how long to push this situation?
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| Fri, 09-16-2005 - 2:50pm |
ok, the situation: Weston takes the bus to school. Regular public school bus. They ride it through our subdivision (about 2 miles) and then another 3 miles to school. They get on the bus about 7:10 and school starts at 7:40. We did a car pool last year w/ another family in the subdivision. This year that family is also riding the bus to school. I have 2 other buses that I have to get kids on between 7am and 7:30. I really don't have time to run him to school.
Weston never says anything out loud about riding the bus, he does his morning routine w/o problems, gets on the bus w/o any arguement. He has been writing me in his "family message journal" about his dislike and it's been very vehement. This has been an on going theme in his letters to us. I think it's about 4/5wks old at this point. I have had it w/ his continuing this arguement. Part of me wants to dig my heels in and make him do this all year. But, I'm feeling a little guilty that I'm making him do this when he really hates it.
His arguement is that it makes his head/stomach sick to sway through all the turns. Another is that he hates to sit next to anyone. Another is that he doesn't care if we have to conserve gas-- it's only 8 miles round trip. It's actually been a source of great amazement and amusement to me that he's kept up the arguement so long and that he has such a wealth of things to back up his dislike.
I wrote him a letter stating that he needed to make up his mind to like the ride or find some sensory way to make the ride bearable. I gave him some suggestions and asked that he come up w/ some suggestions of his own. I need to call the OT and get some suggestions from her as well.
What do you think?
Betsy

Does your district offer an minibus service for classified kids? Both my kids take the minibus. It is door-door -a much shorter run than the big bus, *much* quieter, and my tactile defensive DD gets a seat to herself.
If the district does offer this (and I believe they have to under IDEA), it sounds like a good potential compromise.
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Betsy-I think you did great with the letter.That;s a good idea. I need to try that.
I was going to ask about a special bus, too. Jake is out of zone for his school so they have to provide the trasportation-I don't know how that works when you are in the zone. His bus is a regular size bus but there at only 10-12 kids,all AS to some degree, that ride it. They all have to sit in a set by them selves. They also have an aide.
Liza
I agree about the special bus too. That is what I was going to ask. The big bus can be really tough on our kids.
Another thought, he has been communicating the difficulty through appropriate means thus far. If it is not resolved there is the possibility he will use inappropriate means to get himself thrown off the bus, etc. I like the letter you gave him and trying to come up with methods to make it ok for him. But if that doesn't work I would call an IEP meeting and see if there is anything you all can work out with the school whether that be special ed bussing or allowing him to come late to school without punishment, etc.
If you transport yourself when the school is supposed to do it sometimes they will reimburse milage for you. Depends on the state law for if they are supposed to transport him there. In our state it is only if it isn't the neighborhood schools because they don't provide regular ed transportation.
Renee
THANK YOU! I hadn't even thought about a spec ed bus, though I'm not sure it's an option. I know if he were to be in the district autism program, it's a special day class w/ mainstreaming as the kids are able, then he'd be at another school-- much further away-- but eligible for the spec bus. But because we're in our home school, I don't know that he qualifies. His IEP is set for the 2nd week in Oct. I'll bring it up then.
Betsy
Dear Betsy,
Just a thought, but maybe you can approach the needed special ed bus from a medical reasoning, such as sensory overload of too many kids on the bus, movement of large size of the bus makes him physically ill, bad preparation for day of school, etc?
We here had to fight for no more than an hour on bus each way plus air conditioning and get medical letters from our doctors to prove our kids needed less kids on routes so shorter times, plus temperate conditions. And they weren't going to give us air conditioning, letting our special needs kids sit in stalled traffic in over 90 degree weather, amazing!
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm
Betsy,
Just FYI. We're in our home school, and we take the special bus. Even my DD takes it, and she is mainstreamed (she is classified).
In fact, I had some to-and-fro-ing with the SD and the bus company about that a few weeks ago (the district had originally scheduled DD on the big bus) and the bus company were horrified to discover the SD were putting a classified kid on the regular bus. If your district's regular or special ed busing is outsourced, it may be an idea to contact the bus company and find out the law/policies in your region. You may even find an ally or some advice there, as frankly, it is in their interest add Weston to the special needs roster.
My understanding of IDEA is that transportation falls under FAPE, and if he can't handle the regular bus and (good for you), you have *documented* proof of this in the form of your correspondence, AND that you tried all you could to make this work; -this request is a last resort. I don't see how it could fail and still be legal.
There is an implied risk of course, that he could have a minibus all to himself. Would he be OK with that?
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com