Resources for Parents of Children With Special Needs
Compiled and amended by Linda
[started on 18 June 2001, last updated 8 May 2006]

Dear Families in Japan,
I am so happy that Linda is going to research this page with the help of SKJ members! Her energy and enthusiasm will be much appreciated by me and I hope by many others. This is a beginning, but there should be constant updating so please check back. Thank you, Linda!
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 tellparentgroup[at]hotmail.com

Support Group for Parents of Children with Learning Differences (Tokyo):
This is a unique support program, started in 2005, which provides encouragement and guidance to parents with children who have special learning or behavioral needs. Meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 11:00 to 12:30 near Hiroo station in Tokyo. For more information, contact Greta Averbach at gretaver[at]aol.com.

The AMDA International Medical Information Center
For phone consultation in English, Monday-Friday 9 - 5, call:
Tel: 03-5285-8088 (Tokyo) or 06-4395-0555 (Kansai)
For more detailed information about telephone hours in other languages as well as other services, see:
Website: http://homepage3.nifty.com/amdack/
- 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 \b{from AMDA Kansai:} From: センター 関西 \mail{amdack@nifty.com,amdack@nifty.com} To: \mail{admin@tokyowithkids.com,admin@tokyowithkids.com} Sent: Thu Feb 23 10:54 Subject: Request for web-posted information update Dear Japan/Tokyo With Kids Webmaster, This is AMDA International Medical Information Center Kansai. We noted that your website has our information under "Links:" section in your "Special Needs Kids - Resources for Parents" page in your "FYI" section (\topurl{http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/specialneeds.html,http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/specialneeds.html}). However, the phone number and the URL listed is outdated. The current phone number is 06-4395-0555, URL is \topurl{http://homepage3.nifty.com/amdack/,http://homepage3.nifty.com/amdack/}, and FAX number is 06-4395-0554. However, we cannot process inquiries via FAX, mails, or emails. Therefore, we are requesting that only the phone number and the URL made available on web sites. AMDA International Medical Information Center Kansai 505 pia NPO 2-8-24 Chikko, Minato-ku, Oksaka zip 552-0021 Japan Tel: 06-4395-0555 Fax: 06-4395-0554 email: \mail{amdack@nifty.com,amdack@nifty.com} URL: \topurl{http://homepage3.nifty.com/amdack/,http://homepage3.nifty.com/amdack/}

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://homepage2.nifty.com/aspergermie/top.html
(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
Email: asj[at]mub.biglobe.ne.jp
Website: http://www1.biz.biglobe.ne.jp/~asj/

Dyslexia Society of Japan (NPO EDGE)
Tel: 03-5413-3356, Fax: 03-5413-3358
Email: info@npo-edge.jp
Website: http://www.npo-edge.jp/eng/index.html
- 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
1-10--7-203 Kita Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 169-0074
Tel: 03-3369-3462 (Japanese only)

The Japan Down Syndrome Network - in English
http://infofarm.cc.affrc.go.jp/~momotani/dowj1-e.html

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-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[at]nifty.ne.jp -- Osamu Yamaoka
Website: http://www.normanet.ne.jp/~zenkokld/

Harvey and MacLaurin's School
3-19-20-102 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3473-6896
Mrs. Toku Nagashima
Email: meg[at]po.iijnet.or.jp
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[at]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

Musashino Higashi Gakuen
3-25-3 Nishikubo, Musashino-city, Tokyo 180-0013
Phone: 0422-54-8611
Fax: 0422-51-0267
Email: kenkyujo[at]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

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[at]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 Institute for the Advancement 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.

Do you know anything that should be added to this page? Please contact us using our feedback form. Please write "Special Needs" at the top of the comments section.