Feasibility of the American Special Education Resource Room Model for Japanese Students with Learning and/or Behavior Problems

Services for children with physical handicaps and severe mental retardation in Japan are excellent. Services for emotionally disturbed children are non-existent in many parts of the country and, where they do exist, are considered inadequate by Japanese educators. This study, a 2 year co-operative effort by Baylor University and the Midway Independent School District in Waco, Texas and Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan, examines the feasibility of using the resource room model in Japanese schools to provide the missing services for mild to moderately disturbed children and to make possible early identification and remediation of emotional problems in the schools. Two hundred and fifty-seven teachers, parents, professors of education and education supervisors, and staff members of a center for the handicapped were shown a one-hour videotape depicting staffing patterns, organization, and a typical resource room. Demographic data, answers to objective questions, and answers to open-ended questions were obtained and analyzed. Response indicates that Japanese educators and parents do favor the adoption of the resource room concept with appropriate modifications for the Japanese culture.