Chapter 9: Navigating Public Education in Japan for a Bicultural Child with Autism by Eugene Ryan
Abstract
When a bilingual child is diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum, their parents suddenly find themselves faced with a bewildering range of seemingly urgent choices which emerge from the central idea of What is best for my child? For example, they must decide which place or environment looks like offering the best support, whether or not they should change or give up their jobs, and whether bilingualism itself is even tenable. Even when these key issues have been resolved, there is still the matter of how to raise and educate the child, and how to navigate the various challenges of the educational path that is chosen.
In this chapter I will use the experiences of my family to illustrate some examples of the choices families in this situation are required to make. We are a British-Japanese family, settled in Japan, and all of us are fluent in English and Japanese. It will cover the time period from the autism diagnosis of our son at the age of four, to the present, a time span of around six years. During this time, our son has been educated in the local Japanese kindergarten and elementary school.
About the Contributor
Eugene Ryan is an Associate Professor at Toyohashi University of Technology, in Aichi, Japan. His original research interest was the social and cognitive development of bilingual children on the ASD spectrum. More recently he has been working on translating a role-playing game designed to help autistic children improve their communicative confidence. His other activities include teaching autism awareness in elementary schools and fostering networks amongst parents of bilingual children with developmental issues.
Citation
Ryan, E. (2020). Navigating public education in Japan for a bicultural child with autism. In M. L. Cook & L. G. Kittaka (Eds.), Intercultural families and schooling in Japan: Experiences, issues, and challenges (pp. 218-240). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/12/9
When a bilingual child is diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum, their parents suddenly find themselves faced with a bewildering range of seemingly urgent choices which emerge from the central idea of What is best for my child? For example, they must decide which place or environment looks like offering the best support, whether or not they should change or give up their jobs, and whether bilingualism itself is even tenable. Even when these key issues have been resolved, there is still the matter of how to raise and educate the child, and how to navigate the various challenges of the educational path that is chosen.
In this chapter I will use the experiences of my family to illustrate some examples of the choices families in this situation are required to make. We are a British-Japanese family, settled in Japan, and all of us are fluent in English and Japanese. It will cover the time period from the autism diagnosis of our son at the age of four, to the present, a time span of around six years. During this time, our son has been educated in the local Japanese kindergarten and elementary school.
About the Contributor
Eugene Ryan is an Associate Professor at Toyohashi University of Technology, in Aichi, Japan. His original research interest was the social and cognitive development of bilingual children on the ASD spectrum. More recently he has been working on translating a role-playing game designed to help autistic children improve their communicative confidence. His other activities include teaching autism awareness in elementary schools and fostering networks amongst parents of bilingual children with developmental issues.
Citation
Ryan, E. (2020). Navigating public education in Japan for a bicultural child with autism. In M. L. Cook & L. G. Kittaka (Eds.), Intercultural families and schooling in Japan: Experiences, issues, and challenges (pp. 218-240). Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/12/9
Information About the Book
Title: Intercultural Families and Schooling in Japan: Experiences, Issues, and Challenges
Editors: Melodie Lorie Cook and Louise George Kittaka
Publication date: 24 September 2020
Read more...
Title: Intercultural Families and Schooling in Japan: Experiences, Issues, and Challenges
Editors: Melodie Lorie Cook and Louise George Kittaka
Publication date: 24 September 2020
Read more...