Japan will engage in fact-finding on developmental disorders in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam to enhance mutual cooperation to address the issue, sources familiar with the plan said Tuesday.
Japan and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected to include the initiative in a joint statement to be issued after their summit in Tokyo on Sunday, the sources said.
Developmental disorders, discovered in children in many cases, include spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders and intellectual disability, among others.
The sources said an international organization has compiled a guidebook based on research in Southeast Asian countries since 2021 on matters such as the circumstances of life for people diagnosed with developmental disorders and their families as well as measures taken by health authorities.
The research found that nonurban areas have fewer measures to cope with developmental disorders as compared to physical and mental disabilities, as the disorders are not well known in the first place.
Japan and ASEAN are set to launch a joint initiative that will do similar fact-finding and train teachers and other personnel to work with those who have developmental disorders, the sources said.
The initiative will help enhance exchanges between families of people with the disorders and relevant officials from academic and business circles, the sources added.
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