Transportation and Special Needs Students

1. Transportation and Special Needs Students BCPS Special Education Driver Training 2014

2. The greatest care shall be exercised at all times in the transportation of school children. 8VAC20-70-20

3. What disabilities might impact the students on my bus? • Specific Learning Disability • Other Health Impairment • Intellectual Disability • Development Delay • Autism • Emotional Disability • Low incidence disabilities: Visual or Hearing Impairments; Speech-Language Impairment; Multiple Disabilities; Traumatic Brain Injury

4. Understanding SLD • Students generally have average ability with processing deficits and academic deficits, but they are working with the general curriculum. • Various levels of special education services, depending on the educational needs of the student • The student with a learning disability has processing deficits which may impact their ability to process information quickly, understand directions, and answer questions with ease. • Academic weakness can lead to self-esteem difficulties that may result in attention seeking from peers.

5. Understanding OHI • Most often associated with student who have ADHD but could reflect other medical conditions such as diabetes, or seizure disorders. • ADHD- a neurological disorder that impacts executive function and self-regulation of attention and inhibition. Executive function is a term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. • Students may demonstrate restless/overly active behaviors, poor impulse control and deficits in behavioral planning. • The student with an Other Health Impairment may have a medical care plan that needs to be kept on the bus.

6. Understanding DD • Developmental delays in cognitive language, adaptive, social or motor skills. • Students below 7 years of age. • Students may be served in school or community settings. • Typically have language delays which limit the capacity to understand verbal communication in the same manner as their typically developing age peers.

7. Understanding ID • Significant deficits in intellectual ability and adaptive skills (daily living skills, functional academics, community, and safety skills) • A student with mild ID may present very much like typically developing students. • May not fully understand social dynamics and may be easily influenced by peers.

8. Understanding Autism • Ranges in intellectual functioning from significant cognitive deficits to average or above average intelligence. • Significant deficits in communication. Although the student may hear you, they may have difficulty processing what you are saying. • Significant deficits to social interaction- they may not “get” or read social cues. • The student may have restrictive interest or repetitive behaviors (which they cannot control), or may have sensory issues such as avoiding load noises, uncomfortable with touch, or even the way things feel next to their bodies. • May lack understanding of social graces, may be easily bothered by peers, or by people being in close proximity to them.

9. Understanding ED • Students who experience significant disturbance to regulation of emotion and behavior. • Criteria rules out students who are socially maladjusted if that is the only behavioral difficulty. • Often have inappropriate behavior under normal circumstance and lack response to typical discipline/social reasoning. • They may have altered perceptions, a trauma history, and attachment issues.

10. Know Your Students • Request information from administrators on students with special needs on your bus. • Learn the names of the students and make an effort to greet them as they enter and exit the bus. • Appropriate personal relationships and positive rapport are a key element in behavioral management for students with special needs.

11. What does the IEP have to do with being on the school bus? • Transportation is part of the educational program and special education services extend to the bus when required. • A student’s IEP may have a specialized behavior plan that must be followed by all staff who work with the student, including transportation staff. • The IEP is a contractual agreement and transportation is a requirement that must be addressed in the IEP. • Students with disabilities must have access to an equal school day unless the IEP indicates something different-so no adjustment to schedules, or picking up certain students early.

12. CONFIDENTIALITY • ALL STUDENT INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL AND THERE ARE BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS THAT PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF EDUCATIONAL RECORDS. SERIOUS PENALTIES CAN OCCUR FROM FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PRIVACY ACT. • Conversations with non-school personnel or even school personnel without legitimate educational interest is a violation of this act. • Discussing specific facts about the students you work with is a violation of the students’ confidentiality rights. Talking about these confidential matters to others who do not work directly with that students is against the law and can be grounds for termination.

13. Stuck in the Middle • The educational program for the student, including transportation needs, is determined by the IEP team. • Parental questions about a student’s school day are to be directed to the case manager, and conversely, school is to initiate any needed communication through appropriate channels. • We-as an educational agency- make decisions about what we do considering parent input in that process. Do not change a practice or procedure without conferring with school staff. • Be mindful of technology today and how parents may use technology. You don’t want to be on Facebook or YouTube.

14. Interventions Do • Remain calm • Isolate the situation • Enforce the limits • Listen • Be aware of nonverbal communication • Be consistent • Keep it simple • Give choices • Use the environment Do Not • Overreact • Get in a power struggle • Make a false promise or threat • Be threatening • Overwhelm with words • Use sarcasm • Bribe • Take it personally • Invade personal space

15. Listening • Be nonjudgmental • Allow for silence • Give your attention (when possible) • Use restatement to clarify • Listen carefully

16. When in crisis… When in crisis intervention, consider your stance Safe Nonthreatening Honor personal space

17. Physical Intervention only when: Emergency situation Necessary to protect the student or others After less intrusive methods were attempted and have failed Use approved methods and reasonable force Only applied until the immediate threat is eliminated; techniques are never sustained as punishment Substantial explanation will be required for why other interventions were not appropriate

18. HAVE A GREAT YEAR!!!