Question: Knots in Harness

CuddlyMonsters

New member
I am wondering how safe it is to tie knots into the Harness of a 5 point harness car seat!

I have been fighting for my child's safety when they transport her to and from school for the past 2 years.

She has issues where she can get out of her car seat (5 point harness), but for some reason they have refused to put her in a safety vest. They keep trying different things to keep her from getting out. I know this has been an issue with her, about 2 times per week the bus driver tells me that she keeps getting out.

The ended up tying knots into her Harness to try and keep her from getting out. My concern is now the chest clips are almost to her neckline, depending on how she sits in the seat. Also the seat they have her in, her head is above the shell...
 
ADS

CuddlyMonsters

New member
She is 5, put she gets out of her car seat due to sensory issues. It is LONG STORY, but yes, they tied knots into the harness so she can not push the chest clip down, but she is STILL getting out. She knows how to push down on the lever between her legs and then push on the harness straps until they are loose, she does it in my car ALL THE TIME!

In my car I am in the process of moving her into a safety vest in conjuction with a highback booster. It seems to be going pretty good so far, she leaves everything alone, hasn't tired to once get out.

I have been fighting with them to use a saftey vest! I am SO SO SO TIRED of hearing that she got out of her carseat again.

At home we know it has been an issue and tried many things, turning the buckle inwards to face her, earning treats etc... In her case because of the sensory issues she acts on IMPLUSE and can be very distructive too...

She came home today with Bubbles dumped down her shirt with the bubble container and wand in hand playing with it and her harness undone!
 

jnamommy

New member
This is not acceptable, at all. I would contact the Transportation Dept immediately and tell them you are very concerned about the fact that your daughter is not being transported properly or safely.

When they show up in the morning to pick her up, insist that the knots be taken out before she is even leaves for school.

Does she have an IEP or 504? I would contact the school principal and request an immediate meeting to update her 504/IEP, and write in specific language with regard to her transportation. SHe may need a vest, or may need an aide to sit with her and prevent her from undoing her seat.
 

CuddlyMonsters

New member
I have tried to contact Transportation, they are the ones who decided that all the knots were acceptable in the first place. They apparently tied another one today to try and prevent her from pressing down on the lever between her legs to loosen the Harness. So now she has knots in the chest are and in a couple different other areas on the harness!

The Director of Education was the one who TOLD them to tie the knots into the harness.

I just called to see if I can have it adjusted into the IEP! So, now we wait!

While we wait I think I am going to take myself a trip to Target and play with that Graco Turbobooster with Safety Surround! :D
 

AustinMusic

Active member
Clearly, this practise is unacceptable.

I know very little of the US school bus transportation system however, in any context, tying knots in the harness (however they have managed to do so:confused:) without any doubt constitutes misuse of the restraint.

If you know what seat is being used, then I suggest downloading the user manual/guide from the manufacturer’s website and presenting it to those in charge of transportation; ideally those who claimed knots in the harness were acceptable.

Second (if you have not already done so), I would ask to know the reasons as to why a vest cannot be provided. I would be very surprised if they could present any good evidence for a misused seat being a safer and better option than a correctly fitted vest.
 

CuddlyMonsters

New member
:yeahthatmad:

Oh believe me, I am still fuming mad about this issue. Espically since I have been battling with them for almost the whole school year now!

NOT ACCEPTABLE is CORRECT! I just spent most of my afternoon trying to resolve this issue. However now I have to wait until someone calls me back to see if we can adjust it in her IEP.
 

henrietta

Well-known member
I just thought of something, CM....remind them tomorrow or Friday that this beautiful child just fought her way thru open heart surgery 4 mos ago...and in a crash, those knots pose potential damage to her chest, and that your health insurance company will probably sue them for reimbursement for the health care charges in such an event! And, no, I would not let them take her again in that seat w/the knots in the harness. I know that driving her yourself is near impossible right now due to time constraints b/t the kids' schools, and getting the knots out will take a few minutes, probably longer than actually installing another seat in the van/bus for her, so I'd put another seat in or make other arrangements to get ds to prek while you settle this w/dd. If I were there, I'd drive one of them for you! GL!!

henrietta
 

tam_shops

New member
Can she unzip and/or unsnap a light jacket? If not, in addition to getting the knots out, I'd have them zip/snap her jacket *over* the straps. So, she puts the jacket on, unzipped. Gets in the car seat. Buckles all straps. Pulls the jacket out/around and/or from behind her and then zip it up over top of the chest clip and buckles. May at least slow her down.

Otherwise, since it's a safety consideration, I'd request that the bus aid/assistant (some have them, some do not) sit with/beside her on the ride to/from school. That would go along w/ the information you are adding to her IEP and would hopefully come out of the transportation funding rather than her school time funding.

tam
 

VoodooChile

New member
I'm sorry Transportation is being so difficult. Would the head of special ed in your district be of any help to you here? I know the last district I worked for, our head of special education was awesome, and she would have been very upset to hear that one of her students was being endangered. No one liked it when she was upset.
 

CuddlyMonsters

New member
Can she unzip and/or unsnap a light jacket? If not, in addition to getting the knots out, I'd have them zip/snap her jacket *over* the straps. So, she puts the jacket on, unzipped. Gets in the car seat. Buckles all straps. Pulls the jacket out/around and/or from behind her and then zip it up over top of the chest clip and buckles. May at least slow her down.

Otherwise, since it's a safety consideration, I'd request that the bus aid/assistant (some have them, some do not) sit with/beside her on the ride to/from school. That would go along w/ the information you are adding to her IEP and would hopefully come out of the transportation funding rather than her school time funding.

tam

Yes, she can undo zippers and velcro. She knows how to buckle her shoes (velcro) and she knows who to put on/take off a jacket which all of hers have zippers, she can also do buttons, most all her sweaters have buttons.

The soultion is rather quite simple. She needs to be in a safety vest, but they for some reason don't see WHY she needs to be in one! Well maybe it is the fact that you keep bringing my child home to me when she is clearly out of her CAR SEAT! I even took pictures of it one day (she had some other kid's underwear in her hands) and was clearly not buckled in... :mad:
 

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