January 3, 2016 December 2015 Feature - Sensory, Family Stories, older child adoption, profound deafness, Sensory System, waiver request 1 Comments

When a single image changes your whole life… We began our adoption process in a way that was, likely, different from many. I was checking my email, and literally, on a whim, I opened up an email I normally wouldn’t have. And there, staring at me, was my son. It rattled me to my core …Read More

December 31, 2015 albinism, December 2015 Feature - Sensory, Family Stories, nystagmus, Sensory System, Skin Conditions, vision issues 4 Comments

For 2015 the NHBO team set a goal to focus on all eleven special needs systems, featuring a different system each month. We wanted to not only spotlight the needs within that system, but simultaneously grow the content here on No Hands But Ours. And with the help of the amazing adoption community, we succeeded. …Read More

December 27, 2015 ASL, cochlear implants, December 2015 Feature - Sensory, Family Stories, hearing loss, Sensory System 0 Comments

Like nearly every adoptive parent in today’s international adoption realm, my husband and I began our adoption process with the (dreaded) Medical Conditions Checklist – a list of conditions that we felt prepared for and would be willing to review files for. Birthmarks, check. Missing digits, check. Sensory processing needs, check. As an autism specialist, …Read More

December 22, 2015 December 2015 Feature - Sensory, hearing aids, hearing loss, Sensory System 1 Comments

Continuing to focus on sensory special needs, we have a special guest contributor. Sister to regular contributor Katie, Emily adopted a son from the Philippines, and today shares her story of discovering his undiagnosed need of hearing impairment. ………. I will never forget the moment I first saw his picture. We had no intention of …Read More

December 10, 2015 congenital blindness, December 2015 Feature - Sensory, Katie, Sensory System, septo optic dysplasia, vision loss 10 Comments

Fear. I can see it in the eyes of everyone who asks the question, “Can they see anything?” Then I see the frozen look of shock when I say, “Nope, not a thing, and they never will.” I see the hundred questions that they are afraid to ask. Ten months ago I did something everyone …Read More

December 1, 2015 ASL, attachment activities, cochlear implants, December 2015 Feature - Sensory, Family Stories, hearing loss, profound deafness, sedated ABR, Sensory System 0 Comments

When we started the adoption process for the second time, we knew things would look differently. Adopting a child through the Special Needs program in China was a huge step of faith for us and we had no idea what the next few months or even years would look for our family. While we were …Read More