c7076

Child's name: Darrel "Buddy"
Number: C7076
Birthdate: 12/04
State: Oregon
Listed: July 2008

If you have completed an adoption homestudy and would like to have your information forwarded to this child's worker, contact us.

Buddy (12/04), whose first name is DARREL, is a charming, active toddler. This little sweetheart has big grey eyes and dimples when he smiles, and he loves to be cuddled. Among the things Buddy enjoys most are his special blanket, music, and his foster family’s dog. His favorite toys are balls, trucks, and interactive playthings such as those that spin and make noise. Buddy has lots of opportunities in his foster home to interact with other babies and toddlers, big sisters, extended foster family, and admiring visitors. Having a regular daily routine helps to keep this boy smiling. While not yet legally free, the legal risk is considered minimal.

Buddy’s foster parents specialize in caring for very young children with medical and developmental needs. They met him when he was in neonatal intensive care following his premature birth at 24 weeks.

Buddy’s current treatment includes a permanent cerebral shunt and physical, occupational and speech therapies. Early Intervention services in the home and at a children’s center have helped him to make steady gains in addressing speech, learning, and gross motor delays. He likes to learn and try new things. He enjoys his treatment providers and thinks riding the bus to his therapeutic pre-school is a treat. Orthotics inserted in his shoes help to straighten and align his feet to assist him in walking. A walker, hip and leg braces, and special shoes also assist him in walking. Although he is making steady progress, Buddy may always have some residual learning difficulties and poor muscle tone.

Buddy is currently in an innovative treatment program which includes having his legs put in casts for a few weeks, and having injections to decrease the tendency of his feet to turn in and under.

Buddy has many strengths! He has good hearing and vision, large hands with long, graceful fingers, and a generally happy, enthusiastic disposition. And, he seems pleased with his life most of the time.

Due to his difficulty with food textures, chewing and swallowing, Buddy has nutritional supplement drinks to ensure that he gets what he needs to support his continued growth and progress.

Buddy clearly has the ability to form new attachments. Even though he has done wonderfully well having always lived with animals and other babies, like most tots, he needs attentive supervision or his play can get too exuberant.

Buddy needs his adoptive family to be accepting of his unique developmental issues. It will be important for his adoptive folk(s) to be able to work cooperatively with his treatment professionals so that they, professionals and parent(s), may support Buddy to achieve his potential. Kids develop best when the parent(s) attend at least part of the physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions with the child so they can follow-up at home between sessions. Because of this, an at-home parent(s) would probably find life easier. While Buddy is not demanding of attention, he should probably be the youngest child in his adoptive home or one of two younger children with much older siblings. Buddy receives SSI and Developmental Disability Services (DDS).

Subsidy and Purchase of Service may be available.

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