Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the difficulties and issues faced by students with developmental disabilities and by institutions that accept them for practical training. We conducted two studies. In the first study, a questionnaire survey was administered to students at childcare training institutions. The result revealed that students with developmental disabilities suffered low mental health, experienced anxiety, and had difficulty in seeking support. In the second study, an interview survey was conducted with students with developmental disabilities and their supervisors of practical training. The result suggested that the difficulties that the students experienced were caused by their developmental disabilities. However, the students were unaware of their own characteristics and did not seek support, leading to misunderstandings between students and supervisors. These results suggest that childcare training institutions should identify students who need support without waiting for requests from them, initiate support to promote students’ self-understanding, and share information and collaborate with supervisors at training institutions before practical training.
