No easy fix for kids with developmental disorders
A House of Councillors plenary session has approved the law in a move that was welcomed by officials assisting those who suffer from such disorders as autism, asperger syndrome or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by low concentration span and impulsive behavior.
According to research by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry, ADHD could be the result of developmental problems as 6.3 percent of children suffer from the disorder.
Parents who agonize over how to raise children with such disorders can go to public institutions for advice. But officials often do not have extensive knowledge on the subject. The disorders frequently are overlooked in health checks, so many children are not treated and do not receive sufficient assistance in the areas of education or employment later on in life.
The head of a Nagoya-based nonprofit organization, the Asperger Society of Japan, welcomed the new law.
"This is a landmark law that recognizes those who previously had slipped beneath the government's assistance for developmental disorders and clearly stipulates the central and local governments' responsibilities," said Masatsugu Tsuji, who also is an assistant professor of developmental psychology at the Chukyo University.
Under the law, support programs will be run by prefectural centers for patients with developmental disorders and will act as key facilities to support such patients, providing services from early detection to helping patients find work.
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, 19 centers had been set up in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and other prefectures by fiscal 2003 and each prefecture will be expected to launch a center within about three years………….. CONTINUES…………..//www.yomiuri.co.jp
Nu uºor stabili pentru copiii cu tulburãri de dezvoltare - No easy fix for kids with developmental disorders - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate