Why everything goes wrong?
I was "boundary intelligence" July 30th, 20:40
"Study, work, and marriage all went wrong, and when I realized I was alone for 20 years,"
Naho Oikawa, 57 years old.
My life so far has been a series of hardships.
I can't keep up with my studies from the lower grades of elementary school.
I have a bad memory of work and am dismissed from the workplace many times.
Relationships went wrong and marriage didn't last long-
why everything went wrong?
It was "boundary intelligence" that was inspected and told.
(Kento Isogai, Director, NHK Osaka)
"Boundary intelligence" is the "border" part of IQ
What exactly is "boundary intelligence"?
"Boundary intelligence" is a term used by experts in relation to IQ.
In the "intelligence quotient", the part that corresponds to the "border" between the "average" part and the "disability" part is called "boundary intelligence".
Mr. Oikawa, the party concerned, responded to the interview this time, saying, "I want you to know the actual situation."
Life where everything went wrong
Mr. Oikawa lives alone in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture.
I do all the housework such as cooking, washing and cleaning by myself.
It was impressive that he answered each of our questions carefully and remembered the events of decades ago in detail.
At first glance, everyday life seems to have no inconvenience.
What does it mean that everything goes wrong?
“Actually, I often have trouble shopping,” says Oikawa.
We accompanied us to shopping at the supermarket.
On this day, I came to buy batteries.
When I picked up two types of batteries with different prices, Mr. Oikawa crouched down on the spot.
I started the calculation using a notepad that I always bring with me when I go out
, which is cheaper, 329 yen for 2 bottles or 398 yen for 4 bottles
.
"Two
batteries
cost 329 yen, so four
batteries
cost 600 yen ..." It
took about eight minutes to decide to buy a battery.
Naho Oikawa
"I'm not very good at doing something quickly ... If you don't mind the time, you can do it ..."
Even though I entered the class for the disabled, I was returned to the regular class ...
Mr. Oikawa first noticed the difference from the surroundings when he was in the lower grades of elementary school.
I'm not good at math, so I can't keep up with the class.
Therefore, Mr. Oikawa decided to enter the class for children with disabilities.
However, compared to others, he was considered to have no trouble learning and was immediately returned to regular class.
Naho Oikawa
"Because there are things I can do normally, I was often seen as unmotivated and lazy by the people around me. I'm doing my best, but why should I get angry? I became sad. "
I can't remember the name of the bread and the numbers are weak
Mr. Oikawa talks while looking back on those days.
There were tears in my eyes.
Despite his inconvenience, he received regular education and went on to high school.
When I entered society after graduating from a vocational school, a new wall stood up.
It was when I was working at a bakery.
No matter how many times I'm taught, I can't put the products in the right place.
The cause was that I couldn't remember the name of the bread with a lot of katakana.
Weak in numbers, and mistakes in cash register hitting were conspicuous.
I couldn't stand the cold eyes of the people around me and I was forced to retire.
Naho Oikawa
"I felt the atmosphere that I shouldn't be here anymore, so I decided to quit by offering myself. I couldn't stand the atmosphere of the whole workplace."
As a result of the test, "Intelligence quotient is at the boundary level"
Mr. Oikawa, who took up more than 10 jobs after that, did not last long.
I married a man I met when I was 32, but soon divorced.
Why it doesn't work-In
2000, when I was 35, I decided to go to the hospital for the first time.
What was told there was an unexpected result.
The "IQ73 Boundary Level"
IQ (= IQ) turned out to be "boundary intelligence," which is not average, but not an obstacle.
Naho Oikawa
"When I first saw it, I didn't understand what it was. When I read a book, it's certainly not a normal value, but it doesn't seem to be low, it's such a difficult place to understand."
I realized that it was "boundary intelligence" and fell in love with it.
Mr. Oikawa was shocked that his IQ was below average.
On the other hand, it is also said to be "relieved" when the results are known.
Naho Oikawa
"I had felt that if my studies and work didn't go well, I thought I wasn't doing enough, and my parents and others told me that. I felt like I was saved because I didn't fall or skipped. "
“Difficulty in living” without being noticed by the surroundings
Let's take a closer look at what "boundary intelligence" is.
IQ85-115 is generally regarded as the "average" intelligence quotient (= IQ).
Generally, 70 or less is the range where there is a possibility of "intellectual disability".
(* The criteria for "intellectual disability" differ depending on the local government.)
The boundary is the area called "boundary intelligence."
Statistically, the number is estimated to be about 14% of the population, or 17 million.
According to experts, some people are recognized as having developmental disabilities by an index other than IQ, but "boundary intelligence" is "not average, but not disability." It is said that it is often said.
For this reason, it seems that many people have spent their lives without being aware of the “difficulty of living”.
"Boundary intelligence" has a problem of lack of social awareness
Professor Junichi Furuso of Aoyama Gakuin University, who has examined people with "boundary intelligence" as a doctor, says that the problem is that "boundary intelligence" is not widely recognized by society.
Professor Junichi Furuso, Aoyama Gakuin University
"People with borderline intelligence are not diagnosed with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities based on the results of intelligence tests, so it is difficult for them to support education and welfare. People often go unnoticed. This lack of understanding has plagued the people involved. "
Mr. Oikawa first learned that he was a "boundary intelligence".
I still can't forget what a human resources manager at a company said during a job interview during a job search.
Naho Oikawa said,
"If you were a disabled person, you would have been accepted, but I knew that it wasn't, so it's a little difficult to hire."
The company hired people with disabilities according to the law, but Mr. Oikawa of "Boundary Intelligence" was told that he could not be hired because he was not a disabled person.
Naho Oikawa
"I'm working very hard in my own way, but when I was told that I wasn't a disabled person, I wondered what I could do to get the job done. I wonder if it's not good at the company. Who am I, the boundary intelligence? "
Possibly in a "negative chain"
Some experts have argued that we should look more closely at the challenges faced by those who are "boundary intelligence."
Professor Koji Miyaguchi of Ritsumeikan University has compiled a book about the actual conditions of the children with borderline intelligence he met there, based on his experience working at a psychiatric hospital and a medical juvenile training school as a child psychiatrist.
Since it was published in 2019, it has sold 700,000 copies and has triggered an interest in "boundary intelligence."
Mr. Miyaguchi is concerned that there may be cases where people with "boundary intelligence" are in a "negative chain."
Mr. Miyaguchi focused on the data on the ability test values of new inmates in the first year of Reiwa released by the Ministry of Justice.
Boundary intelligence (IQ70-84) accounts for about 14% of the population.
On the other hand, in the case of new inmates, "IQ70-79" alone is more than 21%.
Mr. Miyaguchi is concerned about the following “negative chain”.
"Even though I have difficulty in my daily life, study, work, and relationships, and I find it difficult to live, I fall into social isolation and financial distress without receiving educational and welfare support. There may be cases where you commit a crime.
Furthermore, is there such a vicious cycle of depression and suicide? ”
Professor Koji Miyaguchi, Ritsumeikan University
"The majority of people with borderline intelligence live normally, observing social norms. However, there is a possibility that some people may be in a" negative chain ". There is, and you have to keep an eye on it. "
Mr. Miyaguchi points out that the most important thing to avoid falling into such a “negative chain” is “early detection and early support”.
To that end, it is essential that knowledge and understanding of "boundary intelligence" and "disability" permeate society as a whole.
Improving with "training" from an early stage
So what kind of support can we provide to people with "boundary intelligence" from an early stage?
Mr. Miyaguchi is developing a training method for elementary school children.
At Kokufu Elementary School in Izumi City, Osaka, we are practicing the training method developed by Mr. Miyaguchi.
Specifically, what is it like ...
For example, children who are not good at hiragana and kanji perform a training called "dot to dots".
Draw and copy the picture made by connecting the dots in the same way.
Why do you do this kind of training?
Analyzing why children are not good at learning letters, it is thought that they have a weak ability to capture and copy the shape of what they see with their eyes.
For this reason, I am trying to improve my ability to learn hiragana and kanji by continuing the "dot to dots" training for about 10 minutes every day.
Children who are not good at calculations work on training that surrounds five star marks at a time.
By repeating the work of adding numbers while collecting them, we are trying to speed up the calculation as much as possible.
In this classroom, we provide about 30 types of training according to the parts that children are not good at.
It's been 5 years since I started working on it.
At this school, about 30% of trained children are now able to follow regular classes.
Mr. Miyaguchi points out that even people with borderline intelligence can improve the situation as much as possible by working to strengthen the "cognitive function" that is the basis of learning.
Professor Koji Miyaguchi, Ritsumeikan University
"Cognitive function is the ability to understand and memorize information that you see or hear. It is possible to grow by developing this ability that is the basis of learning such as Japanese language and math. The sooner you get training, the more likely you are to improve. The more you can do, the more confident you will grow. The people around you will notice and understand. I think it's important to do it. "
Please send us your experiences and opinions
NHK continues to cover issues surrounding "boundary intelligence."
Please share the experiences and opinions of the parties concerned and those around you.
Kento Isogai,
Director, Osaka-based Broadcasting Station
Joined in 2016
Produced a program on the theme of border intelligence and the difficulty of living for people with unnoticed disabilities.