TELL Exceptional Parenting Program

By on December 29, 2009

What is exceptional parenting? Who does it? Don’t all parents strive to be exceptional in raising exceptional children? Are we exceptional because we are foreigners in Japan, sending our kids to international schools? Or because we are locally married foreigners, sending our kids to Japanese schools but raising them multilingually?

These situations make for exceptional parenting, but our program focuses on a narrower meaning. Every child is exceptional in terms of uniqueness, but regardless of our circumstances, there are those who grow and learn differently, with different needs from the majority of children.

This large, diverse group of children are generally considered students with special educational needs in the US. They might be developmentally delayed, of average intelligence with a learning difference; they can have a physical disability, a behavior issue, and/or a cognitive delay. Gifted children – and there is a school here for them – are sometimes included in this group.

In the Tokyo / Yokohama international school community, the term “special educational needs” seems to apply to all children needing any adaptation beyond classroom customs and the classroom teachers’ abilities; the exception being students of other languages who receive English schooling.

Our community has resources for these children and their parents. Once children are suspected of having special needs, parents look for resources. Online searches are the easy part. What is scarcer as we live away from former support systems are nearby English-speaking professionals. Parents might also have to find expert help.

The Exceptional Parenting Program was re-established in February, 2002 as an informal support group to help parents guide their developing children with special needs – by learning from guest speakers and networking with other parents in similar situations.

The program now provides a forum for parents and professionals to learn more of issues related to raising children with diverse needs; to seek and exchange information in a supportive atmosphere; and access a small lending library of books, magazines, etc. Additionally, those seeking information on services in Tokyo contact the coordinator, as do advertising professionals. 

The program operates under the umbrella of Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) Child and Family Services, and is supported by annual grants. It offers a series of educational workshops featuring presentations by speakers from various disciplines, and take place in Minami Aoyama between October and May. The coordinator maintains a mailing list of English-speaking parents, professionals, international schools, companies, and e-groups; those on the list are invited to the workshops.

Nearly 200 parents, educators, and therapists attended last academic year’s presentations, and the program has had queries about various concerns: From “where to find therapists?” to “which schools accept children with diagnosed disabilities?”.

In 2009-10, we learned about Educational Evaluation from teacher and diagnostician Ann McKeever, and participated in a writing workshop with Suzanne Kamata, author of Bilingual Mothering and Love You to Pieces.

January will feature our third annual panel discussion about alternative and supplemental education opportunities in Tokyo. The panelists are Kinota Braithwaite of Kaybeetutoring, academic tutor Michael Stewart of NPO Skill Camp, ABA therapist Michiko Wakai of Autinet, founder and teacher of MPIJ School Bill Ward, and Royce Jacobs, principal of International Secondary School.

Our February speakers are Susan Islascox, learning support coordinator, and Ron Shumsky, clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist leading a workshop on “Maximizing Attention.” In April, Richard Chamovitz, a disability attorney and advocate, will assist in planning for children’s futures beyond high school. In May, Elizabeth Gillies, educational psychologist, will introduce “Social Stories.”

If you would like to be on our mailing list to receive the schedule for upcoming meetings, please contact Birgit Zorb-Serizawa, Director of Exceptional Parenting Program, at tellparentgroup@hotmail.com

Birgit Zorb-Serizawa, M.A.
Director, TELL Exceptional Parenting Program
TELL Child and Family Services
5-4-22 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
(03) 3498-0231
tellparentgroup@hotmail.com
www.telljp.com

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