TRANSPORTING SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS Things to Consider

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TRANSPORTING SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTSThings to
Consider

• Bob Harmon, Consultant
• Ohio Department of Education
• Pupil Transportation
• Monday, November 16, 2009

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SPECIAL NEEDS TRANSPORTATION IS

• Transportation that may require
• modification of route times,
• vehicles used,
• method of transportation
• to meet the specific needs for the students
  identified needs and/or physical conditions.

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What is the Impact?

• Increased ridership i.e. More special needs
  students on typical route buses

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IT MEANS

• More specialized subject training for drivers of
  typical routes containing special needs students

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IT ALSO MEANS

• Increased awareness of EVERY student and their
  potentiality of being a special needs student

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AND

• More attention has to be given to student
• needs
• Drivers have to have a better understanding
• of what is a behavior issue verses a
  behavior
• issue that is a manifestation of the
  students
• disability
• Drivers have to develop and/or improve
• Student disciplinary skills for pupil
• management.

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SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS ARE

• ADD
• ADHD
• SED
• SBH
• MH
• LD

• VISUALLY IMPAIRED
• HEARING IMPAIRED
• CP
• AUTISTIC

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NEWEST ADDITION TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS
CLASSIFICATION. . .

• Pre-school students!
• Students ages 3 thru 5, not enrolled in
  kindergarten programs.

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Pre-School Rule change JULY 1, 2007

• O.A.C. 3301-51-11 (K)
• Preschool transportation
• Transportation shall be listed as a related
  service on a preschoolers IEP if the IEP team
  determines that transportation is required to
  help the child benefit from special education.

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Rule change JULY 1, 2007

• Also permits pre-school students who will be 3
  prior to December 1, of the school year, to be
  enrolled in school.
• Technically this means a 2 ½ year old who turns 3
  by December 1, could now be an eligible rider on
  the school bus as a special ed student!

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Required by Law?or Best Practice?
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MYTH?

• It is a requirement for drivers to transport
  students with special needs

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Law

• It is a requirement for drivers as part of our
  qualifications to be able to provide the physical
  capability of safely and appropriately lifting
  and managing preschool and special needs children
  when necessary.
• (reference Ohio Administrative Code 3301-83-06
  (B)(7))

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MYTH? Special Needs students can be part of
your normal ridership
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Law AND Best PracticeSpecial Needs students can
be part of your normal ridershipA student may
have a valid IEP, transportation is noted but
they can be scheduled to ride the bus assigned
the same as any other student.
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MYTH?

• Transportation does NOT have to be provided as a
  matter of convenience to parent/guardian

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Law

• Transportation does NOT have to be provided as a
  matter of convenience to parent/guardian
• Courts have ruled that convenience for the
  parent/guardian has little impact on the student
  receiving services.

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Law or Best Practice?

• When loading students in wheelchairs, they MUST
  be forward (outward) facing

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Best Practice

• When loading students in wheelchairs, they SHOULD
  be forward facing (outward)
• This permits most of the weight of the student
  and chair to be centered over the strongest point
  of the lift

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FORWARD FACING
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Law or Best Practice?

• Students in wheelchairs only have to be secured
  in the wheelchair

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Law

• Students in wheelchairs MUST have the chair
  secured at the four anchor points
• AND
• by the three-point occupant securement system

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• S Hook properly fastened on a power
  wheelchairs D ring

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MYTH?

• After each trip, all floor mounting and
  securement devices must be removed from their
  track and stored in the proper storage container.

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All Students are SpecialSome just have more
special needs than others
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Myth?

• Students with special needs are not required to
  have an evacuation plan

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Law

• Students with special needs are required to have
  an evacuation plan
• Some modifications for special needs and
  pre-school students may need to be made

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Lift Operations

• Emergency Operations and Power Loss

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Evacuations Planned AND Practiced

• Practice Evacuations
• without use of power to the lift
• Use manual operation
• of the lift

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Practice

• Various methods of evacuations without
  wheelchair or use of lift

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Evacuations Planned AND Practiced
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FACTS ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS

• Not all wheelchairs can be safely transported
• Most districts do not have back-up vehicles or
  staff to support
• Most districts lack written policies and/or
  procedures for handling wheelchairs and their
  clients
• Questions about securement are common and usually
  go unanswered

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REALITY FACTS ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS

• Most districts do not handle well
• Usually awarded to most senior drivers
• Requires most physical exertion when loading and
  unloading
• Has the highest risk of incidents
• Receives the least amount of training
• Is most recognizable for safety infractions

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Fact or Fiction?

• Students weighing less than 40
• pounds and under 4 years of age
• or preschool students are
• required to be in car seats on the
• bus

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Drivers Checklist

• Is the correct CSRS being used?
• Is the seat belt routed through the CSRS per
  manufacturers instructions?
• Is the harness buckled snugly around the child?
• Do all the safety seat harnesses have retainer
  clips?
• Have I checked the NHTSA hotline for possible
  recalled safety seats? (1-888-DASH-2-DOT)

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FICTION BUT A BEST PRACTICE

• Because most school buses came off of the
  assembly line with only one seat belt (the
  drivers) no other restraints, car seats, vests,
  etc, are required.
• It becomes a DISTRICT policy if child safety
  restraint systems are used.

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New Rule from NHTSA

• Vehicles less than 10,000 lbs gvwr will be
  equipped with three-point restraint device
• Seat backs will be 24

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IMPACT ON OHIO?

• Vehicles less than 10,000 lbs gvwr will be
  equipped with three-point restraint device NEW
  AND BETTER SYSTEM FOR SMALL VEHICLES
• Seat backs will be 24 WE ARE ALREADY THERE
  AND HAVE BEEN FOR 10 YEARS

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Law or Best Practice?

• Transportation for special needs students MUST be
  done in a school bus

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BEST PRACTICE

• TRANSPORTATION MAY BE DONE VIA ANY OF THESE
  METHODS
• YELLOW BUS
• CONTRACTOR
• ALTERNATIVE METHODS
• PARENT/GUARDIAN PROVIDES

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NOTHING IN LAW OR RULE REQUIRES THAT SPECIAL
NEEDS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES BE PROVIDED IN
ONLY A YELLOW SCHOOL BUS
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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Equipment being used
• Has training been provided
• Length of ride
• No restriction on length of time student may be
  on bus
• Staff Training
• First Aid and CPR (best practice but not
  required)
• Student Discipline
• What is your districts current policy

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SUGGESTIONS FOR SEATING ACCOMMODATIONS

• Assign a Buddy to students when possible
• Seat students towards front of bus
• Develop local policies and/or procedures for
  handling of special needs students AND
  evacuations
• DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT

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KEYS TO SUCCESS

• REMAIN POSITIVE AND PRO-ACTIVE
• CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS
• GET USED TO THE FACT THAT THERE WILL BE INCREASED
  RIDERS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
• CONTINUE TO BE PROFESSIONAL AND PROVIDE THE
  SAFEST FORM OF TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE.