MARCO from European Union

Siblings Daria, Marco, and Julian were born in November 2005, May 2008, and July 2010, respectively. All three children are in good health. They have been diagnosed with specific disorder of scholastic skills and specific developmental disorder of speech and language. The children experienced severe neglect with their biological family where they lived until their transfer to a foster home in 2013. They share a close emotional bond with one another. DARIA is an introverted girl with a creative imagination who runs, jumps, and climbs stairs with ease, although her movements can be chaotic at times. She holds a pencil properly and can draw and write, although her overall fine motor skills need improvement. Daria has a history of speech and language delay with a weak vocabulary and pronunciation difficulties, but she is improving steadily with speech therapy. She can speak in simple sentences and can re-tell a story. While she struggles to complete tasks or everyday activities independently, she succeeds with adult support and guidance. While Daria often has difficulty communicating with peers, she actively seeks closeness from significant adults and shows a strong emotional attachment to her two brothers. Since she was in first grade Daria has been working with a resource teacher under an individualized education program. She is currently in 10th grade where her math skills and ability to copy a dictated paragraph are described as satisfactory. Daria tires easily and does best in a calm environment where she can receive one-on-one support from an adult. Daria dresses herself, assists with household chores, and manages her personal hygiene with reminders. She eats well and joyfully sits down at the dinner table. Daria enjoys playing individual games, drawing, and listening to music and shows good focus for these activities. MARCO is an extroverted, active, impatient boy with good coordination and appropriate gross motor and fine motor skills. He speaks in sentences but would benefit from support in vocabulary building as well as grammar and pronunciation. When interacting with peers Marco often breaks the rules and strives to be the leader. He manages his personal hygiene independently and keeps his room tidy with reminders. Marco enjoys playing games independently and with adults. Marco is in 7th grade and works under an individualized education program where his overall grades have been satisfactory. He lacks motivation, often interrupts the class, and does not readily seek help when needed. Marco completes tasks best under the guidance of an adult. JULIAN is a friendly, loving little boy who walks and runs independently albeit with some chaotic movements. He holds a pencil with the proper grip but could benefit from therapy to improve his overall fine motor skills. He has a history of speech and language delay for which he is working with a speech therapist. Julian has difficulty with pronunciation and articulation, and overall, his receptive language is better than his expressive language. Julian requires an adult’s guidance for most everyday activities, though he does try to dress himself and helps with cleaning up toys and setting the table. He enjoys watching cartoons and playing with cars and toys that make sound. As with his older siblings, Julian has an individualized education plan, works with a resource teacher at school, and does best with one-on-one support. Julian is currently in the 4th grade where he does not readily seek assistance and has difficulty mastering the required material. These siblings share a clear and strong bond with one another. They have all shown progress since placement in their current foster home and they would thrive in a forever family that could offer them security, structure, and unconditional love.