Alder from Bulgaria

Brothers Adler, Arvo, Amias, Thaddeus, and Thorbin are active boys who are in good health. Amias has been diagnosed with 1st degree thoracolumbar scoliosis with slightly shortened right leg, delayed bone age, and a developmental disorder of motor function. The other four boys do not have any specific diagnoses. Given the size of this sibling set the adoption authorities in their country will allow the boys to be adopted into two separate groups: Group 1 consists of Adler, Arvo and Amias (born in April 2005, May 2008, and March 2009, respectively) and Group 2 comprises Thaddeus and Thorbin (born February 2006 and June 2007). The brothers lived with their biological family until mid-2016 where they endured extremely poor conditions. As a result they all have gaps in academic and everyday knowledge; however, they have made notable progress since their placement in the group home. ADLER is a trendy boy who takes an interest in his appearance and keeps his clothes in perfect order. He enjoys playing soccer, riding a scooter, competitive badminton, and training in the young firefighter program. Adler speaks well with an improving vocabulary and takes an interest in learning new words both in his native language and in English. He understands and can demonstrate socially acceptable behavior but does not always put this knowledge into practice. Adler has a high self-esteem. His relationship with peers varies as he often likes to take on a lead role and puts others down which can lead to conflict. Adler completed 6th grade in 2018. He attends classes regularly and is able to keep track of his school belongings. Adler tends to prioritize speed over quality of work and shows greater interest in extracurricular activities than academics. ARVO is a calm, respectful boy whose company is sought out by his peers. He enjoys soccer, riding a bike or scooter, and playing tag and hide-and-seek. Arvo speaks in short, simple sentences, with a weak vocabulary and prefers to be a listener in conversations. He completed 2nd grade in 2018 with support from a resource teacher. He shows diligence at school and has made considerable strides over the past two years. Arvo can now count, knows his letters, and is learning to read and write. He willingly participates in household chores and completes tasks as requested. AMIAS shows a clear desire to assist with tasks around the group home and enjoys the praise he receives from his caretakers. Due to his physical diagnosis, he has poor balance and coordination and often falls when walking or running. He shows difficulty with fine motor skills, including cutting along a line, drawing basic shapes, and writing. Prior to placement at the orphanage Amias could not speak the main language of his country. He now speaks in short sentences with a limited vocabulary and grammatical gaps and struggles to fully express his thoughts and desires. Amias enjoys drawing, coloring and playing outdoors. He joins active, group games and can follow the rules for a time, but due to a short attention span, he quickly loses interest. Amias’ behavior varies from calm when alone, to provocative, stubborn, and sometimes aggressive when in the company of peers. He shows a desire to improve but does not have an understanding of the feelings of others’ and does not show guilt or shame for his actions. Amias completed 1st grade in 2018 with overall unsatisfactory results. He has significant difficulties learning the material, disciplinary issues, and poor motivation. THADDEUS is a timid, insecure boy who is well-accepted by his peers, respects adults’ authority, and strives to follows the rules at his orphanage and at school. Thaddeus likes playing outdoors, especially soccer, as well as watching TV, drawing, and computer games. Like his oldest brother he plays on a badminton team and trains in the young firefighter program. Thaddeus struggles to understand all that is said to him and tends not to initiate conversations. When spoken to he smiles and shows good eye contact and responds to questions with short, quiet answers. Thaddeus can be stubborn and irritable when his wishes are not fulfilled or when he is assigned a task he does not want to complete. He completed 5th grade in 2018 where he worked with a resource teacher. Thaddeus cannot cope with the academic requirements on his own and seeks adult support when needed. He recognizes his gaps and is ashamed of them. Thaddeus hopes to be adopted with some of his brothers, but doesn’t show specific preferences. THORBIN is a generally respectful boy who follows the rules and strives for praise. He has friends and he readily joins group games but loses interest quickly. Thorbin enjoys playing soccer, watching cartoons, and drawing. He is able to lead a basic conversation about a topic of interest to him in spite of gaps in grammar and vocabulary. Thorbin has recently begun to show frequent episodes of rude behavior and lying. He completed 4th grade in 2018 with the assistance of a resource teacher where it was noted that his previous enthusiasm has been replaced by apathy. The teacher attributes this in large part to his difficulty keeping up with the pace as academic demands increase and shares that he works well individually. Thorbin willingly participates in household chores and completes them carefully. Given these boys’ histories, prospective adoptive parents should be prepared for the possible effects of trauma and neglect.