Several studies showed that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder （ASD） have difficulty sharing humor with others due to difficulties in comprehension and appreciation of humor. We thought that “tsukkomi”, which is a unique comedy culture in Japan and has the role of specifying what is funny, would be useful in promoting humor in individuals with ASD. The present study examined the effects of “tsukkomi” on humor comprehending and appreciating in 13 ASD subjects and 26 Typically Development （TD） subjects. The results showed that “tsukkomi” promoted humor comprehension in individuals with ASD, but did not promote humor appreciation in individuals with ASD. The results suggested that ASD participants felt humor differently from TD participants, and their humor experience may have arisen from their own understanding of humor. The results suggest that “tsukkomi” is useful for helping people with ASD to understand the humor of others. However, it is necessary to explore the unique humor of individuals with ASD, such as what kinds of things they tend to find funny, when providing support for their humor.

In this study, we examined the potential effects on what kind of problem behaviors by applying the Dohsa-hou in a short period of 9 sessions over 3 days to 2 children/persons with Kanner type autism. ABC-J （Abnormal Behavior Checklist, Japanese version） was used as an indicator for improving problem behavior. In addition, we focused on the development of interpersonal relationships as one of the possible factors for the improvement of problem behavior. As indices for evaluation, the number and duration of eye contact were measured. We also evaluated changes in the quality of interactions with the trainer during Dohsa-hou. As a result, the ratio of the number and duration of eye contact increased for both participants, and the quality of the interaction also improved. In addition, the ABC-J scores for the three items of “excitability,”“hyperactivity,” and “lethargy” decreased significantly, suggesting that these problem behaviors may be improved even if the Dohsa-hou is applied for a short period of time. Furthermore, we considered the possibility that the promotion of interpersonal relationship development is related to the improvement of these problem behavis.

This study was designed to examine the factors necessary for young carers to live healthy and positive lives. An interview survey was conducted with a university student who had experiences caring for her mother.

The outcome of this interview included her experiences of both positive and negative emotions in her life with caregiving. On the other hand, her narratives indicated that the following five factors are necessary for the children to live healthy and positive lives with a caring role in their house: （1） continuity in the relationship as a “parent-child” with the care recipient and the other parent, （2） environments in which the children can take charge of the care to the extent that they can in cooperation with other family members, （3） presence of non-family members who they can talk about their family situation, （4） places where the care recipients can participate in society and presence of non-family members who can provide mental support for them, and （5） guarantee of environments in which they can concentrate on what they wants to do.

To sum up from the above, it is important to seek a better balance each family should have and a way each family should be, instead of considering a bad thing for children to take charge of the care. If young carers can be given environments in which each family member can feel more comfortable, their experiences about care can be valuable experiences that broadens their perspectives, not negative experiences that haunts in their future. These experiences could be used in their later lives.

Entering higher education institutions is one of the promising career options for students with physical disabilities; however, they often have difficulties in acquiring the efficient typing skills required in higher education settings. In this study, we conducted an intervention using Dohsa-hou to improve typing skills for a male student with athetoid cerebral palsy who was in the third grade of a high school for special needs （physical disabilities）. Although the intervention did not improve his typing skill in one-handed condition, he became able to type without leaning his upper body to the right. In contrast, the intervention improved his typing skill in two-handed condition, and he became able to type with both fingers on the keyboard with his elbows down. These results suggest that reducing excessive tension and increasing the ability to control posture and upper limb effectively reduce the difficulty in typing for students with cerebral palsy.

Dohsa-hou is a Japanese therapeutic method used for self-reliance activities in special needs education, which focuses on psychosocial aspects and motor skills.

This study demonstrates this fact using a case study. In this study, I set out an education plan for a student with physical disabilities without intellectual disability based on self-reliance activity using the Dohsa-hou technique.

At the beginning of this therapy, the student was confused and evasive because he had not learned to properly deal with his physical characteristics, movement difficulties, and bodily sensations. Therefore, apart from body awareness interventions, I facilitated verbal communication and improved his attitude toward the task. Additionally, he managed to stand and walk with support. By doing something that he could not in the past, his learning motivation was enhanced. Consequently, his motor skills improved, and he actively practiced walking at home.

Through this case study, I studied the effectiveness of the Dohsa-hou therapy based on the concept of self-reliance.

The Dohsa-hou intervention package （DHIP） promotes the development of joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorders. The DHIP aims to achieve a synergistic effect by focusing on physical interaction by employing the Dohsa-hou and implementing activities such as catch ball, forming demand language behavior, and joint action routines. The purpose of this study was to examine the DHIP from the perspectives of its methodology and the development of shared intentionality （Tomasello, 2005） because the package has been found to be effective in a short period of time.

First, with regard to its methodology, the DHIP was compared to naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions （NDBI）, which combine applied behavior analysis （ABA） and developmental psychology. The results revealed that both types of interventions employed ABA techniques and used changes in core symptoms of autism such as joint attention scores as indicators. However, while the NDBI employed a physical guide to form joint attention behavior, the DHIP did not form joint attention behavior directly but rather as a result of physical interaction. Although interaction through the body is not described in the NDBI, physical interaction is a central activity in the DHIP. Second, the stages of the interaction through the body in the Dohsa-hou were considered in accordance with the developmental stages of the shared intentionality of dyadic engagement, triadic engagement, and collaborative engagement. Interaction through the body in the Dohsa-hou forms a recursive social structure and motivates involvement with others. Consequently, it was considered that the interaction through the body changes synchronously with the formation of the catching ball and demands language behavior due to motivation. On the contrary, DHIP revealed various issues in relation to the control group and in fidelity to the intervention.