; he is respectful and obedient towards them. He can follow simple and complex instructions. There are no concerns regarding his motor, language, cognitive and social development.

Roman is an affectionate child after he has built a positive relationship with an adult. He can verbally express his feelings and emotions; however, when there are situations of high emotional demand, he limits the externalization of what he is feeling. Roman is still learning to manage his frustration and impulses, but good improvements have been observed. Roman is shy when meeting people but can easily overcome this behavior once he feels the adult is trustworthy. He interacts in a positive way with adults, peers, younger children, and animals. Roman gets anxious when he does not get what he wants immediately or when something he was expecting does not end up happening. Roman is sad when remembering his biological family, and this connection is part of why the hosting family did not choose to adopt him. Roman is afraid of dark, thunder, rain, and heights. In order to fall asleep, he needs some light or a stuffed animal.

Roman loves it when he gets to go to amusement parks, the movies or the pool. Roman likes to ride his bike, listen to music, and watch TV. He has stated that he would like to improve his drawing skills.

He has a support teacher at school who helps him a lot. Wally has difficulty concentrating and the support teacher works with him to be effective in the classroom. He has excellent grades. He is open, creative, intelligent and talkative boy. He interacts better with adults – for example, on the way to school he will approach a person with the dog and ask about something. Because of the problems when other children, he is recommended to adoption of the family without children at home or single mother.  The boy dreams about family of his own and he feels very lonely, nobody visit him, and he has no place to go for holidays or vacations.

Ally, now 14, lived with her mother and stepfather in their indigenous community until her parents separated. At that time she went to live with her grandparents who used physical punishment with her. Her mother started a new relationship with a man and they were negligent and abuse toward Ally. At that time, Ally suffered from enuresis (bedwetting), and whenever she would hear the word punishment she would wet herself. She entered into protective care at the age of 7 and her biological mother showed no interest in fulfilling the requirements to regain custody. Ally is now said to be clinically healthy, but as with all children in care, she has suffered trauma from her abusive and difficult past.

Ally is enrolled in school; she is in 8th grade. Her academic performance is good, and her main interest is art—she loves to draw and paint. Her least favorite subject is math. She has a positive relationship with her teachers and classmates. Ally does not get jealous when her caregivers pay attention to other kids, and she is able to give and receive affection. She is an independent girl who fulfills all her daily routines without help. Ally has good sleep and eating habits. She manages her frustration and impulses in accordance with her chronological age. She stays focused and does her best to complete every activity even if it is challenging.

There are no concerns regarding her motor, language, cognitive and social development. She used to go to psychological therapy, but every goal was achieved and she no longer needs this type of support. It is still difficult for Ally to fully express her feelings and emotions verbally, but a great improvement has been shown. At the moment there are no specific triggers that will cause her to feel anxious. In the past, the thought of being reintegrated with her biological family was a cause of anxiousness.

Ally does not get shy when meeting new people but might wait for others to take the initiative to start a conversation. She recognizes authority figures and is respectful and obedient towards them. She interacts positively with adults, peers, younger children, and animals. Ally has great hygiene habits and takes good care of her belongings.

Ally loves playing sports like basketball, and she is part of her school team. She likes to walk outdoors and is very interested in learning English. Ally is currently clinically healthy and does not take any medication. Ally is very aware of fashion and likes to wear clothes that are aesthetically correct. She likes to listen to K-pop.

Ally will need a family who is motivated to get paperwork done quickly as she is 14.5 years old and in danger of aging out of being able to immigrate to the U.S. While we do not anticipate any problems (we can never guarantee), a family must be committed to completing a home study and dossier in a efficient manner so the process can have time to complete.

Intelligent, extroverted, spontaneous, resilient, loyal, a dreamer, creative, affectionate, loving, self-efficient, autonomous, astute, brave, perseverant, with a restless mind to learn new things and face new challenges, and with great capabilities. Despite extreme difficulties in life, this is how Sani is described even though being a victim of severe child abuse of various types—including abuse that led to vision loss —could have led him to be otherwise described. Sani came into protective care in 2022 at the age of 7 years old. He is now 9 years old.

Sani is currently enrolled in the 4th grade. According to his teacher´s report, the child is loved by his classmates. He uses his cane to walk around and there are no major concerns regarding his motor, language, cognitive and social development taking into consideration his diagnoses of secondary vision loss and severe child abuse syndrome. He has great communication skills and can verbally expresses his feelings and emotions with people he is very familiar with. Sani recognizes authority figures, but many times has trouble being respectful and obedient, especially if he does not agree with an instruction given by them. Sani can easily make new friends and has leadership skills among his peers.

Sani goes to psychological therapy. He is still learning to take full responsibility for his consequences, and sometimes he lies to avoid any kind of discipline. Sani is learning to manage his impulses and frustration. If there is a situation that he cannot handle emotionally, he will start yelling or behaving in a hostile way with his peers. Whenever he throws a tantrum, he sometimes experiences psychomotor agitation and uses bad language. Whenever there are situations that make him feel anxious, he bites his sleeves, has sweaty hands or has motor restlessness. He gets upset when he needs to continue pushing to do his best in order to fully know the Braille system. He is afraid of being in a dark room alone. Because of his severe history of child abuse, it is recommended that Sani be the youngest child in the family though this may be negotiable depending on a family’s experience with children from abuse. Sani has expressed that he would like a family with two heterosexual parents and he would like to have siblings.

Sani likes to play soccer and enjoys building with Legos and also engaging in conversations with adults. He likes to listen to music in English or Portuguese since he has expressed his desire of learning new languages. Sani favorite colors are blue, white, black and orange. He loves to practice soccer, swimming, martial arts such as capoeira and riding his bicycle. He even likes to breakdance as evidence in a video sent with his profile. Sani is good at playing musical instruments. He would like to become a scientist, learn about biology and astronomy and also speak different languages.

Salvador has resided with a foster family since July 2018.

He was born with low weight and with pathological neonatal period. The child has a
physical development within the lower limit of the norm and mental delay in mild to moderate degree (IQ-41). Phrase speech is not developed, he utters single words; lags behind in the development of habits, skills, emotional and social development.
Uses optical correction due to intermittent heterotropy and astigmatism of the eyes.

The child walks stably and independently. There is delay in the development of the fine motor skills. The emotional status of the child is mostly positive – he is calm and curious. He does not show aggression, he is adaptive. He understands phrasal speech, utters single words, but does not speak. The child is able to play by himself, but he also is looking for the company of other children. Participates in the game process. He feeds himself, his personal hygiene is well-maintained. He controls physiological needs.

Shay lives in a foster home. She was hospitalized to look for a cause for her seizures and was diagnosed with ataxic cerebral palsy. She is currently taking medication for seizures, but still has 1-2 seizures each month. She is able to walk and has good gross motor skills. Her fine motor skills are delayed. Her speech is delayed. She uses single words or short phrases to communicate. She has difficulty focusing, which makes it difficult for her to learn new skills. She is very active and needs constant supervision.

 

Update 9/2024

Shay lives in a foster family and is very close to her foster mom.  She says a lot of words and sentences, but they are in Turkish.  She is extremely mobile and can run, climb on fitness equipment, go up and down stairs and can jump on one leg.  She enjoys playing with dolls and pretending to cook.  She likes nice clothes and likes to look good.  She does not manifest any aggression and in fact is very loving and sweet.  She is also very curious.   A resource teacher works with Shay at school, and she also visits with a psychologist at the Community Support Center. Unfortunately she lives in a very small town with very few other resources.  She really needs the love, attention and resources that only a family can give.

Archer is living in an Eastern European baby home. Short, smiling and calm, Archer’s main diagnosis is atypical childhood autism. He does not speak, but he pronounces sounds and syllables, and he performs stereotypical movements. Archer loves to be alone, and her prefers angles, areas near the window, mirror or door.

Physically well-developed, Archer’s height and weight are normal for his age. He walks by himself, improving his balance. He also climbs, going up and down stairs held by a hand. He can easily open doors.

Archer eats with a spoon, drinks from a cup and goes to sleep by himself. He is not potty trained. Archer makes short-term contacts with the children he knows by touching them with a hand or pulling their clothes gently. He prefers to play with music toys that have buttons, which he pushes to release the music by himself.

The child is calm and rarely cries when he’s upset or protests. Single demonstrations of stereotypical shaking of the head right-left have been observed. He reacts with cheer and liveliness to the presence of familiar adults and accepts their presence and contact; he smiles to tender speech and laughs loud to teases. He likes close physical contact. He is distanced with strangers and is distrustful with them not showing activity in play interactions. His attention is difficult to attract and keep. He has support in his legs. His motor development is at the level turning from back to stomach and vice versa and moving by crawling. He is steady in the walker and makes attempts to move around in it. His grip is palmar and he manipulates for long time with toys put in proximity, with alternation of the hands. He picks up a toy put in proximity, makes attempts to evoke sounds from it or puts it in his mouth. Currently, he plays with toys manipulating with them for a long time. He rarely pronounces syllables or other combinations of sounds.

He readily enters into play interactions with adults. He spontaneously pronounces syllables and other combinations of sounds. He eats well, with appetite. While bathed, he’s calm. His sleep is calm and long. He sucks his thumb while sleeping. He eats blended food from a spoon.

We met Kent for the first time on his 6^th birthday! Since this was his first time meeting us, he was pretty shy. We could tell that he has a close relationship with his foster mother as he looked to her for reassurance and followed her directions. In fact, his foster mother described him as “a little prince”! She said that he is sweet, cuddly, active, and likes attention.

Kent did pretty well on the tasks that we asked him to do, including tossing a ball, standing on one foot, drawing a person and putting 6 step sequencing cards in order. When we asked him if he could add 2 + 3, he responded to the social worker “No, because I don’t speak English!” Okay, smarty-pants, you got us there!

He wasn’t up to answering most of our questions, but he after a while, Bill Porter got up and invited him to play. That’s when we finally saw what I think is the true Kent – he was suddenly full of energy and was clearly having a fun time! Kent is reported to have some developmental delays, and we have information about his time living with his birth family in his profile.

Update: april 2021

Kent’s personality truly shined when we met him in person, but this time he wasn’t as excited to participate in our fun games and activities virtually over Zoom. Kent is a shy boy, but we noticed that more during our recent visit with him. He did however tell us that he can ride a bicycle with only 2 wheels and showed us a dinosaur picture that he drew which was very impressive! Kent enjoys riding his bike and wants to learn how to roller skate next. Kent is friendly with other children at school and has good behavior reports from his teachers. He is able to follow rules, play well with others, shower and brush his own teeth, and much more. He tells his foster mother that he enjoys going to school and likes playing monkey bars on the playground. Like most 7-year-old boys, he loves being active! Kent is afraid of strangers and prefers to be accompanied by familiar people. Kent has been diagnosed with developmental delays, attends resource classes at school, and receives occupational and physical therapy once per week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

 

Update 2024: Polly now displays some self injurious behaviors.  They have seen improvements with the addition of multiple medications, but her behaviors can decline as the meds begin to wear off each day and before an additional dose can be given.

Jorrell favorites include playing with building blocks, toy cars, and reading storybooks – especially fairy tales and detective stories! Jorrell is inquisitive and loves to explorer.

Jorrell lives in a children’s home with 9 other children of similar age. He attends elementary school and is an eager learner. Jorrell is a helper by nature, and is one of the first to volunteer to assist his teacher and always wants to take care of younger children that he lives with.

Jorrell has a diagnosis of suspected absence seizures and suspected Tourette Syndrome, with developmental delays.

Diagnoses include severe prematurity, including damage to the central nervous system –
hydrocephalus; a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was implanted. There is a lag in physical and
neuropsychological development.

Archibald cannot walk independently. He moves by pushing when placed in a walker. Stands up on his own and stands on his feet when in his crib. He can get out of bed by himself. He can go around the whole game room. He can sit for about 15-20 minutes. In terms of fine motor skills, he can pick up a toy himself if it is nearby; he plays for a long time and prefers to manipulate with his left hand. If the toy is at a distance, he tries to reach it. He likes musical toys. He recognizes adults. He has a good emotional tone, he enjoys contact with adults he knows; he loves when they praise him. He gets angry if his toy is taken away and tries to keep it in his possession. Archibald cannot speak but he makes long sounds. In interpersonal relationships he shows preferences for certain adults and initiates contact with them. He plays with toys. The child doesn’t have independent household hygiene habits. He is calm when changing and bathing, as well as in his sleep. Archibald does not take an afternoon nap, he eats everything. He is very stubborn and when he decides that he wants to pick up an object, no matter how heavy and large, he does his best. He still uses a diaper, potty several times a day. His sleep at night is
peaceful. He has daily kinesitherapy and sessions with a teacher. He is followed by a
neurosurgeon.

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

Samuel is not shy! He enjoys interacting with new people and likes playing in groups. His foster father said Sable “feels especially loved when there are more people interacting with him.”

Samuel resides in a foster home and has a 2 year old foster sister. He has a close bond with his foster parents and often expresses his affection to them.

Samuel has developmental delays and suspected ADHD. He attends occupational and speech therapy. During a recent visit with his social worker, he demonstrated his ability to string beads together, stack blocks and draw with a pencil. His articulation and pronunciation have improved, and he is able to clearly express himself. Sable also attends group therapy to help improve his interpersonal skills.

Nikki is very social, bright and intelligent girl. She is able to express verbally her emotions, interests, concerns and ideas and she is very well-spoken and has a rich vocabulary. She shared that her favorite subjects at school are physical education and English. She shared that she enjoys being around friends and she has many of them both at school and in her group home. She is not a conflict person and she starts every conversation and interaction with very positive intentions.

She shared that her passion is currently drama performances and classes and she has already some experience playing on stage at the local theaters. Nikki says that if she has to choose she would prefer the stage rather than playing in a movie because she likes to have interaction with the audience. However she has a favorite movie and it's a movie which she admits she watched like hundreds of time – Titanic. She shared that she likes Leonardo Di Caprio and Angelina Jolie as actors.

Nikki seems to be one very sensitive and romantic soul, she enjoys more peaceful activities, she likes the rain and she admits that some movies make her cry. However she does not spare any smiles and she loves to smile and have fun with her friends. Nikki likes the colors black, red and purple, she said that pink is definitely not a favorite color. She said that she is not a picky eater and she likes all kinds of food. She shared that she does not like lamb meat. Nikki enjoys the music of the singer Arianna Grande and she dreams to visit Paris one day.

Nikki's hope is that she will have a family. She was adopted years ago through the national adoption process but her parents seemed to be much older and at the end they saw that they feel much more comfortable without having a child at home, they had a hard time creating emotional bond with her and they disrupted the adoption after four years. Nikki seems to have processed the trauma from that separation and she now realizes that what happened maybe was in her interest as she felt undesired in their home.

Since 2021 she is in the current group home and she is now looking in the future and the possibility to have a new family. She said that it does not bother her if the family is from another country even though she admits she will feel sad for leaving her friends and the people who take care for her now.

When asked about how she is imagining her family, she said that she wants they to be good people and to treat her well. She is ok with both having other siblings or not. Nikki shared that she loves animals ( her favorite is a cat) and she would like her family to like animals too. Nikki believes that you can tell a lot about the people just watching them how they act and interact around animals and that it is always a good person the one who admits that likes animals.

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.

Melanie is a delightful little girl with a laugh that will brighten any room. She loves to be picked up and spun around, danced with, or held upside down. She enjoys being tickled or playing hide and seek with scarves or blankets. She is extremely bright and could use sufficient speech therapy. She is great at letting you know when something is wrong by calling out or crying. She is working hard to use her hands, as well as her head and mouth to manipulate toys and objects.

Melanie has demonstrated clear attachment to her favorite caretakers. It’s very obvious that a consistent family would help her to thrive most. She recognizes people and is even able to say some names. She gets very excited when people come and very sad when they go. She would bring unending joy to any family!

Viv is a cute little girl who likes watching children’s videos and loves playing outside at the park. She loves music and dancing while sitting. Viv gets excited when playing with dolls and listening to music. Her general development is within her age range, but a little behind because of her skin condition. Contact the adoption agency to learn more about Viv and her listed medical condition!

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-viv02
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-viv03
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-viv04
Password: Adoptmaa

Josie’s foster mother says she is smart and a quick learner. Josie is usually cheerful and active, however she can be shy and more observant when strangers are around. She has a steady routine throughout each day and sleeps well at night. Josie is not a picky eater and has a good appetite. We hear that she tends to like soup and side dishes the most, but occasionally needs to be reminded of the warm temperatures. Josie particularly likes the outdoors, and always enjoys the slides at the park jungle gym. From the information and stories that we have from Josie’s foster mother, we can tell that Josie is a determined little girl. Josie has been diagnosed with mild CP and developmental delays. After she was placed with her foster family in early 2018, she received 7 early intervention sessions a week (PT, OT, ST) and attended preschool since June 2018 for environmental stimulation. Josie has continued to make progress developmentally. At present, she receives 3 early intervention session a week (PT, OT, ST) at her teacher’s suggestion. She also wears corrective shoes outdoors. Could you be the right family to support Josie as she reaches developmental milestones?

Carrie  and Grace  are sisters who have been in state care since 2019. After their mother passed away, their grandmother cared for the girls for as long as she was able. Now they hope to find a forever family who will welcome them together. Both girls do well in school and enjoy group activities. Carrie says math is one of her favorite subjects, and she hopes to take gymnastics lessons again someday. Grace loves art and is described as a leader. Neither girl has any special needs. They just need a family.

 

Unedited pictures are available from the agency

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.

Update 2024

Brody was born in  2015 and resides with a foster family. He is a smiley child. He is clinically and medically healthy. Brody has a cochlear implant but despite this, there is no clear evidence of hearing recovery. He vocalizes individual sounds without any meaning or meaning. He uses non-verbal means of communication to satisfy basic needs. He does not have a developed active and passive vocabulary for his age. Lacks developed speech. After the placement of the hearing implant, different-sounding sounds are heard more often, but it cannot be determined whether there is a connection with this. He has been assessed with moderate mental retardation with atypical autism, bilateral hearing
loss, a disorder in receptive and expressive speech, atypical communicative development, and delay in developmental stages.

He looks carefully at those around him. When stimulated, the child reacts, hugs and seeks contact with the foster parent. He smiles when teased, as well as gets angry when a toy he is interested in is taken away. According to information from the foster parent, there are no depressive and aggressive occurrences. He reacts to the absence of the foster parent and looks for her. According to information from the foster parent, the child is active in contacts with significant adults – both close and surrounding. Affectionate and seeking tenderness and attention from them. He takes a man by the hand to show him something he wants. No anxiety is observed when meeting a stranger but does not want to be left with strangers and reacts with grumbling and crying. He likes to be taken care of, smiles at caress and attention from adults. When observed, the boy moves steadily, independently and without assistance. Squats, stands, stretches and contracts arms. Climbing stairs with legs one after another. Handles objects equally with both hands. It is noticed that he walks on his toes. Climbs on chairs and sofas. His movements are chaotic – there is no real judgment of danger

Fine motor skills for the age are not well developed. No stacking of cubes is observed. Holds objects for a short time and throws them. The child does not have skills related to making coordinated movements with his fingers. Tries to play with constructor set but fails to assemble items. Under direct observation, he holds a pencil in his hand but shows no interest in the white sheet. It leaves no traces. With support, he manages to pull a zipper to fasten it. Unsustainable attention and concentration. Difficulty sharing attention. Orients himself in the space of the room, opens the door and wants to go outside. Does not recognize, does not name, does not show parts of his body. It has an orientation to the position of its body in space. Deal with obstacles by removing or bypassing them.

Brody does not use the toys as intended. Interest in the environment is chaotic. During the examination, chaotic play, grasping and scratching of the toys on the ground were observed. Plays with a given toy, but for a short time. According to information, when visiting a children’s corner or park, he prefers the same activities. He does not seek contact with peers, he is more interested in their toys. During observations in an outdoor environment / in a park / the boy walks and runs chaotically, no play activity is observed. Prefers to walk and walk holding hands.

In September 2022, the child was enrolled in the first grade at school, with classes taking place at the Center for Special Educational Support. There were a total of 7 children with different degrees of disability in the class. He was not able to adapt there and for this reason he was admitted to another specialized institution for the child to visit. At the time of preparation of his description to visit the center daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There he adapted very well to the new environment. A speech therapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitator and a resource teacher work with the child. Brandon feels very good at the center, interacting with the specialists. Physical therapy – passive and active – was carried out in the center. He did exercises for general strengthening of the body, improvement of independence and improvement of general motor patterns. Work was done on maintaining attention, stimulating fine motor skills and orientation in space, but it was not possible to carry out any educational activity, because of the lack of interest in the educational process. From the information received, he did not communicate with other children in the group, but accepted attention and proximity from the staff there.

Brody lacks developed self-care skills. From the information received from the caregiver, the child does not feed independently but uses a spoon with the support of an adult. He is on a general diet. The child is reported to have a good appetite. Differentiates the taste of food. Shows preferences for certain foods. He likes to eat sweet things. Constant salivation is observed. He is dependent on an adult for dressing and undressing, but according to the caregiver, he is involved and helps with dressing more than before. He undresses himself for sleep and when he needs to go to the bathroom. Brody is reported to be a restful sleeper, sleeping soundly at night and not waking up. The child uses a diaper all day. He cannot control and does not report when a physiological need arises.

Jonah lived with his mother and various maternal relatives in a dysfunctional family and household until he was almost 9 years old.

Despite not attending school until he came into care at 9 years old, Jonah is in the 5^th grade where he is a good student and interacts well with teachers and classmates. He had speech therapies until November 2023 due to a diagnosis of Academic school disorders, but after being re-evaluated he no longer needs to continue with therapy or medication. He follows simple and complex instructions. He can stay focused on one specific activity. His cognitive and social development is in accordance with his chronological age. Jonah is spontaneous and takes the initiative to start a conversation with new people. He recognizes authority figures; he is respectful and obedient towards them. Jonah takes good care of his personal belongings and does his best to be clean and put together every day.

Jonah has many friends and if he feels comfortable enough, he becomes the leader of an activity. He interacts positively with adults, peers, younger children, and animals. Jonah goes to psychological therapy sessions twice monthly, and he loves them. He likes to give and receive affection, and does not get jealous when his caregivers have to pay attention to the other children. He can verbally express his feelings and emotions. Whenever Jonah is upset about something, he isolates himself and gets very serious. It upsets him when people do not understand him. He is afraid of the dark and being alone for long periods, and at these times, he tries to distract himself by watching TV so that he will not hear any strange noises. He can manage his impulses and frustration in accordance with his chronological age. There are no concerns regarding Jonah´s motor development.

Jonah loves to listen to music in English and Spanish, he even makes up his songs. Spending time with other children makes him happy. He likes to play board games and also read comic books. Jonah has stated that he would love to study psychology and own two houses—one for his children and the other for rent. He would also like to build a veterinary clinic and leave that for his children. He would love to be part of a traditional family with a mom and dad with or without other kids.

Jeremy was met by agency staff in July of 2022. He has a beautiful smile that lights up the room. Jeremy is affectionate with his foster mother and loves to listen to her sing. He really enjoys music! Jeremy will need a family who can provide dedicated care and one who can continue to help him develop and grow. We can’t wait to see who his family will be.

The agency has additional medical information and videos available.

Maci, Milan, and Marcel are a beautiful sibling group waiting for a loving forever family of their own! These siblings participated in a summer 2023 hosting program and still wait. The in-country team still talks to their host family regularly and knows these kids VERY well!

Additional information & pictures available from the listing agency.

Maci, born in March of 2009, is feminine and gets along very well with girls. She is described as smiley, friendly, a good friend, and empathetic. She is always ready and eager to help others. Maci needs to make everything suitable for everyone. She very much loves her siblings and has a great capacity to give love and care. She can search for help to resolve difficult situations. She loves to look good and likes using make-up and doing her hair. Sometimes learning is challenging for Maci, but her motivation allows her to overcome obstacles and persevere. She always wants to belong to something.

Milan, born in April of 2014, loves animals. She really likes taking care of them and pampering them. Milan is characterized by being playful, tender, empathetic, and loving. She is very close to her siblings and enjoys spending time with them. Her favorite activities are going to the farm, playing in the pool, and coloring. Sometimes it is difficult for her to make decisions. She must be motivated to learn to recognize those things that she likes and that make her feel good. You will always find her joking. To make her laugh, you need to tickle her a little.

Marcel, born in July of 2012, is a sweet, loving, disciplined child, eager to explore his environment and learn something new daily. One of the activities he most enjoys is building new objects and assembling Legos. He really likes learning new languages and about other cultures. Marcel is a very healthy boy. His favorite foods are fruits and salads. It is easy for him to relate and interact with others. He is expressive and friendly and knows how to recognize and express his needs.

There is a $2,000 agency fee reduction for Maci, Milan, and Marcel’s adoption with the listing adoption agency. Additional agency fee reductions may be available with the agency based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Maci, Milan, and Marcel have an additional $5,500 grant through Children Need Families; The adoption agency will allocate this grant. Maci, Milan, and Marcel also qualify for a RODS Heroes grant (RODS Applications are based on financial need)

Info is from January 2023; the agency can get updated information when there is a serious inquiry.

Liamo was placed into protective care upon discharge from the hospital when he was born. At the time of his birth, he suffered severe asphyxia. His mother’s pregnancy was unplanned and she had not received any prenatal care. His parents were unable to grasp his medical diagnosis and condition, they were not in the position to care for his medical needs. No one in the biological family was able to care for him either.

Liamo is a child who needs constant supervision. His oxygen levels needed to be always monitored; however, oxygen support has been removed and he seems to have a better mood. He has not had any seizures but does have some spasms during the day. He cannot stay in a seated position. Despite his diagnosis, Liamo loves to receive affection. He communicates through babbling and other sounds. He needs support to fulfill all daily activities. He wakes up very early in the morning and is still not able to sleep throughout the night. Liamo wears diapers all day.

Liamo can kick his legs and with the help of external support equipment he can stay in a seated position for a period of time. His neck control is getting better, as he now can hold his head up for 40 to 50 seconds. He can grab objects with his hands without applying pressure. Liamo goes to occupational, physical, and speech therapy. He gets easily uncomfortable when he needs to wear more clothes, he prefers to wear very light clothes. He turns his head when he hears a strong noise. He takes daily medication. Liamo likes to change positions constantly and likes to participate in activities where there are sounds involved.

Anna, now 10 years old, entered the Protection Services for the first time when she was a newborn baby as her mother used drugs while pregnant. She lived with her grandmother for a while, but reentered care at 13 months old.

Anna is known for being a happy girl. Anna is not enrolled in school as it has been difficult to find an Institution that can work with her diagnosis and special needs. However, when she was enrolled in school, it was noted that she behaved positively and recognized authority figures. Anna loves to give and receive affection, and she does not get jealous when her foster mother pays attention to other children. Her closest bond is with the 12-year-old daughter of her foster mother. She needs support and supervision to fulfill her daily routines. Anna has a good sleep and eating patterns; however, she very occasionally wets the bed. Anna sometimes throws objects to the floor when she feels frustrated. She can follow simple instructions. Due to her diagnosis, it is hard for her to stay focused on one specific task.

Anna can keep her balance and walk, and she tries to jump but is not fully able to do it. She can run slowly and up the stairs if an adult holds her hand. Her fine motor skills are still developing. Anna is not able to hold scissors, but she can grab pencils and color. She needs help with dressing and hygiene. For the most part, Anna communicates through signs and very short words; it is not hard to understand what she wants. She goes to speech therapy. Anna recognizes familiar faces, and she does not get shy when meeting new people. She can play with younger children or with peers, but she gets upset when other children take her belongings. She recognizes her foster mother as an authority figure. She likes dogs as long as they are away from her, and she gets nervous when pets are near her.

Being told she looks pretty or that she is beautiful makes Anna happy. She loves to have her hair done in pretty styles and enjoys wearing new clothes. She likes to watch children’s movies and videos of people doing exercises. She is very good at swimming. Anna´s favorite foods are spaghetti and chicken with rice. She loves to listen to music and do puzzles.

This is Jonathan!  Jonathan is almost 4 years old, and we had the absolute pleasure of meeting him on our last visit to Taiwan.  He is an active toddler who loves cars, balls, steering wheels, and toys that make sound and light up.  He also adores toys that spin!  While Jonathan is interested in meeting new people, he still maintains caution and will distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people and surroundings.  At this time, Jonathan prefers to play on his own, but will occasionally engage with peers when a friend is playing with a toy that Jonathan wants.

Jonathan attends school regularly, and positively interacts with his teachers.  He follows instructions and participates in activities. Jonathan has made significant progress over the past eight months, with increased verbal expressions and connection with others.  While he does primarily use non-word vocalizations to express himself, more recently he has correctly pronounced several words.  Jonathan can accurately identify objects, and follow direction such as ‘go get your school bag.’

Jonathan has made great progress over the past year, and we know his progress would be even stronger with the love and support of a forever family!

Gene’s information is from a report in June 2024 — the agency does have older reports as well.  Gene was 7 years old when he entered care due to neglect. He spent most of his days on the streets and there were behavioral issues within his family of origin. His father was in jail and his mother was involved in criminal activities as well as drug usage. While she said she was going to make changes in her life to regain her son’s custody, she did not follow through. Gene is now 12 years old.

Gene is in the 4th grade. He struggles academically. It is difficult for him to understand new concepts and therefore is unmotivated to do his best. He still has trouble pronouncing properly many words. In 2020 he was diagnosed with mild cognitive developmental delay, but this diagnosis was overruled though an IQ test is pending. He can get easily distracted if he does not like a specific activity. There are no concerns regarding his motor development. His language development is behind, it is difficult for him to comprehend a reading assignment; and he mispronounces some words. In the middle of the night, it is necessary to wake him up to go to the bathroom so that he will not have any accidents. Gene has been learning to manage his frustrations and impulses in a better way. Gene interacts in a positive way with his peers. Gene recognizes authority figures; he is respectful and obedient towards them. It has been observed that Gene interacts positively with adults, kids his age, younger children, and animals.

Currently, Gene goes to therapy, and he has been diagnosed with unspecified mixed behavioral issues for which he takes daily medication. He gets anxious whenever he is not permitted to do something he wants or whenever he does not fully understand a task. He gets upset when he feels he is being attacked, but he has not become aggressive. Gene is afraid of being alone, getting lost and being in the dark. Whenever he feels sad it is because he longs to have a family.

Gene loves to participate in any recreational activity, including sports. Some of Gene’s favorite activities are playing soccer, going to the park, playing cops and robbers, making bracelets and painting. When he grows up, he would like to be a professional soccer player or a chef.

Christopher is a precious little boy waiting for a family of his own. Contact the agency to learn more about Christopher and his listed needs.

 

Christopher now has a $500 agency fee reduction for his adoption;  Additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’ circumstances!

Dawson is a 5 year old boy who is active and cheerful. He has been diagnosed with fetal hypotrophy, myopia, and nystagmus. He demonstrates curiosity and is very observant. His psychomotor development is good for his age. He moves independently, both walking and running. He struggles with maintaining balance, but he has improved in coordinating his movement. He hasn’t reached age-appropriate communication skills, but he has made significant progress in this area. He can imitate gestures and words and he understands basic commands. His emotions are becoming more complex. Dawson can remember the names of his peers and caregivers. He eats meals independently and is getting better at changing clothes without help. He is making steady progress and has demonstrated the ability to aquire new skills.

Grayson is a 2 year old boy looking for a family. He struggles with delays in mental and psychomotor development. He is a calm and observant child interested in his surroundings. He is comfortable around other children but doesn’t interact with them, mostly plays independently. He can walk without assistance but unsteadily. It is known that his mother consumed alcohol during her pregnancy, but Grayson has not yet received a FAS diagnosis.

Nathan enjoys arts and crafts, playing with toys, and listening to music. Those who know him, describe Nathan as easy going and gets along well with others. Nathan has an outgoing personality and enjoys talking with people.

Nathan is a second grader in elementary school. His teacher stated he is considerate and gets along well with his peers. Nathan receives one-on-one tutoring to help him with his homework, and he is taking additional one-on-one language lessons with his teacher at school.

Naomi’s favorite activities include listening to stories, playing games,  playing with toy cars, running and jumping rope. Those who know Naomi describe her as shy at first and takes time when she is getting to know someone new. Once she has built a relationship with someone, she is friendly and enjoys interacting with them.

Naomi is receiving occupational therapy for fine motor delays and speech therapy for her language delays.  Her speech therapist mentioned she has made vast improvements on pronunciation since starting therapy.  At school her teacher has Naomi read passages aloud from her textbook to help strengthen her pronunciation of words.

Naomi is a first grader in elementary school. Her teacher stated she has good learning skills, and she gets along well with her peers.

Nathan and Naomi live at the same children’s home, where they are able to continue to have a close relationship. Nathan shares a room with 3 other boys between the ages of 6-12 years old, and Naomi shares a room with 3 other girls between the ages of 6-11 years old.

Are you a family that can give the necessary time to build a trusting bond with Naomi? Give Nathan one-on-one time to help him focus on tasks at hand?

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.

Hailey is a 13 year old girl in Asia. She is reported to have good overall development with normal physical and motor development. While her vision has been listed as normal as of July 2022, she had some prior surgeries for visual issues and it is suggested she wear glasses due to myopia. 

Hailey is able to communicate easily and freely. She is described as outgoing, expressive and a frank teenager with a kind heart. She loves to share her thoughts and feelings to those around her. She seems to be a sensitive soul as her emotions are quite easy to read on her face and admonishing her in public, she becomes defensive or cries, but when spoken to in private she responds much more positively to constructive criticism. 

In December 2023, Hailey allegedly had a suicide attempt after breaking up with her boyfriend. She was hospitalized for a few days, but was not prescribed any medication. She also was reported to be smoking, which she admitted to as a way of calming her mood, but she has responded very positively to the staff’s positive reinforcement means of handling this situation. 

As with most teenagers these days, Hailey enjoys dancing, making dance videos with classmates, and watching videos on YouTube or  TikTok. She is on the basketball team at school and also enjoys playing volleyball. She expresses admiration of her geography, computer and Chinese history teachers.  Her social worker says “her smiles and laughter are contagious and powerful.” She enjoys the Korean Pop Culture music. 

Due to the process in her country and her age, a family wishing to adopt her will need to work quickly to complete paperwork if the foreign agency in charge of their adoption chooses the family for the child.

Ben is a determined and easy-going child despite his significant medical and developmental needs. He is described as having a gentle temperament and finds contentment in simple pleasures like listening to children’s songs, sleeping peacefully and engaging with his caregivers.

Ben has been diagnosed with Chromosome 2q deletion with developmental epileptic encephalopathy, and global developmental delay. His developmental age is estimated to be under 3 months. Ben also experiences visual impairment due to right eye congenital ptosis. While these conditions necessitate using a manual wheelchair and a gastrostomy feeding tube, they do not diminish his indomitable spirit. is a courageous fighter who has persistently strived for survival and shown constant improvement in his health. As of December 2023, he has successfully been weaned off oxygen therapy. Furthermore, the ward nurses report that Ben exhibits consistent progress in his motor development under the guidance of therapists. This highlights Ben’s progress in his development through appropriate stimulation. It is believed Ben will gain more opportunities to explore and develop his potential once he starts attending school. To learn more about Chromosome 2q deletion, here is one of many articles available online: GARD Rare Disease Information – Chromosome 2q deletion – National Organization for Rare Disorders (rarediseases.org)

With a loving, committed family who is open to acquiring the necessary medical knowledge, his care staff believes that Ben will receive the support he needs to continue flourishing. Ben’s gentle nature, resilience, and evident potential make him a truly special child deserving of a forever home filled with unconditional love. While some development is expected, Ben will need lifelong care from his loved ones.

A family with a home study for any country can submit for consideration of this child. If matched, the family would need to update their home study to this specific country.

Three-year-old Ricky has special needs primarily due to his diagnosis of agenesis of the corpus callosum. While his birth family tried to care for him, he entered into care in November 2022 and was (then) also diagnosed with global neurodevelopmental delay, cryptorchidism, dysmorphic syndrome, and failure to thrive. His current diagnoses are neurodevelopmental delay, dysmorphic syndrome under follow-up, history of intrauterine growth retardation, agenesis of the corpus Callosum and repeated Broncho obstructive Syndrome. The orphanage does report that since coming into care, Ricky has made progress with various types of therapy toward reaching his personal potential.

Ricky’s listing agency also has video available!

Emery can move using a walker and can make a few steps with support, too. Specialists are working with her to continue to strengthen her legs and are hopeful that she’ll become more independently mobile. Emery likes listening to music and is able to reproduce some of them. She can say a few words and makes short sentences as well. She receives support and intervention from specialists in the local community. She likes to receive an individual attention. She has emotional bonds with adults. She eats by herself and her sleep is calm.

Channing is a talented boy, born in December of 2011, with many interests. He likes to play with Legos, create Origami, and play soccer. He is a waiting child hoping for the love and stability of a family of his own. Contact the agency to learn more about Channing and his listed needs!

NEWER VIDEOS:

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

The agency has several older videos available, too.
Password: Adoptmaa

There is a $2000 agency fee reduction for Channing’s adoption. Additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

 Nick is a very affectionate child who has bilateral hearing loss. While he has multiple diagnoses, he is able to attend school regularly and is in the second grade. Nick has adjusted well to school, his classmates, and teachers. Sometimes he gets easily distracted. He has constant support to improve his learning skills, especially his language development. Nick has trouble expressing his ideas, as his vocabulary needs to expand more and his reading comprehension is weak.

Nick is described as “so sweet and empathic that it is easy for him to interact with adults, peers, younger children, and animals.” He interacts positively with peers, makes eye contact, and loves to participate in games and activities with them. He is always willing to meet new people. Nick recognizes authority figures, and he is respectful and obedient towards them. There are no major concerns regarding his motor development, but it is important to mention that due to his medical diagnoses sometimes he can be perceived as clumsy. In the past 4 years, it has been noted that Nick gets anxious when he is not near his foster mother; however, he still is able to do all the things he is supposed to do.

As mentioned above, Nick has bilateral hearing loss, but is not deaf. He mainly communicates through facial gestures and guttural sounds. He can say and pronounce some words. He goes to special education sessions in order to improve his cognitive abilities. Sometimes Nick gets sad when his peers do not include him in an activity due to his language limitations. He is afraid of sudden loud noises and does not like when vehicles such as motorcycles are very loud. Nick has also been diagnosed with Localized Adenomegaly, Epilepsy, and related symptomatic epileptic syndromes with combined focal localization, Mitral Valve Insufficiency, moderate mental delay, and has an IQ of 40. He takes daily medication.

It makes Nick happy to be able to play with his foster siblings and to spend time with his foster mother. He also enjoys taking care of the household pets. Nick likes to sing, draw and paint. He is good at crafts and loves to play soccer in the park.

His listing agency has additional information and precious pictures of this child from when he was 3 years old! They will be happy to share this information with interested families!

This little guy is a big fan of cuddle time and giggles in delight when his nanny calls his name! At the age of two he was diagnosed with pediatric lymphoma and was responsive to chemotherapy. Seth is currently 4-years old and has lots of energy! He enjoys taking walks with his nanny, listening to music and playing with toys that light up and make sound. Seth receives comprehensive development services in Taiwan for significant global delays. A family interested in adopting Seth will need to be available for therapies, medical care, and life-long care. Seth is not timid and he enjoys interacting with people so we expect him to have a life full of accomplishments! Seth needs a family to celebrate each milestone he meets!

The adoption agency has additional photos and videos available.

 

She resides with a foster family. She has ataxic cerebral palsy. She walks with slight unsteadiness. She attends a regular school with special education support services. She needs monitoring by a child neurologist and psychiatrist, motor rehabilitation, sessions with a psychologist and speech therapist, as well as special care and supervision by an adult in all social situations. She is friendly and initiates communication and contact with peers and adults, but often misunderstands intent or meaning and takes offense. She can easily be distracted, becoming fixated on an idea or object. Her emotional and social immaturity can put her at risk in social settings. She needs a predictable, safe and secure environment.