Re: Re: should I or shouldn't I

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I would say be careful of bus drivers. Personally, I'd follow a few around for a few days to be sure they are safe, following speed limits. I have seen a few of the special ed buses in accidents. The big buses fly through school zones without following the proper speed limit, some have even almost hit me while I was trying to drop my son off because they don't tend to stop at the stop sign (I think they think they have the right to turn right without stopping). There was a driver in our school district who was actually hired despite having DUI/DWI on their record. The driver was drinking on the job and eventually the newspaper exposed her locally after a parent brought the driver to their attention. Also, here on field trips, you now have to sign away your rights that you hold them responsible for anything, and therefore, my son no longer goes on these field trips. Of course, in their Special Olympics folder, they tell me how I will be held liable for equipment not returned properly, but yet I cannot hold them liable, not the driver, the teachers, any school employee or the school board for anything that happens to my child on a field trip. I've actually seen Houston ISD's field trip form and it is nothing like the one we have (of course our district has a different special education law firm representing them than the one Houston ISD does, and I think this comes out of the fact that someone probably filed a lawsuit against the district from the drunk bus driver).

I drive my son to school and he has no problems transitioning. In fact, it is a good time to get to see the teacher on a daily basis to keep more informed and personal contact and to help build a better relationship. During summer I do let him ride since it is only 2 hours he is getting ESY and the school is 30 minutes away. But I don't have to sign my rights away. He has had a few issues, however, on the bus because the drivers were talking too loud, or one time a driver took a different route to drop off a child who had to use the restroom very badly and my son did not like the change in routine. He's also had 2 seizures on the bus now.

I also know of two other people in this district, one with a felony record, who was working directly with the special needs kids. I don't hold much faith in the hiring practices, given all this information, especially of the bus driver incident, to keep my child safe.

Hilda

Re: should I or shouldn't I

When my now 8-year-old autistic son started special ed preschool when he was 3, the whole bus idea was terrifying to me, as I thought it would be for him. So I drove him to and from school for the first two months, and shortened his schedule so he only went for 2 hours at first, then 3, then 4, and so on. He turned 3 in October, and I had agreed to try letting him ride the bus after that first Christmas break. I worried and worried about that.Turns out, he loved riding the bus. It was such a non-issue, it kind of floored me. Actually, he had had a pretty rough start to preschool, spending much of the time after I dropped him off each day crying because I'd left him. That all stopped when he started riding the bus.Now, I work as a classroom aide in a PPCD classroom here in Round Rock. And I see the same thing that happened with my son happening time and again with the kids in my class - transitions are just that much harder when mom and dad drop them off than when the take the bus. I honestly cannot think of a single example of a kid who did worse taking the bus than when their parents dropped them off.What I would probably do in your case is bring your son to school the first couple of days, and maybe even see if you can just bring him for a short time (30 minutes to an hour) for the first day, and stay with him. Sort of like a playdate in a new place with new kids. That is what a lot of the new parents do with their kids in my classroom, and it seems to work well.Good luck!- >> My 3 1/2 year old son is starting PPCD on Monday for the 2nd time. He went into the program in Aug.'09 but I pulled him out after two weeks because the teacher was horrible.> > This time I think it will be better because it is going to be a different teacher who seems to know what she is doing but its going to be hard getting him to even go inside the building.> > I have been preparing him for the past two weeks. I've driven by the school every other day, explained to him that he is going to be going to a new school, shown him pictures of the teacher, classroom, etc. Read him a book about preschool...I've done everything except tried to get him off the car. Probably should have done that!! When I asked him today if he wanted to get off the car, he said NO.> > Anyway, should I or shouldn't I take him to school on Monday. The bus is supposed to pick him up but I'm wondering if I should be there when it happens. I just feel like him seeing me is going to make it worse.> > Any advice?>