Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate developmental changes and factors affecting subjective well-being (SWB) of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in Japan. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires were distributed to participants (n = 87) and interviews(n = 33) were conducted to investigate factors affecting SWB. Findings This study suggested that the SWB of people with ASD might be closely correlated with their self-esteem. Moreover, high school and university students have negative feelings such as anxiety and worries that affected their SWB, whereas working adults have positive feelings and thinking that influenced their SWB. Furthermore, hobbies were the source of happiness for people with ASD. Originality/value This study suggests the factors affecting SWB of people with ASD.

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have physical characteristics such as hypotonus of the musculature. Therefore, their attainment rate of physical activity guidelines is low, and guidelines alone may not be sufficient in assessing the amount of physical activity in children with DS. Compared with normal children (NC) of the same grade, light physical activity (LPA) must be considered while assessing physical activity of children with DS, owing to muscle hypotonia. This study included 69 children with DS and 68 NC in grades 4–6 attending elementary school in Japan. The measurements for physical characteristics included age, height, weight, and body mass index. Physical activity was measured using a triaxial accelerometer, which indicated physical activity volume. Children with DS had less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity duration (DS: 53.1 min/day, NC: 65.0 min/day; p < 0.001) but significantly longer LPA duration (DS: 376.4 min/day, NC: 287.7 min/day; p < 0.001) than NC. Conversely, the amount of light to vigorous physical activity (Met’s-hours/day) was greater in children with DS (DS: 16.0 Met’s-hours/day, NC: 14.4 Met’s-hours/day; p = 0.037). In children with DS with muscular hypotonia, vigorous physical activity is challenging, but LPA is feasible. Developing and validating educational programs that promote physical activity with intensity level depending on individual’s physical characteristic are warranted.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of adults with Down syndrome (DS) on COVID-19 and the status of efforts for new normal in Japan through a Web survey. Parents’ associations’ representatives sent requests to members aged 18 years or older inviting them to participate in an Internet survey. A total of 141 people cooperated, and 126 people were included in the analysis. As a result of examining the number of times the state of emergency was declared and its impact on COVID-19, the degree of anxiety felt when hearing information about new coronavirus infections on television or the internet was significantly higher in subjects for whom the state of emergency was declared four times than in subjects for whom the state of emergency was declared two and three times in the region. This was significantly higher than that of the subjects in the areas where the state of emergency had been declared four times and significantly lower than that of the subjects in the areas where the state of emergency had been declared one time for “smiling”. The results suggest that the effects on physical and mental health, although limited, are influenced by the number of times the state of emergency was declared. From the analysis of the free text, it was inferred that some, but not all, of the subjects with DS, had their physical and mental state affected by COVID-19 to the extent that they required medical care. This study clarified the psychosomatic effects of COVID-19 in people with DS in adulthood, which has not yet been fully clarified in the world. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Japan to clarify the physical and mental effects of COVID-19 on people with DS and the status of new normal initiatives.

This study investigated the awareness and frequency of self‐advocacy skills development training for students with intellectual disabilities conducted by teachers in Japanese special needs high school sections. The study developed the Difficulty Scale for Self‐Advocacy Skills Development (DS‐SSD) and the Frequency Scale for Self‐Advocacy Skills Development (FS‐SSD). Using these tools, the study surveyed teachers in special needs schools for students with intellectual disabilities. Teachers' responses (N = 80) to the DS‐SSD underwent exploratory factor analysis, which revealed two primary factors: “difficulty in developing self‐understanding” and “difficulty in developing communication skills for rights.” The results indicated that teachers with more years of experience, especially in special needs education, reported less difficulty developing students' self‐understanding. Teachers with more years of teaching in schools found developing students' communication skills for rights less challenging. However, the study found no relationship between the frequency of self‐advocacy skills development and the teachers' gender, overall teaching experience, or experience in special needs education. These findings offer insights into the challenges and frequency of self‐advocacy skills instruction provided in special needs schools. Factors influencing the efficacy of these educational practices are discussed.