An adoptive family for Rosie*
We need an adoptive family for Rosie* – she’s nearly four years old. She is full of energy, loves playing on the trampoline and her slide, and has a good appetite. Her favourite game is to line up her dolls on the settee, and when she goes out, she loves to wear ribbons in her hair.
There is a lot to know about Rosie, one thing is, Rosie is on the Autistic spectrum, and whilst her needs are similar to other Autistic children, her early life has been very difficult, and as a result, she needs a new family to adopt her. Rosie will continue to develop and will share all the new milestones she is yet to achieve with her new family, who will need to be supportive and loving, and sensitive to her Autism diagnosis.
Rosie has been living with her foster carer Susan*, and together they have found a place that is comfortable for Rosie. They have created a routine and a life that has been hugely beneficial to Rosie. With Susan’s knowledge of Autism within her own family, she has been able to show the understanding and support Rosie needed, but it’s not all been plain sailing! Susan tells us more.
‘There’s no doubt about it, Rosie has a big personality and a strong desire to get her needs met! Rosie does have some health support needs, but you know what? We take every day as a new day. Before the latest lock down, we had a very ‘set’ routine, with five mornings a week at her specialist nursery. She loved going; she’d have the 1-2-1 support from her key worker and she’d have the chance to play in a structured and fun environment. Rosie starts her new specialist school this month.
Lock down has affected our leisure time, and fortunately, we have a small play park with a swing near our home. Rosie loves it. She does struggle with the short walk, and sometimes loses her balance and falls. It’s taken a while, but now she lets me comfort her, and I kiss her knee better.
The hot summer last year gave us several opportunities to get the paddling pool out, and Rosie loved it, along with ice creams with our foster family who were in our ‘bubble’. In contrast Rosie does not enjoy being around too many unfamiliar people, she gets unhappy as she struggles to cope. She also becomes anxious if her bedtime routine changes and she will let me know she needs things back in order for her to feel safe. But we work through it, and restore story-time, or whatever is out of place and a gentle gesture means we are OK.
It helps having knowledge of Autism, I can recognise the things she does as common traits on the spectrum, no eye contact or acknowledgement of other people, her repetition of words when she remembers them, but I can see she eventually gets to know people and understands some of the words she hears. She has limited capacity to express herself, but she is developing well since living with me. She loves doing puzzles and her story before bed helps her settle.
Rosie is a lovely bubbly tickle-monster, and she makes me smile. She needs lots of attention, and a family who are patient. She has additional health needs, some genetic and we have several appointments with different specialists to monitor and manage them.’
Ideally, Rosie needs a new adoptive family who have some knowledge or experience of Autism but parents willing to learn about her diagnosis and understand how Rosie might view the world through Autism, will be successful too. Rosie’s new family will need to accept there will be uncertainty when bringing her into their family, and we’ll work with parents with the drive to get the right support for Rosie, and the empathy to understand and put her needs first, not just now, but in the future. Rosie will lead her new parent(s) as she develops and together they’ll become a family. It will have its challenges, but it will also be hugely rewarding.
There is a lot more to know about Rosie, and if you think you could consider being her parent, please contact Veronica, the social worker responsible for finding her new family.
[email protected] or call on 020 7527 4404.
‘A child with Autism is not ignoring you; they are waiting for you to enter their world’
Autism Quote
*Names changed and image is an artist’s impression