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Japanese Speaking Parents Association of Children with Challenges

This is a support group for parents of Japanese-speaking children with disabilities.

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About Us ?

We "Hands in Hand" ( JSPACC ) is a Los Angeles-based, Japanese-speaking support group for children with disabilities. JSPACC is a Los Angeles-based support group organized by Japanese-speaking parents of children with disabilities. It was reestablished in 1994 in cooperation with the Little Tokyo Service Center, a non-profit social service organization in Los Angeles.

The purpose of the group is to support the independence of each parent by providing emotional support to each other while learning about the differences in American laws, systems, and common sense surrounding disabilities in Japanese.

Membership

Anyone interested in our activities can become a member. Currently, our members are mainly parents of children with disabilities, volunteers, medical and welfare professionals, educators, and others. Most of the members live in the Los Angeles and Orange County area, but the circle has also expanded to other parts of the state and Japan.

Members vary in English proficiency, status in the U.S., and length of stay in the U.S. The types of disabilities of children vary widely, including autism, intellectual disabilities, chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, seizure-related disorders, hearing impairment, visual impairment due to retinopathy of prematurity, and sequelae due to illness or accident, as well as ADD/ADHD ( which has finally come to attention in Japan in recent years. Attention Deficit ( Hyperactivity ) Disorder ), and children with learning disabilities that have become a problem in education.

Activities

We promote information exchange and friendship among members through the following activities. All activities are planned ・ and operated ・ by members and general volunteers.

●Lectures and study meetings with speakers from various fields Lectures
●" children's programs " subcommittee activities during study meetings ( Activities by region and purpose )
●Family interaction through Christmas parties and picnics .
●Publication of newsletters Distribution of books and videos on disabilities donated by members
●Acceptance of inquiries and consultation from members and the general community Provision of information
●Distribution of membership list

Significance and Mission of Hand in Hand Parents Association

The environment surrounding people with disabilities in the U.S. is advanced and we are quite fortunate in terms of laws, systems, information disclosure and people's awareness. However, the major difference from Japan is that in the U.S., people with disabilities do not automatically receive uniform services from public organizations just because they have a disability. Recognizing that it is [fair ]support to provide individualized services that meet the needs of each person, a variety of services are available, but they are not provided unless the parents find out what services they think their child needs and request ・and persuade them to provide them. . This is basically the same for school and medical ・ care for the child, and parents must have some knowledge of the situation and be able to discuss it on an equal footing in order to receive adequate care and education.

In other words, parents need to play the role of producer and coordinator of their own children and create a support team for their children. However, some families spend years frustrated, completely unaware of these differences, and some parents are at their wits' end due to differences in language ・culture ・and customs. Unfortunately, in Los Angeles, there is currently no Japanese-language resource or emotional support for this particular situation, which is why our JSPACC activities are so valuable. Just as every parent wishes for the happiness of their child, we, parents of children with disabilities, wish for a happy and fruitful life for our children. In order to realize this dream in the U.S., where the language and customs are different, we parents need to support each other, exchange information, and each parent needs to acquire the knowledge and know-how to use the American system. JSPACC believes that our mission is to support the independence of each parent by providing a place to study, exchange information, and socialize for this purpose.

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