Ready To Focus Visits Japanese School

Posted on February 8 2010

By Brad Oostindie, MA, LLP - Clinical Director

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting the Meysen Academy in Sendai, Japan.  This is the third international school I have visited (India - 2003 and Dominican Republic 2007) and I found the experience to be very informative.  The Meysen Academy is known for its interactive learning style, teaching English as a second language, and is a community leader in the area.  There are two Meysen campuses in Sendai and about 4000 students attend classes at the school everyday. 

Prior to going to Japan I spent sometime researching topics related to the Ready To Focus program as it related to this trip.  A recent UNICEF study placed Japan in the top 5 of countries for scores in math and science.  Only 2.2% of the high school age students in Japan fell below international benchmarks of achievement.  This is compared to 16.2% of students in the United States falling below benchmarks during the same time period. Also, you may not be aware of this but according to the National Institute of Health the United States uses approximately 85% of all the stimulant medication produced in the world.  Although ADHD is recognized in Japan and different types of psychostimulant medication are used for treatment, the treatment model follows a paradigm of using medication as a last resort as opposed to a first line of intervention in all but the most serious cases. 

In Japan the model of ADHD intervention is as follows:
1. Environmental coordination and psychoeducation. 
2. Behavioral Therapy. 
3.  Review of these interventions. 
4.  Specialists (for drugs or other therapies). 
A link to this research article is provided below. 

There is so much more I could report regarding my visit to the Meysen Academy!  I hope you find this information helpful as you consider your own child’s academic, behavior, and other needs and as you make decisions on how to best intervene for your child in these areas.  Please feel free to email me at brad@readytofocus.com for more information.


Link to research article
Psychopharmacology_for_ADHD_in_Japan.pdf
Pictures of visit
Meysen.pdf

 

 

 

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