Short Bus Please

As an Educational Advocate for special needs children - I am never shocked by the level of ignorance that some Administrators and School districts try to pass off as education.  The lack of understand of the needs of the children are grossly lacking at the hands of educators who do not even understand the basics of SAFETY for the children.

I receive a phone call today where a parent said that their school placed their non-verbal daughter on a bus of 20 and put a handicap sticker on the back.... selling them KOOLAID! 


Dear Ms. Crazierthanhell, 
Could you please explain how adding a handicapped sticker to a regular transportation bus all of sudden makes the bus a "Special Transportation Bus"? Last month my non-verbal child with Autism who elopes was on a small special education bus prior to her change in placement with a driver and aid with 5 other children and now she is on a Large Bus with a Handicap Sticker on the back, 10 neuro-typical kids and some Special Needs children.

Additionally, please explain how stating to a parent of a special needs child that there are “no other alternatives” is appropriate when IDEA states that you are to provide related services to meet her individual and unique needs (not just what you have available!)
Sincerely,
I ain'tputtingmykidbackonthatbus!


IDEA 2004
Sec. 300.34 Related services.
(a) General. Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech- language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes. Related services also includes school health services and school nurse services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training.


(16) Transportation includes--
(i) Travel to and from school and between schools
(ii) Travel in and around school buildings; and
(iii) Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(26))

Transportation
Transportation as a related service is included in an eligible student's IEP if the IEP team determines that such a service is needed. Transportation includes:

• travel to and from school and between schools;
• travel in and around school buildings; and
• specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability [Section 300.24(b)(15)].

Public school districts must provide transportation to students with disabilities in two situations. These are:

• if a district provides transportation to and from school for the general student population, then it must provide transportation for a student with a disability; and
• if a school district does not provide transportation for the general student population, then the issue of transportation for students with disabilities must be decided on a case-by-case basis if the IEP team has determined that transportation is needed by the child and has included it on his or her IEP (Office of Special Education Programs, 1995).

If the IEP team determines that a student with a disability needs transportation to benefit from special education, it must be included in the student's IEP and provided as a related service at no cost to the student and his or her parents (Office of Special Education Programs, 1995).
Not all students with disabilities are eligible to receive transportation as a related service. As Attachment 1 of the Federal regulations for IDEA '97 points out:

• It is assumed that most children with disabilities will receive the same transportation provided to nondisabled children, unless the IEP team determines otherwise. However, for some children with disabilities, integrated transportation may not be achieved unless needed accommodations are provided to address each child's unique needs. If the IEP team determines that a disabled child requires transportation as a related service in order to receive FAPE, or requires accommodations or modifications to participate in integrated transportation with nondisabled children, the child must receive the necessary transportation or accommodations at no cost to the parents. This is so, even if no transportation is provided to nondisabled children. (U.S. Department of Education, 1999a, p. 12551)
• 
  

A student's need for transportation as a related service and the type of transportation to be provided must be discussed and decided by the IEP team. Whether transportation goals and objectives are required in the IEP depends on the purpose of the transportation. If transportation is being provided solely to and from school, in and around school, and between schools, no goals or objectives are needed. If instruction is provided to a student to increase his or her independence or improve his or her behavior during transportation, then goals and objectives must be included in the student's IEP (Office of Special Education Programs, 1995).