LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test, an online test of children’s developmental characteristics

LITALICO will be presenting the “LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test” at the booth, which can test the developmental characteristics of your child. LITALICO will introduce its initiatives.

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• Hiroki Enomoto (Executive Officer, CQO, Quality Management Division, LITALICO Research Institute, LITALICO Corporation)
• Haruka Noda (Researcher, LITALICO Corporation)

> > Interview videos are also available onYoutube video!

Mr. Hiroki Enomoto, Executive Officer, CQO, Quality Management Division, LITALICO Research Institute, LITALICO Corporation (▲Picture 1▲), gave an overview of the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test.

The LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test is a product that allows parents to test their child’s various characteristics online. Among the various characteristics, it is particularly unique in that it can test developmental characteristics.

We have a long history of supporting children and parents with characteristics of developmental disabilities. The gateway to this support is to understand and grasp the child’s characteristics. First of all, it is important to understand and grasp the condition and situation of the child, but there are parents who do not know how to grasp and understand, parents who do not know how to get the opportunity to be the entry point, and parents who have to wait several months to find and see an appropriate medical institution. We developed this test with the major goal of solving such issues.

Specifically, the test will comprehensively examine your child’s learning difficulties and interpersonal social difficulties, as well as a variety of other characteristics such as sleep, sensory, and motor. You can answer the questions on your smartphone or on your computer or tablet. After answering about 150 questions, a one-of-a-kind, “instruction manual-like image” describing your child is output on the spot. The system can be answered in a short period of time, so it can be used in your spare time at night, for example.

1,600 parents and children have taken the test so far
LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test

Following the introduction of the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test, Nanako Ishido (▲Picture 5▲), Director of BLab, who is leading the Brain World for Everyone exhibition, spoke with Enomoto and Haruka Noda (▲Picture 2▲), Researcher at LITALICO Corporation, about the background of the development of the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test, measurement methods, specific results, responses to the output the reactions to the reports, and future prospects.

Ishido: “I understood that the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test will be utilized by parents who have children before they visit a child psychiatrist or other medical institution. Currently, there is a shortage of child psychiatrists in Japan, and there is a long waiting period before a child can see a psychiatrist. On the other hand, there are parents who are concerned about their children’s condition but not yet ready to seek medical attention. Who do you think will be the main target audience?

Mr. Enomoto: “These are parents who have ‘started to have trouble’ or ‘started to be concerned’ about their child’s situation in daily life. We have received about 2,000 parents so far, and the volume zone is parents with pre-school and early elementary school-aged children.

We believe that the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test can provide value to these people. We believe that the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test can provide value to these people.

Ishido: “You said that preschool to early elementary school-aged children are your target zone.

Mr. Enomoto: “We did not necessarily develop this product targeting parents with preschool- or early elementary school-aged children. For example, the questions were designed for children between the ages of 3 and 18, and we collected a variety of data by asking them to respond to a questionnaire in advance and analyzed it statistically. The results of the survey will be valid even if children and parents who are not in preschool or early elementary school age take the survey.

Inattention” and “Communication”.
Developmental Disabilities on a 5-point scale

Ishido: “Please tell us about specific questions, etc.”

Mr. Noda: “Then I will explain using the measurement item in the category of ‘inattention’ as an example. (▲Photo 3▲)

We will ask them to answer on a 5-point scale from “not applicable” to “always applicable” to “losing or forgetting one’s belongings” within the last 3 months. We analyze the collected data in detail, including the results of the questionnaires, and ask questions after considering in advance the items that will successfully measure carelessness, such as “inability to pay attention to details.

In the category of “communication” other than inattentiveness, we have prepared questions such as “talking one-sidedly without paying attention to the other person’s reaction,” “not participating well in group play,” and “not being able to ask others for help when in trouble. Other items include those related to sleep, anxiety when away from parents, and motor and sensory sensitivities.

Ishido: “It is considered common for children to lose their belongings when they are in preschool or early elementary school. Some psychiatrists warn that ‘developmental disorders are over-labeled these days. What do you think about the possibility that such testing may lead to an over-diagnosis in the case of young children? What precautions are you taking to prevent this risk?

Mr. Noda: “The important point of the LITALICO Developmental Characteristics Test is that it aims to understand the child’s characteristics and current ‘trouble situation’ rather than to ‘make a diagnosis. Our main focus is on ‘providing parents with the best individualized information’ on what information, including the child’s current situation, can best be provided to them.

For this reason, we have prepared criteria based on age and grade level. We create a reference point from data collected according to the age of the child, and test how far away from that reference point the parents and children being tested are, in other words, ‘how much trouble they are in. Specifically, in the item “Losing or forgetting one’s belongings,” for example, the average score of a 3-year-old child would be higher than that of a 5-year-old child. Taking this into consideration, we determine the degree of distress based on how far from the norm/standard the child is within that age group. In this way, we try to avoid over-diagnosis.

The second is that the overall tone of the inspection is not to label the child, but to emphasize the importance of telling the child ‘what to do’ according to the intensity of his or her difficulty. We write questions and other information with this in mind. I believe that we are very conscious of the wording so that it doesn’t lead to over-diagnosis or to anxiety that ‘my child has ADHD because he/she has this condition.

Can be shared and utilized with medical institutions and schools
Detailed test result reports of children’s developmental characteristics

Ishido: “I think what is important for parents is not what kind of diagnosis is given, but ‘I want to know how I should cope with it in my daily life. So this is a test to connect to that. It is said that the problems of people with developmental disabilities vary from person to person. Each person has different characteristics, and with more than 2,000 people being tested, the results must be quite varied.

Mr. Noda: “We can actually check the results of the test data anonymously, and as I said, there is quite a lot of variation. We realize that a wide variety of people have taken the test. I will show you a sample of actual test results. (▲Photo 4▲)

Since the degree of trouble is shown in various categories, we can think about the background and support based on these figures. We can consider a wide range of issues, including why they are having trouble and what kind of information to provide, so we can cover things we may not have been aware of before.

Ishido: “With preschoolers to elementary school and lower grades, I think that basically parents are the ones who respond to the questions. Could you tell us what kind of response you received from the parents?”

Mr. Noda: “In addition to the child’s response, “I am glad to understand the current state of the child’s trouble,” we also receive many responses, “I am glad to have a clear understanding of what I should actually do.

We provide parents with information on how they can help their children, and we work to ensure that this information is “individually optimized” according to the child’s results. While many parents were groping in the dark about what to do, we have received comments such as, “I found something I want to try first,” and we feel that this is what has won the support of our clients.

Ishido: “You mentioned that many of the children and their guardians actually receive the program before visiting a medical institution, but since the program outputs a detailed report, I thought it might be helpful to take the report with them when they visit a medical institution for a consultation. Is there an initiative to share the reports with medical institutions and educational institutions so that you can get feedback from them?

Noda: “We leave it up to the parents to decide how to utilize the reports, but one of the ways we would like them to be put into practice is to pick up some of the actual results and bring them to the school teachers or to the doctor’s office to use as a basis for consultation. With that in mind, we have also made the PDF printable.”

Ishido: “Have you actually heard any response from school teachers, doctors, or psychologists?”

Mr. Noda: “We are still in a situation where we have not been able to follow up with parents about the situation after they have taken the report, such as through interviews. When we were considering how to prepare the survey results, and when we asked for advice and opinions directly from doctors and school teachers after preparing the results, we received responses and evaluations that the reports were detailed, that the quality of the information provided to parents was high, and that it was very good that specific examples were given so that schools could provide support methods. The reports are also very good in providing concrete examples of how to support students in school.

At the same time, as a future issue, the report was inevitably thick because of the emphasis on providing parents with the best individualized information. We also received feedback that the volume of information was so large that it was difficult to know where to read. We are currently seeking ways to summarize the necessary information for better utilization of the report.

Ishido: “I am surprised at the accumulation of data to produce reports on how to optimize individualized responses, but does that mean that LITALICO has accumulated a huge amount of data on the way it has responded to children with developmental disabilities and gray zone children?”

Mr. Noda: “In terms of this survey, the data is new because we have collected data from new survey companies and parents who are on our mailing list. However, I believe that the know-how and other aspects of creating this inspection have been accumulated over the years.

90% of preschool children and parents
consulted LITALICO for communication problems

Ishido: “Nowadays, the environment surrounding children is changing, and issues such as the increasing percentage of children with developmental disabilities, the increasing number of children who are not attending school, and the declining wellbeing of children are being pointed out. In addition, the educational environment is not necessarily ideal, as Japan has received recommendations from the United Nations regarding inclusive education in Japan. In light of the situation of these children, we would like to hear from LITALICO, which has been working on these issues for many years, what the Japanese educational field should do, and if there are any initiatives that society needs to take to support families.

Enomoto: “We provide a variety of services not only to individual parents and children, but also to administrative agencies and boards of education. For example, through the school boards, we provide a system to create a curriculum suited to each child at the school site, and we sell educational materials and training programs that go along with that system. Through these efforts, we feel that there are very few opportunities for school teachers to learn about special support education, and that there is no follow-up to learn about it.

I believe it is important for school teachers to take the opportunity to learn about special needs education and to think about how they can implement an inclusive education system not only in special needs schools and support classes, but also in regular classrooms.

To be more specific, special-needs schools and support classes are currently separated from regular classes. Rather than aiming for full inclusion all at once, we are working to create opportunities for partial learning to be continuous, and to create a system that allows teachers in regular classes to collaborate and connect with teachers in support schools and support classes. I would like to see such opportunities in the culture of schools and in the teacher training process.”

Ishido: “The neurodiversity project we are promoting is based on the idea that each individual is diverse. As Mr. Enomoto mentioned, if a learning environment is created based on the premise that each individual thinks and acts differently, even in a regular classroom, as it should be, I think that an environment will be created where more children can learn more easily, live more easily, and live more easily.

It would be great if the concept of neurodiversity were to spread more widely in the field of education, but teachers are still too busy to do anything about it. However, it is difficult to control the busy schedules of teachers. Given this situation, I think it is important for society as a whole to support and assist educational institutions.

The educational field must also change, but have you noticed any changes in the parents and children who come to LITALICO after all the support you have provided?

Mr. Enomoto: “I feel that information is becoming more widespread and enlightened throughout society regarding developmental disabilities. With this change, I think that the lead time for parents to become aware of developmental disabilities, learn about them, and start thinking about their own children is getting shorter. In a way, it is a positive part of being able to find out information about developmental disabilities in a lite way.

On the other hand, you may be getting more and more information in various media, becoming anxious and fretting over which information is right for you. There is also a negative side.

In addition, although the number of children is decreasing, surveys show that the percentage of children and students who are considered to have difficulties in regular classes is increasing. As if to reflect this, we are also seeing a quantitative change in the number of people contacting our services.

Ishido: “What are some of the most common problems that parents who attend LITALICO have?

Enomoto: “By far the most common problems among preschoolers are language delays and difficulties related to communication. In a survey conducted a few years ago, about 90% of the cases are related to communication. In terms of diagnostic names and trends, I think this is where the tendency or diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder comes from. Next is ‘restlessness’ and ‘inability to live in a group or act in a group’.

However, learning difficulties are difficult for parents to notice in terms of nurturing, so it is more like “the child seems to have difficulty spending time at school. This may be interpersonal difficulties, or it may be learning difficulties. As the children get older and reach high school age, the main concern of the parents is to support and worry about their children’s independence.

Ishido: “I think the final concern of the guardians is whether their children will be able to live independently. I think they must be very anxious about higher education and employment, and I am sure they have a lot of questions to ask. If there is anything you would like to appeal to society regarding the environment surrounding these two points, I would appreciate your comments.”

Mr. Enomoto: “This is where the child’s awareness of his or her rights and the perspective of rights protection become important. I think it is very important how supporters convey to parents that children have the right to express their own opinions even at a young age, and that it is the role of the adults around them to guarantee this right, and how to convey such concepts to children.

We would like to provide educational opportunities regarding these rights not only to the children, but also to their parents.”

Ishido: “I think that each individual should know how to live in his or her own way, rather than over-adapt to the surroundings, so that he or she can live a stable life in the long term. In this regard, you mentioned how to assert one’s rights, but it is also essential to have social acceptance and social acceptance on the part of society. Do you feel that social acceptance, including coming out with developmental disabilities, has changed?

Mr. Enomoto: “I think it is a great change that the concept of reasonable accommodation has become known to some extent through media coverage of the implementation and revision of the Law for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities. The fact that it is now clearly stated that it is a violation of the law is also a significant change, but I think it will take more time to bring it closer to reality. I think it is important to continue to build on this through practice.

Reasonable Accommodation” rather than Reasonable Accommodation
It is important to recognize the diversity of others and have a “dialogue” with them

Ishido: “How should diverse individuals be accepted in society, companies, and educational institutions? For example, how should friends at school understand them, and how should superiors, colleagues, and subordinates accept them when they join a company? How do you see the situation in Japan compared to other countries in these areas?

Mr. Enomoto: “I think it is important to have the concept of setting up a forum for dialogue on request and making adjustments according to individual needs. I think the key is how much we have learned about the keyword “dialogue” in our lives. Perhaps there is more to learn about the process of dialogue in a multicultural country. In our case, we have spent a long time in an environment where a certain degree of homogeneity is guaranteed within a group and we behave according to rules that are taken for granted. I think it will take practice and trial and error to move from such an environment to one based on dialogue.

Mr. Noda: “In terms of legislation regarding reasonable accommodation and discrimination related to disabilities, and the way understanding of such legislation is spreading, I feel that the Western world is ahead of the rest of the world. On the other hand, I think there are some differences between Japan and other countries in terms of the way problems appear and the point at which the environment must be changed. I feel that the situation when viewed in a flat way is that there are some individualities and problems that are better accepted in Japan, while others are not so well accepted in other countries.

Ishido: “Some people argue that the term ‘reasonable accommodation’ is better than ‘reasonable consideration,’ but I think it is important for the majority to have a firm attitude of dialogue and accommodation based on an equal relationship with people who have minority ways of thinking and feeling. Until now, it has been pointed out that there is strong peer pressure in the educational field, etc., but now I think it is necessary to change to a society that respects diverse ways of thinking, diverse ways of living, diverse attitudes, and diverse behaviors.

Mr. Enomoto: “In dialogue, I think it is important to keep the subject small. For example, it is important to approach dialogue with a smaller subject, such as ‘an individual and a place’ or ‘an individual and me,’ rather than taking a larger subject as a person with a developmental disability or autism spectrum disorder.

Then, I think it would be good to set up a place to hear that person say, ‘This is the way I want you to do this situation,’ and then engage in dialogue, saying, ‘That’s not possible right now,’ or ‘How about doing it this way instead? If the person has attributes or characteristics that you have never been involved with in your life experience, you will behave in such a way that the dialogue itself will be closed off due to distance. I hope to be able to enlighten and practice in this area.

Neurodiversity is biologically self-evident. If we consider it in light of biological self-evidentness, it is important to include physical diversity, not only developmental disabilities, but also mental illness and dementia. Thus, I hope we can increase the number of people involved.”

Mr. Noda: “We talk about ‘the interaction between the individual and the environment is what causes disability there. In other words, I believe that no disability is created solely by the situation of the individual or the situation of the environment, and no individuality is created instead of no disability. In terms of that individual part, there are various gradations within that individual. In this case, there are many moments when I think that neurodiversity, or the existence of diverse parts, is not assumed as much as I thought it was.

Individuals are diverse, but I feel that there are many moments in society when people say ‘this is the way it is usually done’ or treat people as if they are out of line with a certain norm. In this sense, I think it is important to reconsider individual characteristics and situations in the form of a gradation or spectrum of neurodiversity.

Ishido: “I think that dialogue is a very important keyword, considering that problems occur between individuals and their relationships, and that individuality is born only when these people are able to dialogue and co-create. I hope that the attitude that all people have a sense of respect for the diversity of each individual for the sake of dialogue will spread. Thank you very much.”