Amber is a fun-loving, independent spirit who almost always has a smile on her face. She likes to laugh, play outdoors, and watch movies. She is very playful and can play by herself, but enjoys the company of others. She is curious about everything and very spunky. She has a great attitude and spirit, as well as a neat personality.

Amber is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is physically healthy, but does not talk . She is learning sign language and positive ways to communicate with others. Amber goes to a non-traditional school where they are working on social growth issues and independent life skills. She receives occupational and speech therapy.

Andrea is an energetic and happy child. She enjoys getting and giving hugs. She loves to play outdoors and relishes the chance to pick pretty flowers and put them in her hair. She is a great help around the house and she brings laughter wherever she goes. She loves to hear and sing different kinds of music and likes to pretend to read books to others. She is a loving child and is capable of forming positive relationships with others.

Andrea enjoys things and activities that are familiar to her and someone teaching her a new activity will need to demonstrate lots of patience. At times, Andrea doesn't know her own strength and can be rough with others.

Andrea is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and receives special assistance at school. She will benefit from encouragement and prompts to help her follow through with daily tasks like hygiene. She is currently receiving speech therapy and is under the treatment of a neurologist.

Andrew is a very active youth who thrives on interaction with others. He enjoys playing with brightly colored toys and computers. He loves to watch videos, although most of his enjoyment comes from the limited movement and color he can observe on the television screen. He plays very well with other children and looks forward to going to school each morning. Although Andrew is blind in one eye and has very limited vision in the other, he can walk and run unassisted. He loves to swing on his porch swing!

Andrew has several food allergies and is fed through a tube. Even with these obstacles, he is a happy youth. He smiles a lot, enjoys being held, rocked, and praised. His medical needs require a dedicated family. He is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and retinopathy of prematurity, which caused his blindness.

Andrew attends speech therapy, but speaks very little. He is in a self-contained education life skill classroom where he works on the areas of self help, communication, and social skills. Andrew participates with his class on the playground, in physical education, and during library time.

Andrew has been introduced to swimming and really likes that sport. He likes to go on family outings to the playground, beach, or simply in the backyard of his home.

Medically, his conditions are well under control and with proper management, such as an occasional visit to the doctor's office, there is little day-to-day concern.

Austin is a handsome young boy. He enjoys helping others and is very eager to please. He enjoys cleaning and putting things away. He enjoys reading books from rote memory and is eager to show off his skills.

Bob the Builder, Sponge Bob Square Pants, and playing with toy cars are among his favorite play items. Austin enjoys being outdoors and running around. He likes being around animals, but will at times forget the situation and puts himself in a dangerous position around large animals such as horses.

Austin has a healthy appetite and enjoys eating almost anything you place on his plate. He likes to set his place at the dinner table and remove dishes when he has completed his meal. Wanting to be involved in as many activities around the house as possible, he is eager to make his place in a family by assuming chores such as setting the table.

He requires constant supervision and will accomplish most tasks with redirection and hand over hand directions. He speaks with a soft tone and at times talks so fast it is very difficult to understand him. However, when you encourage him to slow down he will, and is eager to get his point across. Austin receives occupational therapy and speech therapy.

"A beautiful spirit with a sweet nature" is how Dashana is described by those who know her well. She is outgoing and friendly and likes being around other people. With her cute attitude and great sense of humor, she is helpful around the home and likes to do her chores. She especially enjoys helping make dinner. She is currently helping complete a stone inlaid walk way in her current home.

Sponge Bob is one cartoon she likes to watch after school. She enjoys listening to different kinds of music and to hang out with friends. Sometimes, she goes out to the park and rides her bicycle. Other times she relaxes by watching movies with a bag of popcorn.

Dashana learns at a slower rate than others her age. She is also working on showing her emotions in appropriate ways. Sometimes, she has a hard time calming down once she gets upset. She is working on different techniques to help her with those feelings. Also, she attends speech therapy and equestrian therapy.

Ian is an energetic youth who enjoys making people laugh. He is very loving and is able to form bonds with others. He likes to play with his toy cars and loves to ride his bike. Ian also loves going on outings and enjoys family activities. Going to McDonald's for some burgers and fries is one of his favorite things to do.

Ian receives services in school to help him stay on task and focused. He also receives services to help him with appropriate behaviors. Ian is currently working on expressing his thoughts and emotions in appropriate ways and also developing coping skills to help with anger management. Ian can be very spontaneous at times and act without thinking first. He also displays changes in mood.

Joe will steal your heart with his captivating smile and inspiring spirit. He prefers to play independently, but also enjoys the company of others. His favorite toys are those that are interactive and feature music and lights. He also likes to watch colorful cartoons that contain music and singing.

Joe doesn't talk but is able to follow simple commands and is learning to communicate his needs to his caregivers through sign language and other simple gestures. Joe is able to get around by walking for short distances with assistance, scooting, cruising, and walking using support. He is primarily fed by a G-tube, but does sometimes supplement his diet with solid foods like strawberry and vanilla flavored yogurt or ice cream.

He receives special assistance in school and he really enjoys participating in school activities, interacting with teachers, and walking with the classroom therapy dog. He enjoys being around peers, but usually prefers to play independently.

Joe recently received eye glasses and is able to navigate a room and recognize faces, shapes, and colors.

Jonathan is a young boy who will need a very special family due to his medical needs. He is diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (for more information please go to www.pwsausa.org). Jonathan is a good-looking, energetic youngster who is happy and very likeable. He is friendly and loving and is making great improvements in completing tasks in his daily life. Jonathan has a strong personality and can be mischievous. He requires a lot of one-on-one attention.

Jonathan loves elephants! He also likes to look at pictures, especially of himself. Jonathan's favorite toys are those that light up or make sound. He has several V-Tech toys that play music that he enjoys playing with. Watching TV is also a favorite thing to do, especially Barney or Dora and Diego. He is very active and likes to be on the go.

Jonathan uses a special speaking device that he is learning to use through his school program. Because of his inability to speak he becomes frustrated easily. He is able to communicate through hand gestures. Jonathan has severe life threatening food and environmental allergies. He loves to be outdoors, however, this time must be limited due to his allergies.

Jonathan is able to eat food on his own, but also utilizes a feeding tube. He also has fragile skin and has been diagnosed with Eczema which requires the application of special creams. Jonathan is working on improving his speech through the use of speech therapy. He is also learning to become more independent by learning to feed and dress himself as well as completing personal grooming skills with little assistance.

Kenneth is a sweet, loveable, and easy going youth. He can be a shy child who is easy to please. Those who know him consistently describe him as a good boy who likes people and plays well with other children.

Kenneth loves animals. His favorite toys are stuffed animals, balls, and anything that involves playing outside. He likes to listen to music and watch cartoons. Like most boys, he loves sports. Give him a hamburger or pizza and he's happy!

Kenneth does have some trouble learning new things and is currently in life skills classes to aid with basic life skills. He is diagnosed with Autsim Spectrum Disorder and is deaf in his right ear. He is receiving many services through school, including speech therapy to help his communication skills. Kenneth is only able to say short word sentences and mostly communicates by pointing. He also receives cognitive and physical therapy.

Juan, who prefers to go by Moises, and his brother Victor are very close. In fact, they are TWINS! They are both very active and love to play together with their toys and other children. They love to have attention and are always smiling and having a good time.

Both Moises and Victor have medical needs and will need a family who is familiar with their needs and who is able to access the resources they require. This family will need to be flexible with their schedules and be able to make themselves available to the boys for their medical appointments and other appointments.

Moises and Victor will do best in a home that is active and likes to spend time together. This family will need to be able to spend one-on-one time with each child as well as in a family setting. This family will also need to be committed to the children as they will need assistance throughout their adult lives.

Nicolas is a loving child who enjoys giving hugs. He likes to play with his Legos and toy trucks. Nicolas has a trach which requires frequent suctioning, but is learning sign language to help him communicate. The hope is to get assistive technology to speak for him. Nicolas uses a G-tube for his nutrition and does not eat solid foods.

Nicolas attends pre-school classes in the afternoon where he receives speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy. He is diagnosed with DiGeorges' Syndrome which causes a weakened immune system so caretakers must be cautious of where he goes so he doesn't get sick. Nicolas also requires round the clock care and receives nursing care throughout the week at his current home. His foster mom is also trained to provide assistance if a nurse is not available.

Noe will warm your heart with his smile and has a great personality. He enjoys being talked to and loves to receive attention from others. He is very sweet and likes to interact by getting touched on his face, arms, and legs.

Noe is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and has a history of seizure activity. He is visually impaired and uses a wheelchair for mobility. Noe is also non-verbal and is totally dependent upon others for care and requires around the clock care and attention.

Noe has his own special way of communicating with others. When he is having a good day or when someone talks to him, he will smile. If he's not having such a good day, he usually expresses it by making facial expressions and gestures.

Noe takes occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. With his entire face, he loves to feel and touch strings of yarn, paper tubes, and feathers during therapy play. You can see him smile when he starts playing with these items.

Noe is able to kick his legs and move his arms around. He is also able to roll over from his back to his side. Noe is working on sitting up, head control, and walking and continues to make progress. Noe is a happy child who is very loving to all.

Pearson is friendly and active. He loves to play with toys that are stimulating to the senses, especially ones that light up and twirl. He enjoys going to the park and playing on the playground. Pearson gets along with his peers but prefers to play alone. He can become upset easily when he is told "no" and will have tantrums.

Pearson is a great eater, although he needs to be watched closely, because he tends to put too much food in his mouth at a time. His favorite food is bread. Pearson attends life skills classes in school to give him the opportunity to live as independently as possible when he gets older. Pearson is making steady progress on his communication skills and daily living activities such as getting dressed and bathing himself.

Pearson is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome. He also is non verbal, but is able to communicate by saying a few words. He prefers to communicate through gestures and sign language.

Punahele is a beautiful little girl who goes by "Haley". She has a great personality and loves playing with any toy that makes noise or plays music. Haley also likes toys with different textures. She enjoys mimicking certain sounds she may hear by humming or singing.

Haley has several medical issues including blindness and having to use G-Tube for nutrition. She uses a wheelchair and suffers from occasional seizures. Haley currently receives physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Haley requires many medical appointments with her pediatrician, neurologist, and optometrist.

Haley is making great strides in her daily activities and is now starting to eat apple sauce. When not in her wheelchair, she can sit herself up and tries to push herself up as though she wants to stand.

Sean's forever parents must be devoted to him and learn all the aspects of his medical frailty and requirements. He needs a family able to provide him a lifetime of devotion and be open to the challenges of his future.

A loving family who is patient, knowledgeable, and experienced in caring for children with special needs will be great for Sean. They must be willing and able to plan for around the clock care and be a strong advocate for his educational and medical needs. His continued learning of American Sign Language will be beneficial as he will have some way to communicate as he grows older. He will do well in a home with or without other children.