Desperate to find help

by Debbie Davis
(Eastern Washington)

We adopted our 10.5 yr old son out of foster care when he was 4 years old. At that time he was labeled a feral child because he had absolutely no social skills. He was only 28 pounds and wore a size 24m clothes. He was severely neglected and abused, non verbal and failure to thrive. We loved him into a better place.

However the hardest thing has not been with him, it has been in trying to find professional people (Dr's, therapies, teachers...)to help us figure him out and help him! Sadly, I may have thought twice about adoption had we known it would be so difficult...I am constantly researching new possibilities to improve his quality of life...this site has given me a little bit of hope that we may be able to get him to a better place.

My son does not sleep unless he is medicated with melatonin and clonidine. He will lay in bed and rub his toes on the wall until they bleed, all night unless we put his night high top sneakers on him. He wears feet PJ's no matter how hot it is and he chews on his blankets, sleeves..ect

He only wants to eat pasta type foods, will eat chicken very rarely and occasionally McDonald cheese burgers, but in layers not as a hamburger..My dream is to find out those things that distract him in hopes he will be able to concentrate and speak, he tries so hard but can only say, mom and dad clearly.I am now hopeful once again. Thank YOU!