Other Special Needs

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

Nathan: Strong motor skills – correct for age. Walks, runs, overcomes obstacles. He participates in games, wants to attract attention and is upper active. Perception and hand-eye coordination – within the normal range for age. The boy notices details, differentiates shapes and colors. Recognizes pictures, selects pairs. He connects the pictures. He places the blocks in the holes of the puzzle. Builds block structures – simple and complex at the age level. Slight speech delay. Social behavior and emotional zone – age appropriate. There is a great need for a relationship, attention and contact. Sometimes he is too impulsive and reacts hypersensitive.

Iggie: Low birth weight,  FAS
Strong motor skills – the boy walks independently, runs, overcomes obstacles with a slightly lower fluency. He imitates simple, single body movements, claps his hands, raises his hands up, stomps his feet, enjoys simple games with adults, keeps up with the group. He puts circles on the pyramid, builds a tower from blocks, creates a row (“trains”). He scribbles with a crayon without imitating the direction and shapes, but he likes to draw with adults.
Speech shaping – reacts to sounds from the environment, looks for the source of the sound, reacts to musical sounds. Active speech at the word stage – repeats many one and two-syllable words on command. Points to parts of the face, says the correct words (ear, eye, etc.). Social behavior and the emotional sphere – visible improvement of contact and relationships, establishing contact without difficulty. He is cheerful, establishes basic relations with children, reacts positively to games, and imitates. Develops the basics of independence in everyday activities. Eats by himself.

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

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

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

(Jesse was also previously listed as Andy)

Meet “A, N & R” – three siblings who are longing for a family where they can grow up loved and together. A is a 12-year-old boy who does well in school and gets along with others. He has vision loss in one eye, but that has not seemed to slow him down! His sister, N, just turned nine years old. She has diagnoses of a mild intellectual delay and minor behavioral issues. N is described as mobile and energetic. She enjoys playing with her classmates and while she may learn more slowly than her peers, she is making continual progress. Their brother, R, just turned ten years old. R likes to color, watch TV, and ride on scooters and bicycles. He has diagnoses of a mild intellectual delay and ADHD as well as a congenital foot deformity for which he has undergone some treatment.

Waylon is in 5th grade with average academic achievements. He excels in mathematics and is particularly diligent in art and technology. He is inquisitive during educational trips and is an active participant in physical play. Waylon’s reading skills are good, he is able to narrate and read a text, answer questions, observe, and analyze. He attends wrestling, science, drama and sports clubs. In his free time, he plays basketball, and football, cycles, draws, does needlework, plays computer games, and watches TikTok or films. He has several friends with whom he spends his free time.

Waylon tries to follow rules but has difficulty following rules during lessons and concentrating on tasks. He sometimes
struggles to control his behavior and emotions. When angry, he behaves impulsively and uses verbal aggression. Seeks
leadership positions sometimes overestimating his own strength. He can become angry when he loses an activity and then
refuses to continue.

At first contact, the impression is that he is shy and withdrawn. After familiarizing himself with his
surroundings in a group of other children, he becomes bold and eager to make an impression. Waylon is able to make friends with other children, but is not always able to maintain them for long periods of time. Relationships with staff are generally warm, friendly and respectful. He is willing to interact, spontaneously develops a conversation and initiates conversations on topics of interest to him. Can distinguish, understand and relate emotions (sadness, anger, happiness, joy) to personal experience, although more often suppresses them and then acts them out on impulse. He lacks emotional self-regulation skills and sometimes has complex emotional experiences (loneliness, insecurity, anger, hopes and dreams about family life). Waylon is helpful, inquisitive, polite, generous, loves animals and likes to joke. He has age-appropriate decision-making skills, problem-solving skills. He has some signs of inappropriate behavior (swearing, insulting other children, not always responding to comments, etc.) due to being around older children. Waylon has been receiving psychological counselling since 2019. His caregivers say that it is likely that his mental health will improve significantly if he is provided with a safe, affectionate family environment.

Yvonne recently turned 11 years old. As a result of her low birth weight (4.8 pounds), a traumatic brain injury, and an early history of malnutrition, she has diagnoses of a mild mental delay, hyperkinetic disturbance of behavior, and delayed speech-language development. Since being placed with a foster family in 2018, however, she has grown both physically and emotionally. Her foster mother describes her as reserved, helpful and intent on getting what she wants. Yvonne attends a local school and is working at a third grade level. She is fearful of new people and new places. She generally will answer questions with one or two words, though those who know her well can understand her mispronunciations when she speaks at greater length. Her foster family and social worker are preparing her for what it means to be adopted.

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

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

Photos and videos are available through the agency.

Lena has a diagnosis of Turner Syndrome with associated delays and epilepsy.

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

Photos and videos are available.

Bodie has a diagnosis of moderately impaired general condition which requires constant adult attention and supervision. He was born prematurely. He has congenital hydronephrosis grade 3 of both kidneys with congenital mega-ureters and is underdeveloped in his neurological and mental development.  He does not make eye contact and does not have developed speech — although he does not use words, he hums and shouts to express himself. He is interested in toys but without creative play. He began sitting independently at 2 years 9 months. He stands but cannot walk independently, and uses diapers day and night due to kidney condition, and requires constant adult supervision for his daily needs.   Additional photos and a brief video are available upon request.

Bodie responds to his name with a smile, to sounds and noise. He keeps an eye on the movement of people and objects in the room. He is described as a calm and pleasant child. He is well attached to his caregivers and responds well to them. When given attention, he reacts positively and with a smile. Most of the time, the child is energetic and physically active. It is difficult for him to stay in one place, constantly moving and exploring.

The child expresses his joy by erratically clapping his hands and by making noises. When held by the hand he makes several steps.  (was previously also listed as Barron).

Marco has a beautiful smile that lights up his face. Marco was born with cerebral palsy. He is trying so hard to walk. Be sure to watch his videos to see him moving. Marco loves to look at books. The listing agency has more information about Marco and his special needs!

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-marco1
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-marco2
Password: Adoptmaa

There is a $500 agency fee reduction for Marco’s adoption via the listing agency. Additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Mariah enjoys activities such as drawing, coloring, and painting. Her favorite activity is to make cards for her caretakers. At the time of her referral, she was learning to write. Mariah is a social, affectionate, and talkative girl who loves playing with her friends. They like to play dolls, hair, and play with dresses. Mariah likes stuffed animals, dolls, mermaids, unicorns, and dinosaurs. Her favorite colors are pink and green. She likes animals, especially chickens, dogs, cats, horses, cockroaches, and mice. She likes clothes, such as dresses and cute shoes. She loves running, dancing, drawing, swimming, acting, and watching SpongeBob. Mariah loves princesses, especially Ana and Elsa from Frozen. She is afraid of snakes, thunder, and darkness. When she grows up, Mariah would like to be a cook. We hope a loving family will see Mariah and all her potential. The adoption agency has additional information about her history to share.

VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-mariah1
Password: Adoptmaa

There is a $500 agency fee reduction for Mariah’s adoption with the listing agency. Additional agency fee reductions may be available based on the adoptive family’s circumstances.

Mariah needs a family with an approved home study to be able to move forward with adopting her.

Reggie is cheerful, affectionate and eager to socialize. He enjoys construction, playing with toys, and tries to join in
games with other children. His speech is undeveloped and difficult to understand. Reggie is unable to concentrate or
understand abstract problem solving. He needs help learning appropriate skills to regulate his emotions. He is currently attending a preparatory kindergarten group and attends a football club because he is very mobile and inquisitive. Reggie receives speech therapy and special education support (at least 5 times a week). He speaks with slurred speech and has a developmental delay. Irregular speech speaking in 2-3 word sentences with a poor vocabulary. He follows instructions, completes a 9-piece jigsaw puzzle correctly, knows colors, builds a tower of 10 blocks. He asks the name of an unknown object, can jump on one leg (both right and left). His fine and gross motor skills are insufficiently developed, self-regulation is impaired, impulse control is weak, attention span is short, he is interested in toys and names them, but does not play with them for long periods.

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.

Orson wants a family and is described as healthy. His special need is his age. He is an active, communicative, curious and sincere child. He attends a junior high school, is doing well in his studies and is regarded by his teacher and the school staff as a curious and easy-going child. He enjoys computer science and technology. Orson is interested in world news and current affairs, reads a lot of books, and especially likes and collects The Diary of a Loser. He enjoys playing computer games and is doing very well. He also enjoys construction and jigsaw puzzles – he is meticulous and completes tasks to the end. He plays football. He is self-confident and likes to try new activities. Orson has a warm and strong relationship with his caregivers. He is able to express his opinions, to argue, to negotiate and compromise and is willing to follow agreements or rules if he understands them clearly. Orson is friendly, gets along well with the other children in the family and is not prone to conflict or anger. He is very thrifty – he likes to save and likes to buy things he wants later. He currently has to wear orthopedic soles and glasses. He receives periodic psychiatric counselling and visits a psychologist. He said he didn’t want a family in 2017 but has changed his mind about adoption and a family. Orson wants to live in a family and have siblings. He wants to have parents that love and support their children and don’t yell.

Alfie is a young boy boy who shows interest in sounds and stimulation with mechanical objects. He is responsive and turns and looks towards the person who is talking to him. He engages in vocal exchanges emitting cooing. He responds with a smile when his name is called. He acquires strength through painting workshops for motor stimulation. Contact the agency to learn more about Alfie and his medical needs!

https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-alfie
Password: Adoptmaa

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

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

Raydor was previously listed on Reece’s Rainbow as Randy.

Raydor’s birth mother was addicted to Heroin and took Methadone during pregnancy. Raydor was born premature and spent the first 5 months of his life in the hospital. Raydor knows his alphabet, numbers and colors in both his native language and English. He can do simple addition problems (single digit plus single digit and single digit plus double digit). He speaks in 2 word sentences and memorizes poems. He loves to build houses and other things with Legos and will stay focused on this task for long periods of time. He plays independently and with other children. He enjoys music and often tries to imitate melodies. Raydor has some behaviors that are commonly seen in children on the Autism spectrum. He has not had any type of formal evaluation for Autism. 

The girls described as healthy and developmentally on track, but with significant trauma history.

Lilly is a girl without any disabilities. She is healthy and does not take any medication. All she needs is kindness, love, support, and security. Lilly is very emotionally connected with her younger sisters. She is helpful around the orphanage and has established friendships with her peers.

Poppy is an 11 year old girl. Her intellectual development is average. Her IQ is estimated to be between 90 and 108. She is very attentive and observant. She is polite in her interactions with others. Her behavior is typically very good. When she misbehaves, she always apologizes. Her trauma has formed the ways that she responds to stress.

Violet is 7, she has high intelligence, with an estimated IQ between 118 and 130. Her motor development is good. She has high social-emotional competence. She does not have impulsive behaviors

Felicity, Kayla, and Yuki are two sisters and a brother in need of a family. They live in a group home for children without disabilities.

Felicity was born in December 2009. The dominant emotions are the positive ones. She demonstrates active social behavior. Sometimes she still demonstrates weaker control of emotions. When frustrated, she reacts with irritation. There is no data for anxiety, depression, or aggression. She is doing well with the maternal language. There are some minimal grammar mistakes. She is able to lead and maintain dialog. She can express sequentially and logically her thoughts and feelings. She is able to express emotions though non-verbal communication. She demonstrates positive self-evaluation. She has the typical characteristics of an extrovert. She enjoys watching TV, drawing, playing computer games as well as playing outside. She is oriented in the behavior of the children and the adults within society. She can attune her behavior towards the requirements of the situation. She participates in games and in the communication of her peers. She is mostly taking the central role. She does not step back from her goals easily. During the school year 2022/2023 she graduated from eighth grade, a class with professional profile. Considering the neglect in her birth family she has some gaps in the knowledge which are expected for her age. At school she works with a resource teacher. She has self-serving skills. She has habits for maintaining personal and environmental hygiene. She has skills to participate in collectively organized household tasks. She wants to be adopted.

Kayla was born in December 2012. She is an emotional child. She does not demonstrate aggression. She is empathic towards the problems of the other kids. She is eager to help her peers if they need it. She is doing well with the maternal language. There are some minimal grammar mistakes. She is able to lead and maintain dialog. She can express sequentially and logically her thoughts and feelings. She can express emotions though non-verbal communication. She is building a positive self-evaluation. She has the typical for her age curiosity and she demonstrates characteristics of an extrovert. She enjoys watching cartoons, drawing, playing board games and computer games as well as playing outside. She is oriented in the behavior of the children and the adults within society. She can attune her behavior towards the requirements of the situation. She is adjusting well in the group of her peers. She participates with big interest in all organized games and events. She can step back from her own goals and actions in line with those of her peers. She can wait for her turn to come. Considering the neglect in her birth family she has some gaps in the knowledge which are expected for her age. She is able to read and write under dictation. She makes minimal mistakes. She is well oriented into her school. During the school year 2022/2023 she graduated from fourth grade. She has self-serving skills. She has habits for maintaining personal and environmental hygiene. She wants to be adopted.

Yuki was born in February 2011. In December 2012, Yuki was a victim in a road accident and suffered a right lower leg fracture. Considering the changes that happened in his life, the adjustment process into the residential facility and in school went with some challenges. In November 2022 he was consulted with pediatric psychiatrist who put the diagnosis for “Other mixed behavior and emotional disorders”. His condition is being followed and therapy may be prescribed as well as work with psychologist. Now he is calm, he is acting with respect towards peers and adults. He observes the rules. With desire he performs all the given tasks in school and in the residential center. The speech and the language skills are well-developed. He was raised in a bilingual environment where d both Bulgarian and Turkish language. He can lead and maintain dialog and he provides enough verbal information. During conversation he communicates freely, he enters contact easily. He is able to express emotions though non-verbal communication. He demonstrates positive self-evaluation. He has the typical characteristics of an extrovert. He enjoys playing on the computer, playing soccer and going for walks outside. With desire he participates in the group activities. He performs the tasks according to his abilities. He likes being praised and to feel helpful, to be in the center of the attention. He is oriented in the behavior of the children and the adults within the society. He can adjust to new conditions. When disappointed he reacts emotionally. He participates in the games of his peers. Not always able to adjust his goals and actions around those of his partners in the game and he may react emotionally and enters into conflict. He finds challenges accepting the failures. During the school year 2022/2023 he graduated from sixth grade, a class with a profile in boxing. He works with a resource teacher there, After the incident he had he has been educating remotely. He is doing well and within the timeframe. He has self-serving skills. He has hygiene habits, but he needs to be reminded. He participates with desire in the activities related to maintaining environmental hygiene. He wants to be adopted.

Piper is a beautiful girl with a smile that can light up any room! Piper has a warm, sweet personality, and she adores her caregivers. She absolutely loves being read stories or just talked to. It’s clear that she understands what is being said to her. She enjoys music and appreciates a good nap! Piper has a medical diagnosis that may look concerning at first, but she has already made huge strides strides with some daily therapy and a lot of love! This special little girl will be a blessing to the family God has waiting for her. Could your family reciprocate all the love Piper has to give?

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

Update Jan 2020:

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

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

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

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

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

Rose was removed from an abusive home at 9 years old and could not even speak the language of her birth country at that time. She now speaks in sentences, understands everything that is said to her and has made rapid developmental progress. During the visit with our team member, she was talking about the Mom and Dad that she’s waiting for and having a fun time posing for all the photos (see below). She currently lives with an older foster couple, who she calls grandma and grandpa. They have worked with her to teach her many self-help skills. She’s now in school and doing well working with a resource teacher.

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

Silvio is a Roma boy who was born extremely premature (22 weeks), with a very low birth weight. He spends 6 months at the hospital and fought for his life! He had a tracheotomy procedure and eye Lasik surgery in October 2017.

Last update 2020: Delayed psychomotor development. Visible improvement after rehabilitation. Feeding the by the bottle, playing with toys, rolls out of the back on the stomach and vice versa. He tries to crawl. A very active child who initiates contact. He makes eye contact, focuses his attention on the human face, and smiles back. Video is available from the adoption agency.

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

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

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

She has multiple special needs including mild intellectual disability, speech delay, ADHD, heart and kidneys defects.

She is a sensitive and cuddly girl who is friendly with other children and likes playing together. She is working on new skills every day and making a great progress! She willingly participates in all activities and has no problems with behavior.  She likes to help with making sandwiches for lunch and always eager to help. Her self-serving skills are good.

 

 

She is a premature baby. FAS and heath defect (corrected), strabismus. She is s an active, cheerful child who can walk, run and jump. A is a calm girl, she is interested in the surroundings and likes to play.

Ronnie

The girl does not cause any educational problems either at school or in the orphanage. She is very diligent and obligatory.  She is happy, independent and caring girl who likes to help with younger children. She is willing to cooperate, she likes meetings with a psychologist and needs time to adapt to a new environment.

She rides a bike, roller-skates, swims, participates in sports and dance activities. Physical activity gives her joy. She has a great artistic talent, but does not believe in herself.  She likes to travel and is very curious about life and surroundings, constantly asking questions.

Mary

SN – Moderate intellectual disability, speech disorder

Mary is a very cheerful child. Despite speech disorders, she easily communicates with caregivers or peers. She likes to play with younger children. She carries them in a cart or leads them by the hand. She started learning to roller-skates, likes swimming in the pool, sports and dance activities. She goes to a special school. She doesn’t make any behavior problems. She doesn’t read books on her own, but she likes to see the pictures.

The sisters wish to be adopted together and hope to find a forever family!

 

Picture of Ronnie coming soon!

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.

Pattie has FAS, hypothyroidism and mental delay.

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

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

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

Jianna’s favorite activity is singing and preforming on stage at church.  She has a good sense of rhythm, and she can hum the melody of songs she’s only listened to once or twice! When Jianna isn’t performing, she enjoys riding her bicycle and watching Sailor Moon.  Those who know Jianna describe her as friendly and say she LOVES to laugh!

Jianna has moderate cognitive, speech, and motor delays.  She currently attends occupational, speech and physical therapy weekly.  Jianna is enrolled in elementary school and attends special education classes. Her teacher noted she is able to identify colors, identify objects and their names, and speak in short sentences.

Could you imagine yourself dancing and singing karaoke with Jianna?  If you think you could be the right family for her, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Brock is a very social boy, who likes to kick a ball. Brock has continued to develop and grow. Agency staff met Brock in July of 2022! We hope his forever family will see him soon! The agency has additional information available for inquiring families.

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

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

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

Cale loves to be cuddled and held. Cale likes to listen to music and feel different textures. Agency staff met Cale in October of 2022. Contact them to learn more about Cale and his listed medical needs!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Update Sept 2022: Luna is a beautiful girl who is blind. She has made a lot of gains since coming into care! She now knows how to read and write in Braille and has a very good academic performance. She walks with a cane to school, which is very close to home. She studies in the morning and she attends swimming classes in the afternoon. She really wants to be the first woman president in her home country. We hope that Luna will be adopted by a wonderful forever family with the right resources to help her continue to make gains and to help make her dreams of being a politician come true!

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-lynette
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-lynette2
Password: Adoptmaa

A specific agency has a $1000 grant for her adoption fees.

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

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

The girl has a congenital defect of the nervous system in the form of a meningeal hernia at the lumbosacral level, a bifurcation of the thoracic spine with hydrocephalus and paralysis of the lower limbs. The girl has a valve in her head that regulates the blood flow in the head and prevents the increase in intracranial pressure. She also has a neurogenic bladder – she needs to drink fluids regularly and change the catheter every 3 hours. She has a visual impairment, wears glasses: ER: +3.5, EL: +4. and uses a wheelchair.

Despite her disabilities, the girl is very active. She is very happy to work during rehabilitation, thanks to which she is willing to participate in social life and has accepted her disabilities. She is attending wheelchair dance classes. The girl functions very well on a daily basis and is independent.  She likes to play with younger children and often organizes games for them.

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

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