Jonah from European Union

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 September 2020: In late 2019 Jonah was moved from an orphanage setting to a foster home where he spends much of his day with his foster mother’s grandson. This has already had a noticeable positive effect on Jonah who imitates the actions, movements, and words of his playmate. Jonah now walks independently and climbs stairs while holding onto the wall. He understands and can follow one-step directions, uses several words purposefully, and has learned gestures for ‘yes’, ‘again’, and ‘done’. He continues to love children’s songs and now use hand movements to go along with the lyrics. He eats independently and is currently in the process of toilet training. Jonah attends a special school for children with visual impairments. 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 and 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