IVO from European Union

Ivo was born in July 2015 with bilateral cleft lip and palate which have been surgically repaired. After spending his first two months of life in the hospital Ivo was moved to an orphanage where he resided until placed with his current foster family in April 2019. Ivo has also been diagnosed with bronchial asthma, neurosensory hearing loss of the left ear, convergent strabismus, infantile cerebral palsy, and cognitive delays with significant disturbance in behavior. He takes several medications to address his medical and behavioral needs. An active boy who rarely stays still, Ivo can walk and climb independently although his gross motoric coordination does not seem to be deliberate much of the time. Furthermore, Ivo’s fine motor skills are not well-controlled and can appear rough. Ivo is a headstrong child who often reacts with aggression or self-injurious behavior when experiencing big emotions. While he is largely nonverbal, he makes some basic desires known through other modes of communication. He speaks a few words although he does not always use them correctly. Ivo struggles to connect with peers and is not interested in toys. Ivo has established trusting and affectionate relationships with certain adults and seeks their attention and physical contact. Ivo distinguishes his foster parents from other adults and is fully dependent on their care, including for dressing, bathing and even falling asleep. He eats only pureed foods with help and is not potty-trained yet. His foster parents describe Ivo as a child who needs constant supervision to prevent his getting hurt or running away as he does not have a sense of danger. They note that he hits and headbutts them frequently and that they have learned to protect their faces. Ivo attends kindergarten and a center for children with disabilities where he struggles to acquire the academic material, to follow instructions, and to master social and behavioral conventions. He likes going for walks and occasionally watching soccer as well as water play. A family interested in adopting Ivo should be prepared for his long-term needs and for potential additional diagnoses in the future. A pre-adoption consultation with a specialist for autism spectrum disorder is strongly advised.