A place to talk openly, just as you are,
about developmental disabilities and “working × living.”
STEP KNOT! is an Osaka-based peer support group for people with developmental disabilities and HSP traits. Spend time with peers who share similar struggles, and take a moment to reconnect with yourself.
STEP KNOT! is a peer-led self-help workshop
for people with developmental disabilities.
Together with peers who share similar challenges around work, we spend time deepening our understanding of our own traits, sharing worries and ideas, and reflecting on ourselves.
Maybe you’re tired from constantly trying to fit in, or struggling with how to get through work. Here, you can take off the mask and think together about tomorrow’s next steps while holding your traits as part of who you are.
The Three “Knots” of STEP KNOT!
What we hope to create is a place where we can tie scattered dots back together, one by one, with our own hands. It is not a session where someone gives you the “right answer,” nor simply a place to lick our wounds. It is more like a strategy meeting where we can say “same here,” feel understood, and exchange the different ways each of us has learned to tie our knots.
The knot between developmental disabilities / HSP traits and life
Your past, lived with neurodevelopmental traits, and the future you want to draw from here. How can experiences that seem scattered be tied back together into a story that is your own? This is a place to hear how others are doing it.
The knot between “working” and “living,” untangled together by peers
Work and life are not always easy to separate neatly. Energy management, relationships, money, ways to rest — in the messiness of everyday life, how can we find a balance that feels right for each of us?
The knot between the self and society, loosely connected in Osaka
Without over-adapting to others, and without isolating ourselves. In a society where we may still feel out of place, how can we find points of contact that do not wear us down? A once-a-month gathering, and a search for companions at just the right distance.
News
Sep. 11 (Fri) and Oct. 2 (Fri), 7:00–8:30 PM, J:COM Chuo Ward Community Center / Fee: ¥1,000 / No registration required
View details ›- Sep. 11, 2026Held in Conference Room 4. Fee: ¥1,000. No registration required.
- Oct. 2, 2026Held in Conference Room 4. Fee: ¥1,000. No registration required.
- Nov. 13, 2026Held in Conference Room 4. Fee: ¥1,000. No registration required.
*For the latest updates, please check X
(@stepknot2026).
*Kokuchpro group introduction page
(kokuchpro.com/group/stepknot)
Dekoboko Skill Marche
“Ask, help, connect.” — Learn about another STEP KNOT! initiative where we exchange our strengths and struggles.
Learn more
What to expect on the day
The organizer is someone with lived experience of ADHD and bipolar disorder. That is why it is completely OK to put your condition that day first. If you want to talk, talk. If you want to listen, just listen. Leaving or joining midway, low-key reactions, deep-dive questions — all are welcome.
- 10 min ArtworkUsing simple coloring, we express our condition and feelings that day through color.
- 20 min Self-introductionsCasually share your nickname, traits, line of work, favorite words or phrases, and more.
- 50 min Theme talkWe talk mainly about topics that come up on the day and themes each person brings.
- 10 min Reflection & closingWe end by sharing a few words about what each person noticed or felt that day.
Requests and Guidelines
To make this a space where everyone can participate with a sense of safety, we have a few rules. Please read them before joining us.
- No harassment or personal attacks: Please refrain from malicious comments, personal attacks, or dismissing other people’s values. This is not a place to impose one “right answer,” but a place to respect each person’s perspective.
- Equal relationships: Let’s interact not as supporters, instructors, or people trying to one-up each other, but as equals — fellow peers.
- Confidentiality: Please do not share anything said during the group, or any information related to someone’s privacy, outside the venue.
- It is OK to say “pass” when you do not want to speak: We will not pressure anyone to talk.
- Feel free to leave midway or take breaks: Brain fatigue and fluctuations in physical condition are something many of us deal with. Please put your own condition first.
Location & Dates
📍 Location
J:COM Chuo Ward Community Center
Access: 5-minute walk from Osaka Metro Sakaisuji-Hommachi Station / 15-minute walk from Hommachi Station
Address: 1-2-27 Kyutaromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0056, Japan
🗓 Dates
All sessions are 7:00–8:30 PM / Fee: ¥1,000 / No registration required
2026
- June 5 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
- July 3 (Fri) — Conference Room 2
- August 7 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
- September 11 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
- October 2 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
- November 13 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
- December 4 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
2027
- January 22 (Fri) — Conference Room 4
Official Social Media Accounts
© STEP KNOT! All rights reserved.