Speaker
Abstract section 5: References
Fielding, C., Streeter, A., Riby, D. M., & Hanley, M. (2025). Neurodivergent Pupils’ Experiences of School Distress and Attendance Difficulties. Neurodiversity, 3.
Kearney, C. A., Heyne, D., & Gonzálvez, C. (2020). School attendance and problematic school absenteeism in youth. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 602242.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, Technology-Japan (MEXT). (2025). Reiwa 6 nenndo jidou seito no mondaikoudou futokoutou seito shidoujou no shokadai ni kansuru chousa kekka ni tsuite [2024 investigation on issues related to student guidance such as problem behavior and refusal to attend school]. https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20260116-mxt_jidou02-100002753_1_3.pdf
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Extensive absenteeism is problematic because it negatively impacts a child’s academic skill development as well as their social and emotional growth (Kearney et al., 2020). The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) (2025) states that 2.3% of elementary school students and 6.7% of junior high school students missed more than 30 full days of school in the 2024 school year. Global research shows that neurodivergent youth are disproportionately represented in the school refusal statistics as the school environment causes distress (Fielding et al., 2025).
Abstract section 3: Content/method
Interviews were conducted with the mothers of school refusers in Japan which culminated in a doctoral dissertation (2025). Using the transcripts from that research I plan to review the data for cases where neurodiversity came into play and connect it to the literature on school refusal more specifically. To ensure relevance for JALT 2026 I intend to concretely demonstrate how this issue connects to the work of language educators in Japan.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
The research questions asked and explored are:
How is school non-attendance and neurodiversity connected?
How can the stories of families who experience school refusal help us become better educators?
Do language educators specifically have an important role to play in ensuring education is inclusive for all?
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
The data from the original school refusal research shows that neurodiversity has a tremendous impact on school attendance. Despite selecting families for their international mixed-roots qualities, 8 out of 10 interviewees expressed clear evidence that autism, ADHD, selective mutism, or other neurodiversities were present in their child who was refusing to attend school. It is important to note that neurodiversity is not necessarily considered a cause for school absenteeism but is regarded as an element of difference that bears an impact on how school feels for someone who experiences the world differently.
| Title | The Intersection of School Refusal and Neurodiversity |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | General |