The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between teachers' attitudes toward and teacher efficacy in inclusive education, and the emotional distress in Japan. A survey of 158 primary school teachers in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan measured the attitudes of regular and special education teachers for inclusive education and teacher efficacy toward inclusive education to assess the impact of these factors on teachers' emotional distress. The results indicated that the teachers' emotional distress was significantly and negatively correlated with attitudes toward integrated classroom management and perceived ability to teach students with disabilities. Furthermore, teachers' emotional distress was significantly and negatively correlated with high teacher efficacy in inclusive instruction, collaboration, and managing behavior. A regression analysis was performed which further confirmed that efficacy in collaboration and managing behavior were unique predictors of emotional distress in primary school teachers. These findings can provide useful insights into the issue of emotional distress in primary school teachers.

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The aim of this study is to reveal the present condition of special needs education in high schools in Japan. A total of 58 high schools in Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan participated in this study. The results show that students with some difficulty in school life were enrolled in most high schools, and students diagnosed with mental illness and students needing support for foreign nationality were enrolled in some high schools. Furthermore, the following four characteristics of the current status of special support for students with special educational needs in high school in Japan were found. First, teachers in high school tend not to assess the characteristics and difficulties of students with objective indicators. Second, many high schools have not had sufficient cooperation with organizations outside the school. Third, many high schools did not fully consider accommodation for students with special educational needs in entrance and regular examinations and evaluations. Fourth, many high schools did not perform special-needsunderstanding education for other students.

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Background:The behavioural characteristics of an autistic child can lead to challenging relationships with the mother. For mothers who serve as the key person in the care of their children with ASD, maintaining good mental health, which may be directly related to the growth and development of their children, is an important issue for professionals engaged in parenting support. The aim of this study was to determine the interaction between the behavioural problems of children with ASD (from toddlers to adolescents) and their mothers' depression. Subjects and Method: This was a crosssectional study carried out in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The recruitment of subjects was through a paediatric out-patient unit. Eighty-six mothers with ASD participated in this observational study. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale was used as a measure of depression in mothers, and the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was used as an assessment of the children's behavioral characteristics. The prevalence of depression among mothers of children with ASD was estimated and related factors were also examined. Results: There were 66 boys (76.7%), 12 girls (14.0%) and 8 (9.3%) non-responders. Comparing the pre-adolescent and adolescent groups, there were significant differences in the ages of mothers and children (P <0.001). In this study, the prevalence rate of depression in mothers of children with ASD was 47.7% (95% CI= 36.8 to 58.7), and the prevalence rate of depression in mothers of adolescent children group was 48.6% (95% CI= 31.4 to 6.0). The predictive factors of maternal depression were others' problems (toileting problems, and masturbation) in CBCL and children's age group. Conclusion: These children's behavioural characteristics were recognised as serious problems by their mothers, which in turn can negatively affect their mental health, particularly the depression of mothers in the adolescent group was probably due to concerns about their children's unsocial behaviour.