SN preschooler ona school bus - want to say thanks for all the info

I have a 3 1/2 y/o going to a Special Day Class preschool and is transported via school bus. We use the Evenflo Chase as our bus seat. We started the summer program this week and we dont have our fabulous school-year driver.

From all the info I learned here, I want to say thanks. It gave me enough information to stand up to a bus driver the last two days as he did atrocious installs both days I made him redo do it til he got it right. he tried to make the bus aide do it who was there to deal with two older autistic kids. That isnt her job. After the first incident (lap belt simply drawn across the front of the Chase, to hold dd AND the car seat in place) I called the SD transortation director, who called the bus company telling them to retrain the driver. This morning the driver told me I would have to install the seat. I told him no and I would take her myself as I would nit be there every day at class end to put the seat in for him for the return trip. He finally, after 4 attempts got the seat in right (said his hands were too big). I called the transportation director again and the special ed program officer my for dd that if they couldnt not transport her safely we would withdraw from the program and the School District would have to pay for private therapy.

Well... I go to the school today to pick up dd (she had a dr.'s appointment) and the Bus Company training rep, the District Transportation Director, the School Prinicpal, and the Special Ed Program Director were all there to deal with the driver on Route 6. Turns out the SD guy is a CPST and made the driver prove to him he could install the seat with everyone there.

I am thinking the driver might be a little better tomorrow...

So thank you and I hope I also made a difference for a lot if little kids to day. there is a little girl on the bus with DS and maybe weighs 25 pounds. At least she was in a 5 point, but god only knows how it was installed.

That is great that you had the courage to stand up to that driver. How was the bus ride this morning? Was the seat installed well?

Good for you. It takes guts to stand up to a driver like that. I had to do it last year.

Very cool: your advocacy for your child and a school administrator who is a CPS tech.

Well today went much better. Driver smiled and actually got out of his seat as I stood at the bottom step with the Chase. I didnt have dd with me at the curb, but on the front porch with grandma. I wasnt at all sure she would get on the bis today.

He got the seat in right in about the same amount of time as our regular school year driver. The aide, however, had to talk him thru the 5 point harness, but she wouldn't do it for him.

My hope is the "kerfuffle" I caused wth 2 phone calls starts to reinforce to the bus comapny they HAVE to train/re-train drivers on car seat installs if they are going to transport SN preschoolers.

Once again - thanks to everyone here.

Good job!