What I Learned from Accessing Support Vol. 9: Between Systems and Reality [Educational Counseling Center Edition]
I am summarizing what I have actually tried so far, partly as a personal record.
I would be happy if this reaches someone who is "struggling right now."
※This is strictly "in my case."
※This note is compiled in the [What I Learned from Accessing Support Series Magazine].
Usage Category
•Municipal Educational Counseling Center
•Purpose of use: As my second son entered 6th grade, the frequency of days he couldn't go to school increased.
•Contact person: E-san (Clinical Psychologist / Female)
•Consultation office: The municipality where I live
▶ Background and History of Use
With his promotion to 6th grade, my second son stopped going to school from the second week of April. He returned to school once before May, but he was absent for the entirety of June, and only attended for the two weeks before summer break in July... this state continued, and the number of days he could not attend school clearly increased.
Thinking, "It will be tough if things continue like this," I started looking for any support I could use.
✅ Points that were helpful (Pros)
✅ Since the psychologist who conducted the WISC test when he started attending the special needs resource room was the one in charge, it was easy to talk to her from the beginning.
✅ I was able to get information not only about support within the municipality but also outside of it (e.g., flyers for free schools, university psychological counseling, parents' groups, etc.).
✅ She checked with the school in advance to see if it was okay to tell them that I had consulted with her (I replied that it was fine, of course).
✅ I feel like I talked to E-san about my husband's abnormal behavior for the first time.
✅ Although my second son couldn't engage with the one-on-one program, the psychologist wrote a letter to him saying, "It's a place where you can play board games, move your body, play cards, and just spend time comfortably."
✅ Even if the person themselves is resistant, support could be continued in the form of the parent attending a monthly interview (though it is unclear if this can be continued indefinitely).
✅ The psychologists at the Educational Counseling Center were all kind.
✅ We plan to continue receiving support for future middle school life, such as separate room attendance and school enrollment consultations.
⚠️ Limitations and points of caution I felt (Cons)
※These are strictly my personal experiences and impressions.
⚠️ It takes time to get a response, such as needing more than two weeks until the first interview.
⚠️ Even if support exists, it doesn't effectively connect unless the person themselves engages (that is the wall).
✍️ What I think now
The Educational Counseling Center had more diverse support methods prepared than I had imagined. However, for a type like my second son who "doesn't go" and "stays inside," the very act of "going there" becomes a major hurdle.
But I felt that having options itself is truly helpful as a parent. I am grateful that we can choose to some extent according to his characteristics, such as group-based or individual-based support.
Recently, online support and the like have appeared, but "whether to do it or not" is ultimately up to the person themselves. That is precisely why I feel that the stance of "just presenting the options" as a parent is also important.
🔎 Options currently available in our home (actual usage status)
•School attendance (late arrival/early departure OK)
•Special needs resource room (in-person or online)
•Individual program at the Educational Counseling Center
•Individual program at the Child Guidance Center (psychological counseling started this month)
•Online tutor (currently ongoing)
•Online free school (not enrolled)
•In-person free school (currently on leave)
What my second son is choosing for himself right now is the "special needs resource room" and the "online tutor." Although he still only goes outside occasionally, just having the feeling that he chose it himself makes a big difference. (...or so I want to believe...)
I plan to continue consulting with the Educational Counseling Center while watching the situation.
In this series, I will record the "support and services I have actually used" in my life so far, as concretely and honestly as possible.
Next time, I plan to write about [Special Needs Resource Room].