Jonah from Bulgaria

Jonah was born very prematurely in September 2012. He suffered from neonatal abstinence syndrome due to his biological mother’s longstanding methadone therapy. He has been diagnosed with delays in physical and cognitive development, infantile cerebral palsy, optic nerve atrophy, nystagmus, and a hemangioma of the chest. He had a congenital heart defect (VSD) which closed, and at present he has a functional heart murmur. Jonah spent his first year of life in the hospital and has frequent upper respiratory infections. Update May 2019: Jonah’s balance and muscle strength continue to improve. He rides an adaptive tricycle with adult support, pushes himself around on a scooter board from a sitting position, and grabs and throws balls in a ball pit. Jonah follows moving objects with his eyes and responds to his name. He communicates non-verbally, often leading adults by the hand to show them what he wants or needs. Jonah expresses joy when spoken to or hugged and has begun to initiate interactions with adults by reaching out his hand and smiling. While he previously ignored his peers he has recently begun to approach and observe them. Jonah has a basic orientation to his surroundings and is interested in new activities and objects. He enjoys dancing to children’s songs and watching TV for short periods of time. Jonah shows frustration at times especially when his routine is changed, but his self-aggression has decreased. He attends a Kindergarten program at a center for special education and also has weekly sessions with a psychologist and speech therapist. Jonah is cooperative when being dressed can undress and remove his shoes on his own. 2017: Jonah is able to sit, walk, and climb up and down stairs independently. He feeds himself with a spoon and is slowly gaining weight. He enjoys attention from adults, laughing when they talk to or tickle him. Jonah has fine motor delays and is nonverbal at this time. He has difficulty fixing his gaze on objects, does not play with toys according to their purpose, and seems unable to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people. He does not interact with other children and shows some self-aggression when upset. Jonah is enrolled in a Kindergarten program where he works with an assistant. He likes listening to calm voices or quiet music. Jonah is fully dependent on his caretakers. Weight at Birth: 1.000 kg Height at Birth: 32 cm Weight Sept 2017: 12.300 kg Height Sept 2017: 92 cm Weight March 2019: 13.800 kg Height March 2019: 97.5 cm