Question about school bus transportation/special needs

tl01

New member
I have a friend who has a child who has been diagnosed with PPD-NOS. She will be receiving services through the school system including preschool and travel to and from school. They will be picking her up on a school bus. I told her that she needs to research what her daughter will be sitting in while on the bus. They asked if she needs a harness/vest to keep her from getting out of her seat but she doesn't think she needs it b/c she is good at sitting when asked. I'm wondering what type of harness that is. Does anyone know what her options are in such a situation? Can she require they install a car seat for her on the bus? Otherwise there is only a lap belt on the seat. Her daughter is almost three and about 27 lbs. My friend was thinking that she would get her a booster... but clearly that is not an option.

Update: So my friend talked to the transportation coordinator who said that the only thing they do for kids her age is put them on the bus seat with the bus seat belt. She said the children get protection in a crash from the way the seats are the cushion of the seat... I'm assuming she is referring to compartmentalization. Obviously this is not okay for a 26 lbs girl. What can she do to make sure her kid is safe? Does anyone know where I can find documents to show the transportation coordinator?
 
Last edited:
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Evolily

New member
The answer is, YES, she wants a harness to keep her child seated :thumbsup:

The harnesses aren't just to keep the kid "seated", but also child restraints.
 

momtoirs

Member
My district requires kids under 4 to be harnessed. They use White integrated seats, SafeGuard STAR seats or Beco vests. Personally, I prefer the STAR seats, as I think most of my co-workers do. I hate the integrated seats -- I don't think they fit kids as well, especially as they get older. I've also found that the straps don't tighten consistently. I wish we could keep some of our over 4, but tiny kids harnessed, but they consider it a conditional procedure restraint and is only allowed for serious behavior challenges after a whole long process. We do have aides on our special we busses to help the kids learn how to sit properly.

Tina
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
it's pDd-nos (not post pardom depression - nos... lol... but I mix it up when I say it orally all the time, so don't fret)

and yes, she'll want a harness... have her look into her options... they should have built-in harnesses/seats or they may be referring to ezonpro special need harnesses.

She may not need a harness for kids who try to get out of their seats, but she should indeed be restrained.

Why?? it's not because of the pdd-nos, because that's SOOO mild in terms of autistic issues... it's because her daughter is so small and young. She is simply not big enough to benefit from compartmentalization, and I doubt she is old enough (to where even if she were big enough I wouldn't let her ride unrestrained) to stay seated perfectly throughout the ride.

Heck, even with Ruthie, because she is so active, while she is big enough and old enough, I wouldn't want her on a bus with kids of varying ages up through grade 5.... though I'm perfectly comfortable with the bus she will be going on soon with her new pre-k program.... because the k-11 kids go on their busses, but the pre-k classes have their own bus. With one class in the morning, one in the afternoon, and a max of 8 kids to a class, and there being an aide on the bus at all times, I know that whether there are built-in seats or not, she will do just fine.

Now, when she is in kindergarten, because she has the older siblings, as I did with Jeffrey, when she is on the bus not on the time when it's just the kindergarten kids (half day kindergarten, so either pickup or dropoff is just them, depending on morning/afternoon), I'm going to insist that first Damian (for the first month) and then either of my boys (for the second and third months) sit with her not to keep her safe (as the bus driver keeps the younger kids closer to the front already), but to help her remember the rules. So far, I've yet to have a child have issues, but it's still an extra measure that, since I have it available, I use with the younger sibling.
 

tl01

New member
Sorry for the typo on the PDD-NOS... I know all about it b/c my cousin's son has been diagnosed with it as well. I'm all for her having the harness for safety which is why I was posting. I was just surprised that the transport person was wondering if it was needed to keep her in the seat. Strange. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what type of vest it is and if it will be able to be used to restrain her for safety and if it will be good for her size. I totally agree that she is too small for compartmentalization... I'm just trying to help her by providing her mom with the right info so she can ask for the proper product. Hopefully she will use the product properly. I'm wondering if this bus will have an aid on it... Hmmm... so much to consider..

I guess I'll post back once I know more about the type of harness it is... and if it is appropriate for her. She said they had some sort of a booster looking thing on the seat. Would that be the White Integrated Seat?
 

jmm3

New member
My SN dd has used a Safeguard Star seat since she started riding the bus at age 3. http://www.safeguardseat.com/bus/products_star.htm
We've been very happy with it. It's easy to adjust for different kids and easy for the bus aides to tighten (you pull the straps on each leg).

When my dd first started riding the bus, they had expired OHS seats in there. I complained and they got the Stars for the whole bus. :thumbsup:

Now my dd is almost 6 and still uses it, and if they try to take it away, I will be protesting because she will NOT stay seated unless in a harness.


Why?? it's not because of the pdd-nos, because that's SOOO mild in terms of autistic issues... it's because her daughter is so small and young. She is simply not big enough to benefit from compartmentalization, and I doubt she is old enough (to where even if she were big enough I wouldn't let her ride unrestrained) to stay seated perfectly throughout the ride.

Not trying to be nitpicky, but I just wanted to comment on a common misconception. PDD-NOS is not a mild form of autism or always mild compared to autism. It can be anywhere from very mild to very severe just like autism can be. It simply means that the child does not meet the full criteria for an autism, Aspergers, or Retts diagnosis, but they fit into the spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders.
 

tl01

New member
Bumping this.....

And am also wondering if she can buy the safeguard bus seat on her own and put it on the bus or does this have to be provided by the district? How much is it?
 

lovinwaves

New member
From what I understand it is the school districts responsibility to safely transfer the child to and from school.

This means the SCHOOL will either need to provide a bus with integrated 5-point harness seats, purchase a carseat, or vest.

This needs to all be written out clearly in the child's IEP. If they have already had the IEP meeting, no worries, the IEP may be changed at any time. She will just need to set up a meeting to have this done.

She can also request in the IEP that the child have an AID while on the bus.

The child absolutely positively needs to be in some type of harness.

It's possible the school district has a bus with integrated seats. I would start there. If she continues to have problems with the school district, and she lets you know, please post back and let us know. We can help. :)

Here is what the integrated seats look like: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59857&highlight=camden+school
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
Not trying to be nitpicky, but I just wanted to comment on a common misconception. PDD-NOS is not a mild form of autism or always mild compared to autism. It can be anywhere from very mild to very severe just like autism can be. It simply means that the child does not meet the full criteria for an autism, Aspergers, or Retts diagnosis, but they fit into the spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders.

no problem... I actually couldn't remember the exact proper definition, but basically just scaled it way down to a very simple explanation... I wondered if I didn't mess it up a bit in doing so.

Thanks for supplying a better one!
 

mygirlkat74

New member
As a former Special needs bus driver. Any child under 40 lbs needs to be in a safe seat not just the regular seat belt they have on the special needs buses. Or, if they where ones that got up and out of their seats a lot. That was our districts rule. It should be in their IEP. I know in my state they have aids on all the special needs buses since loading and unloading wheel chairs takes two people. We had the safeseat that someone had posted about above.

My MIL is one of the heads of the ScHool bus boards here. If you mention what state I could ask her what their rules are she can probably find it out for me.
 

Starlight

Senior Community Member
Our school district does not supply car seats - you are required to supply one for your preschool aged child. The bus driver, who recieves training from a tech employed by the transportation department, shows at your house w/ a 15 passenger van. You install the carseat, install the child, driver drives to school, uninstalls all the seats, stores them in a hallway. After school, a bus driver (maybe the same one, but it could be someone else) installs all the seats back into the van, and then drives the kids home, where the seat is uninstalled until next time.

And this is the best school district, best "special" preschool, etc, in town. Great, huh?
 

BW1426

Well-known member
Our school district does not supply car seats - you are required to supply one for your preschool aged child. The bus driver, who recieves training from a tech employed by the transportation department, shows at your house w/ a 15 passenger van. You install the carseat, install the child, driver drives to school, uninstalls all the seats, stores them in a hallway. After school, a bus driver (maybe the same one, but it could be someone else) installs all the seats back into the van, and then drives the kids home, where the seat is uninstalled until next time.

And this is the best school district, best "special" preschool, etc, in town. Great, huh?

Holy waste of time :eek: If you in fact had 15 kiddos on the bus...can you imagine installing and uninstalling 15 of the same carseats every single day :eek:

I have to ask, do the drivers actually install the seats properly?
 

Starlight

Senior Community Member
Not that I've seen. My kid doesn't start for a few months. The preschool is 15 miles away, and starts at the same time my other kid starts (and he walks, but is too young to be alone) and the other one has a routine/regular appointment that can't be changed. I keep hoping the perfect solution will come to me, but I can't see how on earth I am going to get him to school and still get the other ones where they need to be. I do not want to put him on that bus. :(

I'll have to buy him a new seat though. Wooo. I was thinking Nauti, but I'm not sure.
 

mygirlkat74

New member
Did sent you what I got, but posting here too.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju.../prekfinal.htm

She did say she would look to find more on cali. But, she always has the NHTSA marked so she looked that one up really quick today. She didn't get much time tonight to look being she had to get up at 5am to drive her bus, but will look in the next few days.

http://nhtsa.gov/people/injury/buses...ol-bus_02.html

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...elt/index.html

Hope any of these links help. I do like the first one that says Child Safety Restraint System Defined as
A Child Safety Restraint System is any device (except a passenger system lap seat belt or lap/shoulder seat belt), designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position a child who weighs less than 50 pounds.

Kat
 

emandbri

Well-known member
Granted this was 7 years ago but my son rode a bus to school and the school had cosco high backs. He was too tall for it and the seat belt ended up right behind his back. I ended buying him a convertible with tall slots to use. He rode the bus for a while but the bus driver and assistant were taking the seats out and putting them back in every day and they were never tight enough. When I expressed my concern about them not being tight I was told "we'll we are going to get in an accident today." I was stunned. I told her the day they do plan to get into an accident let me know and I won't put him on the bus. :whistle:

I ended up driving him to school.
 

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