Armando
Armando is a delightful, friendly kiddo with an enchanting smile. At 13, he may be a bit short for his age at 4 feet 10 inches, but what he lacks in stature he more than makes up for in personality. He enjoys playing with his water bottle and tea towel at home. He is a good eater and can feed himself with an assistive spoon/fork; he also enjoys finger foods. Although he needs help, Armie loves going for walks.
This curious little guy has an aide at school who helps him work on the computers there. He uses picture cards to ask for things such as "drink" and "water bottle." He responds well to simple commands such as "sit" and "stand." At home he needs help getting dressed and doing other daily activities, like brushing his teeth, but Armie would welcome the chance to be part of a caring family. He does very well with other kids and pets.
Armando's special needs, which include significant neurological and developmental delays, are due to the absence of a functional copy of a specific gene, which causes a rare genetic condition called Angleman's syndrome. He is a loving and compassionate young man who needs a two-parent home that can offer him a lot of one-on-one attention.
Cheyanna
Cheyanna is an intelligent, genuine and generous teen, with a bubbly and playful attitude. She has light greenish-hazel eyes, and says they turn blue depending on her mood. She has great communication skills and appreciates being able to talk things through. Cheyanna describes herself as awesome, happy and playful, and adds that she’s great at remembering current song names, artists and lyrics. She loves to read, write, draw, decorate, sing and perform. She also enjoys hanging out with her friends, watching scary movies, cooking and baking. Cheyanna enjoys spending time with younger children and has aspirations to work in the child care field.
Keeping communication open with Cheyanna is important, and she responds well to one-on-one attention from adults. A calm, low-key yet direct approach works great with her. Cheyanna believes that she would do well in either a single-parent or two-parent home, and that she would welcome the opportunity to have siblings.
To learn more about Cheyanna, watch her video clip.
Cody
Cody is an enthusiastic, lovable, outgoing boy who thrives on adult attention. He has many interests and is open to trying new things. He loves riding his bike and being outdoors as well as playing with cars and trucks, watching movies, doing art and playing board games. Cody needs a firm, patient family who enjoys and encourages his strengths. Parents who have experience working with children who have developmental delays would be ideal. Cody’s new family will need to advocate for his educational, developmental and counseling services now as well as being a resource for him throughout his life.
Cody
Cody, who can be very engaging and playful, loves to joke around and have fun. Positive interventions work very well for Cody at home and in school. When Cody has clear rules and expectations, he thrives very well. Last year he made significant progress in school, and his grades greatly improved. He is very strong in the area of math. He enjoys using the computer to learn or just to play online games.
Cody really needs a male figure who will take the time to mentor him on a daily basis and show care and concern for his schoolwork as well as extracurricular activities. He enjoys pets and riding bikes.
Cody’s new family will need to encourage his relationship with his sister on a consistent basis.