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May 24, 2002

What happens to Japanese students with ADHD?
Miya Omori, Ed. D.

Working closely with many children who have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), I am amazed at the network that is needed to support the child with ADHD. First, there are the parents, then the teachers, special education support in the schools, therapists, and psychiatrists to name a few. The child who suffers from ADHD usually needs an environment that implements many methods of behavioral modification, including time-out, a token system, monitored positive peer interactions, and positive adult reinforcement and interactions.

When I think of the attention it involves to help an ADHD child develop and function appropriately, there is an enormous amount of people involved. When I begin to think of the Japanese educational system, I start to worry for the ADHD children. The Japanese education system is not conductive to a specialized education or personal attention in the classroom. In the Japanese educational system, we often find the traditional form of teaching and very little room for disruptions. Since the government prescribes certain curricula for each grade level, it also puts teachers in a tight spot for completing the curriculum and making sure the majority of the children understand the curricula.

In this kind of a picture, it is very difficult to involve the teacher or school in helping the ADHD child learn in an optional setting. There are many children in Japan today, who refuse to attend school. Some of these problems stem from peer relationships, others may be academic, others may be problems with teacher relationships and others may be pure boredom. When we look at each problem by itself, we may feel that it is bullying problem, or an intelligence level problem, or a curriculum problem. However, when we look at the bigger picture, perhaps we can begin to see a picture of a child or children with ADHD. Of course, the other issues mentioned above may be the cause, and is critical to examine when we are studying the school refusal problem in Japan, but may be it's time, to entertain the possibility of these children possibly having ADHD and finding ways we can help these students in the Japanese educational system.