Best Practices for Ensuring Bus Safety for Students with Disabilities and Special Needs

Bus transportation makes school accessible for many school age students. It provides a safe and reliable mode of transportation. However, for students with special needs, bus transportation can create unique challenges and barriers. This article explores ways that bus drivers and bus monitors can meet the unique needs of students and provide a safe transport to and from school.

Individual Plans For Students With Special Needs

A disability can affect a child’s learning, attention, behavior, mobility, communication, and other areas. School districts are required to identify students with disabilities and provide them with services, aid, and supports. A student’s individual needs and the services they require are documented in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Transportation is one of the related services that may be included in a student IEP. Another type of written plan for students with a disability is a 504 plan, which could also include considerations for bus services.

Individual Plans For Health/Medical Needs

A student with a serious medical condition may require health services or accommodations. Most schools document these services in a student healthcare plan or an emergency action plan. Either plan might include actions to take in response to a medical emergency (e.g., the use of an Epi-pen for a student experiencing anaphylactic shock). They might also list situations in which emergency service personnel must be contacted.

Either plan, or both, can be attached to a student IEP or 504 plan, or stand alone.

Plan Contents

A student plan will specify the needs of a student, including any adaptive or assistive devices the student requires for safe transport. A student plan may include:

• Procedures for loading and unloading the bus.
• Considerations for emergency evacuations.
• The extent of monitoring and supervision a student may require, and whether a separate bus monitor, assistant, or health professional is needed on the bus.
• Seating considerations.

Additional considerations are:

• Strategies for effective communication.
• The use of items to comfort or calm a student (e.g., “fidgets”, noise-cancelling headphones, etc.).
• Temperature considerations, such as air conditioning for students who are heat sensitive.
• Door-to-door transportation.
• Length of time on the bus, such as “last on/first off” accommodations.
• Additional protocols and training that may be needed.

Understanding A Student’s Needs

It is important that you are aware of and sensitive to the special needs of the students you transport.

The key to safety and success is to have as much information as you can about a student’s special needs. Talk with and ask questions to a student’s teachers, school health care professionals, and other members of the student’s support team to learn about a student’s needs and understand their abilities. Special education personnel, occupational and physical therapists, and school nurses are valuable resources.

Pay close attention to past training and protocols that are in place-it is important that you only do what you are authorized to do and for which you have received appropriate training.

If at some point you develop concerns for the safety of a student, or you feel more information or training is needed to help you better meet a student’s needs, share your concerns with your supervisor, special education personnel, and/or a school administrator.

The Importance Of Communicating With Parents And Guardians

Being able to communicate effectively with parents and guardians is key to the safe transport of students with special needs. Discuss situations that might affect the safe transportation of a student with their parents and guardians.

Parents and guardians may request your assistance with the care of their child. You may not be able to accommodate all requests, such as if you are asked to give the student medication or medical care, deliver medication to the school, or allow their child to eat on the bus. Requests such as these may extend beyond your training and protocols set by your district and for which you will have to respond with a polite, “No.” You can explain why something is done a certain way and bus safety procedures. Refer unresolved complaints and/or questions to your supervisor or school personnel.

Confidentiality/Privacy

The medical or behavioral information you learn about a student is confidential. There are laws and regulations that restrict you from sharing the private and confidential information about students with disabilities and special needs. At no time may you share information about a student with anyone other than their parent or guardian and school employees with a need to know. In an emergency, you may share student information with emergency responders.

Loading And Unloading Students With Disabilities

One of your responsibilities is to ensure that a student and any equipment and devices used by a student are safely loaded onto a bus and properly secured before operating the bus. You may require the assistance of another person such as a bus monitor or assistant when loading or unloading students. When working with another person, discuss who will do what and communicate with each other as you assist a student.

If you feel it is needed, ask your employer to provide additional training on safe procedures for loading and unloading students with disabilities, mobility devices and related safety issues.

Securing Students And Wheelchairs

Students may require the use of protective equipment such as seat belts, safety harnesses, or vests. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers videos on child safety restraint systems.

It is your responsibility to ensure that a student and their wheelchair are properly secured for transport. Only use securement systems that are provided by your district. Always read, understand, and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the wheelchair and its restraint system. If you are unable to secure a wheelchair or a student in the wheelchair do not operate the bus! Contact your dispatch office for assistance.

Securing Equipment And Devices

Some students with disabilities and/or serious medical conditions will use specialized equipment and devices. Assistive devices (such as a walker) or medical equipment (such as an oxygen tank) that are transported with a student need to be secured to prevent them from becoming a projectile and/or from damage should you make a sudden stop.

Here are some tips for securing equipment:

• Secure items with strong cords or straps. The equipment used to secure items should be able to withhold five times the weight of the device it secures.
• Do not use straps that fasten with Velcro.
• Position items so that they do not protrude into the aisle.
• Store items under seats and towards the front of the bus.

Evacuation Plans

When planning bus safety procedures it is important to consider bus evacuations. For most emergencies you may encounter, the safest place for students is on the bus. However, in situations where it is too dangerous to stay on the bus, students must evacuate.

Your bus evacuation plan should include detailed information. The plan should be written so that another person can use it to direct a safe and timely evacuation.

When planning for an emergency evacuation you must consider important safety issues for students with disabilities and special needs, such as:

• Students who can independently evacuate the bus.
• Students who will require assistance exiting the bus and the type of assistance needed.
• The behavioral and medical needs of students.
• The role of a bus monitor/assistant in helping students off the bus/keeping students safe.
• Adaptive/assistive devices and medication/medical devices that must remain with students and taken from the bus.

These are some important issues to consider for the safe bus transportation for students with special needs. The best time to learn about students and develop the protocols to meet their safety needs is prior to the start of the school year. PublicSchoolWORKS can assist you in your planning and training. We offer the following courses on transporting students with special needs:

• M-232 Transportation (Bus Drivers) – Loading and Unloading Students
• M-231 Transportation (Bus Drivers) – School-Bus Emergency Evacuation
• M-081 Transportation (Bus Drivers) – Student Behavior Management
• M-083 Transportation (Bus Drivers) – Transporting Students with Specialized Needs