Question for moms who have kids that ride the bus
quickchekgal
Posts: 213 Member
My son is in preschool and takes the bus to and from school. His bus driver that takes him home is amazing!!!! She is so nice and I trust her 100%. However, a new bus driver started in the morn (actually, he used to pick my son up before and I had a problem with him) and I just do not trust him at all. He doesn't even acknowledge me when I'm waiting with my son. I will say hello and he completely ignores me...It is very awkward and weird. Then he shuts the door so fast that I don't even have time to get a goodbye in. I just get such a weird and unpleasant vibe from him...........today he was burying his head in the steering wheel and we waited outside till he noticed we were outside. Am I just being paranoid or what? I mean...good god. He seriously seems like he hates his job. My son has autism and it is important to me that I trust the driver. I don't trust this dude. I called and asked if my son can be switched to another route but apparently there are no other drivers that go to our area. I am at a loss at what to do. We only have one car right now...my husband obviously takes it to and from work. He leaves for work early in the morning and doesn't exactly work around the corner. Ahhh...I don't know what to do!
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Is there a para that rides along on the bus? I didn't like one of the subs we had last year but the ride-along para I loved. And then our para was gone and the sub was kinda weird but it was our good bus driver so I was fine with it. If there isn't a para on the bus, talk to your son's teacher to amend his IEP to say they need one and then the bus has no choice but to provide one. We had a problem last year were they didn't have one on the bus the first day of school and I had to call and remind them that it was required. So I got one back :-) It's easy for it to be necessary because if you say that if there is ever a problem on the bus and they have to unload, your son will need special assistance. My son's preschool teacher caught that and explained it to me, She was wonderful!!0
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Mine will be riding for the first time in September. I am scared to death, but I have the option to drive him each day if I don't like the driver. I don't know what to tell you, that must be hard. Trust your instinct if you think something is wrong... Hopefully there is an aide or someone riding too...0
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There is no aid on the bus. That is a good idea though. I will definitely speak to his teacher...I hope it wont be a problem. I just feel so uncomfortable.Is there a para that rides along on the bus? I didn't like one of the subs we had last year but the ride-along para I loved. And then our para was gone and the sub was kinda weird but it was our good bus driver so I was fine with it. If there isn't a para on the bus, talk to your son's teacher to amend his IEP to say they need one and then the bus has no choice but to provide one. We had a problem last year were they didn't have one on the bus the first day of school and I had to call and remind them that it was required. So I got one back :-) It's easy for it to be necessary because if you say that if there is ever a problem on the bus and they have to unload, your son will need special assistance. My son's preschool teacher caught that and explained it to me, She was wonderful!!0
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No aide. He used to have an aid. He has been riding the bus since he started school last March. I was scared at first and of course I wish I could take him every day. But, he lovesssss riding the bus and we usually get really great drivers. But, sometimes we get a bad apple. I just emailed his teacher..hopefully she can get him an aid on the bus. If not, I don't know!!!!! Ugh...Mine will be riding for the first time in September. I am scared to death, but I have the option to drive him each day if I don't like the driver. I don't know what to tell you, that must be hard. Trust your instinct if you think something is wrong... Hopefully there is an aide or someone riding too...0
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He doesn't even acknowledge me when I'm waiting with my son. I will say hello and he completely ignores me...It is very awkward and weird. Then he shuts the door so fast that I don't even have time to get a goodbye in. I just get such a weird and unpleasant vibe from him...........today he was burying his head in the steering wheel and we waited outside till he noticed we were outside.
I suppose it's always possible that the bus driver is on the autism spectrum. Being socially awkward doesn't necessarily mean he's untrustworthy. He might be much more comfortable communicating with children than with parents. And realistically, he should have had an enhanced police check to be working with children. But it would be better if there was an escort on the bus with your son, because if if your son gets distressed for any reason, the driver can't deal with that when driving, so the escort can deal with it.
(I'm not a mom, but I am on the autism spectrum myself and I work with children on the autism spectrum, and they all have escorts on the bus. Generally two escorts for four or five children. Personally, I work really well with the children, but I am a little socially awkward with the parents - although I don't ignore them, but then I'm female and autistic females are better at mimicking social skills than men.)0 -
I hate when they take aides off the bus. It's just a money thing, which I get but sometimes in a just necessary expense. It's funny though if you ask the bus company about if there is a problem on a bus with special needs kids and they have to unload what would happen. They stumbled over themselves and try to say that it won't happen and if it did they'd have someone there ASAP. So when I asked about the time inbetween, they've got nothing.
And don't worry about being a problem. If we aren't our kid's biggest advocates, who is?0 -
We drop off our child at school because it's on the same street we live on. There is a mom of an ASD kiddo who actually follows the bus to school...every day! I don't know what her point is because she's done this for over a year now. But is it possible for you to borrow the car from your hubby to follow the bus for a few days.
I'm a big believer in trusting your intuition. If you feel something is off then trust your mommy instincts.
In my area, in each school, there's an Autism Consulting Teacher (different from a SpED teacher) who consults for several different schools. That's the person we go to for issues with aides, IEP matters, bus transportation, etc. I would go to your local equivalent and see what can be worked out. All the SpED buses here have an aide plus the driver. They're usually grandma types ...so nice and friendly to the kids.0 -
My son gets picked up in a taxi and frankly that has been the worst part of his spec. ed experience. Most of the drivers are nice but there are different ones every day - not even the same taxi company most of the time. They came about 15 min. early every day most of the spring and when I mentioned it to the driver - he was mad and said that it said 7:00 am on his list. It said 7:15 on mine and school starts at 8 am here. I talked to the school and let them handle it because I was already mad at the taxi company after they had FORGOTTEN to pick my son up at school and when I called them...not their problem!! They get their lists from the schoolboard. Needless to say I really freaked out on the guy and now I figure I´ll go to the top with everything. I also work at a school and "know" the system and the people at the top - so might as well do that from the start. Also - we were wondering why he has to go to another town 20 min. drive to pick up another kid and back again when there are 4 kids 10 min. away and 2 kids 5 min. away...And the school was wondering too, as we don´t pay for a morning (before school program) but he was there as he was arriving so early because of the taxi ?! Sure hope it goes better when he starts on monday....
Which we still haven´t gotten any lists yet and he wants to know when the taxi is coming and if he´ll be with it to pick up the other kids
Effective system! 0 -
My son's school has a special needs bus that kids kinda get referred to if needed. it has been a god send for Quinten to ride the special needs bus it has less kids and the more adults on it. The bus is a big deal for us in general he seems to have the most behavior problem on the bus..0
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We got our taxi list today - just in time for school on Monday - and there´s only one small error on it! They´re picking him up twice a week two hours before he gets off school. So I phoned and was told to contact the school as the list was made from school schedules...but no one answering the phone at the school.
And the guy (from the taxi service) told me it would be 2 weeks before they can change any times on the list anyway....so my kid will be having 2 weeks of early days OR I´ll have to take an hour earlier off and drive the 22 km each way to pick him up!
WOW! Tell me how impressed I am. Just wondering if I managed to explain why smoke was coming out of my ears and my nose - to my 12 year old so he´s not worried about next week
Kind of like "But don´t worry, Mom will sort this out on Monday and no problem - I can come and pick you up those 2 days until the taxi fixes it."0 -
Isabella bus only have the bus driver on it, but just her class of 10 rides this bus ( at least last year). we have had no issue with it just being her. I dont about the taxi that must be hard on him. My daughter will not get on the bus if there is a sub.0
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I have three children who go to the same school, two ride the special needs bus & they've allowed my youngest to ride as well so there's no need for two buses. The bus driver & I are very good at alerting each other to any issues, for example if I know brayden is in one of his "moods" I will let Mrs Joyce know he will be a handful so they can expect it, we have even exchanged cell numbers. My oldest had to ride the Gen education bus for tutoring over the summer and we had multiple issues because a sepwrate bus was not provided and my daughter was getting hit and picked on. Phone calls to the school counselor, principle and transportation solved that, she was moved directly behind the bus driver & I informed them if they couldn't keep my child supervised and safe I would alert anyone who would listen. Might have been a bit drastic but it did the trick. 0
