TELL’s Exceptional Parenting Program (EPP) provides a forum where parents and professionals can broaden their knowledge of issues related to raising and educating children with diverse needs, seek and exchange information in a supportive atmosphere, and access a lending library of books, magazines, and recorded presentations. Its workshop series features seven free presentations by speakers from a variety of disciplines and those workshops are centred on providing insightful practical information to increase awareness and understanding of various issues associated with raising and educating a child with learning differences/diverse needs.
The program had a great turnout this academic year (September 2012 to May 2013) and covered new topics, including strategies to use when talking to children about difficult topics, gender identity development and sexuality, school absenteeism and “Hikikomori,” motor movement difficulties, bilingual children with academic difficulties, and stigma in child mental health. In order to increase the accessibility of the programs, some workshops were provided in three formats, including an onsite live version, an offsite broadcast live version, and a recorded online version, at a later time. Over 200 people participated in the onsite live version of the workshops.
EPP is in the process of organizing its next workshop series (September 2013 to May 2014), which will include an international expert speaker. Information about the upcoming workshops will be available at http://www.telljp.com before September this year.
If you want to know more about the program or wish to receive information about upcoming events, please contact the Exceptional Parenting Program Coordinator, Chie Sawa, at [email protected]. — CHIE SAWA
