The school-entry consultation:
what actually happens on the day

Do we need to apply?

The school-entry consultation (就学相談, shūgaku sōdan) is for families who want to think about options other than the regular class, or who have been advised — by daycare, the health centre, a doctor, or a classroom like ours — to consider it. If your child is simply starting school like everyone else, you do not need it. If you are unsure, ask the ward's special-needs education section; in Shinjuku that is 03-3232-3074. Applying does not commit you to a special-needs placement; it opens a conversation.

The timeline

Start early. The interviews and the daycare visit take weeks to schedule, and you want time to visit schools yourself before the decision.

Step by step: what happens

1. Application. A form, usually online. In Shinjuku: Education Support Division, Special Needs Education Section (教育支援課 特別支援教育係), Shinjuku Cosmic Centre 4F.
2. Parent interview. A consultation officer talks with you about your child's history, daily life and what you are hoping for. This is the part most parents worry about; it is a conversation, not an examination.
3. Developmental test and observation. A psychologist or specialist sees your child — play-based tasks, some questions, some observation. Your child does not need to prepare.
4. Interview with a doctor. A short medical view.
5. Visit to your child's daycare or kindergarten. An officer watches your child in the group setting and talks with the staff.
6. The committee (就学支援委員会) — educators, psychologists and doctors — looks at everything and forms a view of the place of learning that would suit your child.
7. The result is explained to you and discussed with you. Then the placement is decided.

Shinjuku describes the whole process as "thinking together about the place of learning" — psychological, medical and educational angles, with the family.

The interview: what they ask

Expect questions like these. Having short answers ready makes the hour calmer:

• How your child communicates at home — words, sentences, pointing, which languages
• How daily life goes: eating, toileting, dressing, sleeping, getting ready to go out
• How daycare or kindergarten goes: friends, group activities, transitions, what the teachers say
• What your child enjoys and is good at
• What worries you, and since when; any health-check findings, assessments or consultations so far
• What support your child has now (child development support, visiting support, extra staff at daycare)
• What you are hoping for at school — and what you are afraid of

If you need an interpreter, ask the ward when you apply. Bringing a bilingual friend or family member is common; many wards also offer tablet interpreting at the counter.

What to bring

• Your notes (the list above, written out — one page is enough)
• Health-check records and the 母子手帳 if you have one
• Any assessment results, doctor's letters, or the individual support plan from the classroom
• Daycare or kindergarten's observations, if they have written anything
• A list of your own questions — for example which schools have a special-support classroom, what support the local school can give, whether your child can change class later

How the decision is made — and your say

The four options are: a regular class; a regular class plus a few hours a week in a special-support classroom (特別支援教室／通級 — in Tokyo every elementary school has one); a special-needs class inside a regular school (特別支援学級); or a special-needs school (特別支援学校). None is permanent; children move between them as they grow, and the ward's consultation also handles transfers later.

If you disagree

Say so. The result is explained and discussed precisely so that you can respond. Ask what the committee saw, visit the schools concerned, ask what support each can actually provide for your child, and ask about reviewing the placement after a year. Families who go in with a clear picture of their child — what they can do, what they find hard, what has helped — are the ones who have the most productive conversation.

What we can do for you

We cannot decide or promise a placement — no classroom can. What we can do is: explain the process in English before you apply; help you prepare the one-page notes; share, with your consent, what we have seen of your child's language and group-life skills; and use the preschool years for exactly the skills the consultation will look at. If your child attends our classroom, tell us when you apply and we will help you get ready.