Resources for Parents of Children With Special Needs
Ongoing amendments by Cornelia,[started 18 Jun 2001, last updated 22 Sep 2013]

Dear Families in Japan,
I am so happy that Linda had the idea to research this page with the help of SKJ members! Her enthusiasm was much appreciated. Thank you Linda for starting this page.
Most Sincerely, Cornelia June 2001

There are 6 sections to this page:
Parent Support Groups
Links
Evaluation/Testing and Therapy
Tutoring and Special Education for Children with Learning Differences
Distance Programs
Other Related Links

Special Kids Japan E-List
To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to SKJ-subscribe[at]topica.com, OR go to the list directory at:
Website: http://www.topica.com/lists/SKJ
Any way is fine. Once you join, just tell us a little bit about yourself, your family in general, and your special child.

Tokyo Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs
- meets monthly near the American School in Japan (ASIJ) in Chofu
- open to all interested parents
- Contact Tokyo International Learning Community (TILC) at 0422-31-9611 or tilc[at]gol.com for current contact information.

Exceptional Parents Program (Tokyo):
Tokyo English Life Line Community Counseling Service Exceptional Parents Program invites you to join a wonderful group of parents to learn about topics relevant to special needs. The Exceptional Parents program strives to provide an educational forum for families who are meeting the challenges of raising children with disabilities. Speakers from various fields related to disabilities, introduce and facilitate discussion on topics of interest.
- Meetings are held throughout October to May at the TELL Community Counseling Service campus in Minami-Aoyama.
- For further information please send email to excep.parents [at] telljp.com (Current leader is Carla Ito).

Support Group for Parents of Children with Learning Differences (Tokyo):
This is a unique support program, started in 2005 (Greta Averbach), which provides encouragement and guidance to English-speaking parents of all nationalities with children who have special learning or behavioral needs. Informal meetings are held about once a month in Tokyo to exchange information and support each other. For more information, contact Carolyn Morikawa at ccamorikawa [at] yahoo.com.

The AMDA International Medical Information Center
For phone consultation in English, Monday-Friday 9 - 5, call:
Tel: 03-5285-8088 (Tokyo, Kanto region) or 06-4395-0555 (Osaka, Kansai Region)
For more detailed information about telephone hours in other languages as well as other services, see:
Website: http://amda-imic.com/ (in 8 languages)
- provides telephone and other services to foreign residents in Japan in several languages
- introduces medical facilities with staff who speak the patient's language and explains the health care system
- information is provided ONLY through a telephone call. Do not contact by mail, email or fax.

The Asperger Society of Japan
There is a local group for children with Asperger's syndrome living in the Tokai region (Nagoya area) with an English homepage.
Email: mtsujii[at]sass.chukyo-u.ac.jp (Professor Masatsugu Tsujii)
Website: http://ibuki.ha.shotoku.ac.jp/~kitazawa/masatsugu/eng/engtop.html

"Aspe-LD" Parent Associations (throughout the Tokai Region) for Asperger's, High Functioning Autism, and LD - in Japanese only
Website: http://www.as-japan.jp/
(English web pages are in the planning stages.)

Autism Society of Japan (Nihon Jiheisho Kyokai) - in Japanese only
There are also a number of prefectures that have branches of their own.
2-2-8 Nishi Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0051
Tel: 03-3232-6478, Fax: 03-5273-8438
Email: Use mail form on top page of web site.
Website: http://poplar.main.jp/asj.html

Dyslexia Society of Japan (NPO EDGE)
Tel: 03-5413-3356, Fax: 03-5413-3358
Email: edgewebinfo[at]npo-edge.jp
Website: http://www.npo-edge.jp (click on English)
- EDGE (Extraordinary, Dyslexic, Gifted and Eclectic) was founded to promote awareness of developmental dyslexia and to provide support to dyslexic children, parents and teachers. Support includes tools such as assessment and solutions to difficulties dyslexic people face through computers, talking books, assisting volunteers, consulting, etc.

Japanese Association for Parents of Children With Down Syndrome (reorganized several times since 1963)
1-10-7-203 Kita Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 169-0074
Tel: 03-3369-3462, Fax: 03-3369-8182 (Japanese only)
Email: jds97[at]po.jah.ne.jp (Japanese only)
Website: None, but here is a description: http://www.hiyokonokai.net/about-jdss.html
- Monday to Friday 10:00 to 15:00
- membership fee

The Japan Down Syndrome Network - in English (begun by Dr Eiichi Momotani)
1-36-14 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856
Website: http://jdsn.ac.affrc.go.jp/dowj1-e.html not updated
http://jdsn.ac.affrc.go.jp/dowj1.html in Japanese (more recent info)
Tel/Fax: 029-836-3990
Email: momotani[a t]affrc.go.jp or office[a t]dsij.jp (Englsh sometimes OK)

Walking with Hearing Impaired
National Foundation for Handicapped Children Welfare, 2-2-8-5F Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-0051
tel: 03-3203-9938, Fax: 03-3203-9938 (Japanese only)
Email: aq2t-ueym[a t]asahi-net.or.jp
Website: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~aq2t-ueym/about/devoir.html (last updated 2003?)
- Enhanced education information and publications for deaf children and their parents.

Japan Portage Association
Dai 10 Tanaka Bldg. 3F Rm.2, 3-54-5 Wada, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-0012
Tel: 03-3313-4822, Fax: 03-3313-2575
Email: jpa[a t]a-net.email.ne.jp
Website: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/portage/japan/
- The Portage Guide for Early Education (PGEE) is a support method for young children and infants who have disabilities, and their families.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Tokyo, Japan -- Keyaki
Email: keyaki[at]box.club.ne.jp
Website (English page): http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hp/keyaki/HTML/ENG/E_00.html

National Parents' Association of Learning Disabilities in Japan -- Zenkoku LD Oya no Kai
c/o Tokyo Volunteer Center #27, 1-1 Kaguragashi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0823
Email: CZT02757[a t]nifty.ne.jp -- Osamu Yamaoka
Tel/Fax: 03-6276-8985
Website: http://www.normanet.ne.jp/~zenkokld/ replaced by http://www.jpald.net/index.html

Behavioral & Educational Consulting [BEC]
Hiroaki Wemura, Founder, Executive Director
Behavior Specialist, J.P.A. Certified Psychologist (#7108)
1-1-5-201 Isobe-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 651-0084
Tel/Fax: 078-242-5051 Mobile: 090-2046-5052 (from Japan) / +81-90-2046-5052 (from outside of Japan)
Email: h_wemura[at]becintl.com
Mobile Email: hblakew[at]ezweb.ne. Website: http://www.becintl.com
- providing comprehensive behavioral services to individuals with (including but not limited to) Pervasive Developmental Disorders (Autism, Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Asperger's Disorder) Mental Retardation, Downs Syndrome, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) and Schizophrenia.
- Certified Psychiatric Social Worker
- Cetified Autism Spectrum Specialist (STANDARD)
- Certified Toys & Child-Care Adviser
- Osaka City Children's Guidance Center Counselor

Harvey and MacLaurin's School
3-19-20-102 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3473-6896
Mrs. Toku Nagashima
Email: meg9maclaurin[a t]gmail.com
Website: http://www.harvey.co.jp/maclaurin
- a small school specialized in students ages 3-20 with needs not met by other schools and/or disabilities
- international enrollment is about 15-20 including 3 or so home-schooled, total enrollment includes Japanese students as well as international students in languages other then English
- can assist in applying for Japanese government aid (financial or/and educational depending) available to children and adults with certain types of disabilities such as seeing and hearing handicaps
- will help find and apply for participation in special schools provided by the government for certain types of handicaps such as Down's syndrome, autism, blindness and so on.
- initial counseling available for free, don't hesitate to call or make time for a conference
"Japanese facilities have many very conscientious staff members who are pleased to work with non-Japanese and who speak languages other than Japanese. I will do what I can to help a child's parents find these opportunities."

International Secondary School (ISS)
4-17-26 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073
Tel: 03-5730-1331, Fax: 03-5730-1332
Shawn Hutchinson, Principal
Email: iss[a t]isstokyo.com
Website: http://www.isstokyo.com
- small classes and personal attention for middle and high school students from a variety of backgrounds, including students with special needs: "Special Needs Services provide for the education needs of individuals with exceptional needs. Support offered by the school is designed to accommodate the learning styles and abilities of students who have Individual Education Programs."
- accreditation is achieved through distance learning courses
- since 2000

Maximizing Potential in Japan (MPIJ) founded December 2008
Ai International School, 5-4-4-4F Mita Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073
Contact person: Bill Ward
Tel: 090-9349-2058, Fax: 03-3224-0916
Email: bward[at]mpij.us
Website: http://mpij.us/
- Who is it for? Children in need of learning support
- For a longer description read more here
- A 12 minute stroll from Azabu Juban Station, Exit 2

Musashino Higashi Gakuen
3-25-3 Nishikubo, Musashino-city, Tokyo 180-0013
Phone: 0422-54-8611
Fax: 0422-51-0267
Email: kenkyujo[a t]musashino-higashi.org (Michiko Okubo of their research institute also taught at the Boston school and is fluent in English.)
Website (in English): http://www.musashino-higashi.org/english.htm
- kindergarten through high school
- private school which, from its beginnings, has included children with autism in classes with more typically developing peers to the fullest extent possible, for the benefit of both
- the Tokyo campus, the first, is one of several throughout the world (see also "Boston Higashi School": http://www.bostonhigashi.org)
- the language of instruction in Tokyo is Japanese

The CEE BEE Center (opened in 2013)
6-13-8 Matsunoki, Nakagawa Machi, Chikushino gun, Fukuoka Ken 811-1251
Center for Education, Therapy and Support for children with Developmental Disorders and Learning Difficulties Head: Cecil Patrick Burton
Tel/Fax: 092-562-0076
Mobile: 090-2859-7075
Email: ceebee [at] jcom.home.ne.jp
- Diploma in Special Education from the U.K.
- Blog : http://ameblo.jp/ceebee (in Japanese)
- Blog : http://ameblo.jp/theceebeecenter (in English)
- "Move To Learn" Certified Practitioner

Tokyo International Learning Community
2-51-7 Tama-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo, 183-0002
Tel: 042-401-0585, Fax: 042-401-0588
Dennis McKibben, School Head
Email: tilc[a t]gol.com
Website: http://www.tilcjapan.com

CAN-DO, Christian Access to Neuro-Developmental Organization
Website: http://www.ican-do.net/
- individualized home programs with ongoing email support
Linda Kane is highly recommended by one Special Kids Japan e-list member.

Parent's Autism Series
Website: http://www.webed.com/Frame_CL.htm
- offers online courses free to parents of children with autism
- the first two courses will help parents better understand autism and possibly help them assess their own children if diagnosis has not yet been achieved
- the second two courses deal with educating methods for children with an autism diagnosis from a North American perspective

The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential
Website: http://www.iahp.org/
- provides programs for both brain-injured and well children
- parents may design their own program after reading a book or attending a course
- programs may also be individually designed by the staff of the institute for each child

Doman Kenkyusho, Tokyo Office
5-3-10-302 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Tel: 03-3797-5950
Fax: 03-3797-5963
E-mail: norikoym[at]zb3.so-net.ne.jp (Noriko Yamada - English OK!)
Registrar: Mrs. Mitsue Noguchi
- We are an organization within Japan that support, promote and enhance the activities of the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP) in Philadelphia, U.S.A.
- The name, Doman Kenkyusho, meaning Doman Institutes, comes from the name of the founder of IHAP, Glenn Doman.
- Our parent organization offers programs for both brain-injured and well children. We now have started similar programs in Japan not just in Tokyo but in other locations as well. Please contact for further information.

Doman Kenkyusho, Kobe Office
7-1-10-203 Dainichi-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo 651-0064
Tel: 078-251-3240
Fax: 078-251-3612
Registrar: Mrs. Futami Kitagawa (Japanese only)

Japan With Kids - Forums: Education in Japan - http://www.tokyowithkids.com/discussions/messages/151/151.html
Which includes, for example, the subtopic discussion: Elementary Aged Foreign Students in Japanese Public Schools - http://www.tokyowithkids.com/discussions/messages/151/41.html
Japan With Kids - Forums: Playgroups - http://www.tokyowithkids.com/discussions/messages/54/54.html
Japan With Kids - Forums: Classifieds: Tutoring/playmates: wanted/available - http://www.tokyowithkids.com/discussions/messages/3/152.html
Homeschooling / Afterschooling in Japan The web site started by Kat and Aileen! Try http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ja8i-brtl/index.htm if crossover link doesn't work.

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