BellaOnline Forums Family Special Needs Children Back to School and Before the First Bus Ride

For families whose children are not yet 'on the bus' - what suggestions do you have to prepare children and schools for bus transportation adventures, including helping bus drivers in accommodating, supporting or just being aware of a student's special needs?

Thanks!

Pam W
SE of Seattle

School Bus Rides

Before the First Week of School

Recess Skills for Children with Special Needs

(Sigh)Put seatbelts on busses....

Are there seat belts on the small ones already? The full size buses here do not have seatbelts.

We were also concerned that small children have difficulties stepping down to the pavement and climbing on to buses.

Some have cameras installed for security reasons, but I read that most of the cameras are non functional. Our public transportation buses do not have seat belts, but the Access vans are well equipped with seatbelts and wheelchair tie downs.

The National PTA has advocates working on all sorts of issues - including school bus safety. Does your local unit take an interest in transportation issues?

Good luck!

Pam W
SE of Seattle

School Bus Rides

Before the First Week of School

Recess Skills for Children with Special Needs
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The first day (and week) of school is quite an adventure for families, school staff, and transportation departments. Some districts start up in August, with principals and office staff, and some teachers, coming in a week or two before classes officially begin. Sometimes new teachers are hired just days before the official start of the school year.

Children who are picked up at their front door may need reassurance that they will be brought right back to their own home, and those who ride the mainstream bus may be anxious about getting off at the right stop coming home.

If your child has transportation and health information pinned on a jacket, shirt or blouse for the trip to school, put an extra one with the same information in a backpack pocket so they can pull it out on the trip home if they feel anxious or confused.

Good luck!

Pam W
SE of Seattle

One of the things we did to help was to watch the bus loading and unloading process, and then drive the probable route that the bus would take.

It also helped when the new bus driver did a trial run and actually came to the front door so that the two could meet.

While I'm pleased that accessible buses have much more safety setups in place, I still feel that there isn't full safety unless there is an additional person "on board" to be available for help and also emergencies.

One of my biggest fears is that my son would have a seizure on route. The seizure can be silent but deadly. With eyes focused on the road, the bus driver is likely to not even notice.

I also have a vivid memory of another child arriving to school with hands that were absolutely freezing. He'd dropped his gloves, couldn't tell anyone, and he would he tell anyway? I don't have to tell you that the bus was unheated and it was a freezing cold day.

I suspect that having an extra person on board would also make the loading and unloading process go that much more quickly too. Since that would likely save the bus company money, you'd think that would help, no?

Anna

That's great that the bus driver did a trial run and met your son before the first real trip to school. Amazing and wonderful.

No school district I've heard of is likely to hire additional staff to ride a bus - many find the cost of instructional aides in classrooms to be beyond their budgets. I did ride with my son to preschool for a while, on his little bus. The difference individual drivers made was huge.

I also rode the big bus a few times. There are always children who are protective of smaller ones, and most are good natured well behaved children who are just trying to get to school without incident.

My son developed insulin dependent diabetes when he was seven, and his classmates and others students were much more aware of symptoms of dangerous low blood sugar, and more likely to remember he had diabetes and that the symptoms had to be treated, than adults in charge who were often distracted enough to forget and attribute the symptoms to being a seven year old boy.

So, assigning a mainstream buddy to ride with a child with a disability might work well when we do want our bus drivers to keep their eyes forward and on the road. Even better to have a series of buddies to take a week each month so a circle of friends naturally forms.

When I told my son's classmates that he needed to wear a jacket in cold weather, many of them started taking time to put on their jackets while they were reminding and encouraging him to do so. I think he was as helpful to his classmates as they were to him. And of course that continues.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

Safety Risk and Childhood Disability

Peer Mentoring Programs and Childhod Disability

Friendship, Inclusion, and Childhood Disabilities

Sending our children off to their first days and weeks of a new school year is quite a transition for us as moms, too. I hope you have wonderful new stories to share - and the best of school years, too.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

Childhood Disability and Supporting Other Mothers

Before the First Day of School

Some school districts are changing the distance between home and campus that qualifies a student to ride the bus, Budget cuts may already be affecting your child's school year or transportion. If you have suggestions or concerns you are welcome to post them here for other parents, advocates and staff.

Pam W
SE of Seattle