Re: Our Child was left on the school bus

[Guest guest]

thats so scary. hope your little one is ok.

The same thing happened a couple towns, and school districts away from

mine about a month ago. District policy is that every bus should be

checked. It was a small bus for special needs students going to the

district ES. This 6yr old was not found sleeping on the bus until they

came to get ready for the afternoon run. He was fine and never knew there was a

problem!

The other policy in question is

what happens when your child is out? Does the school call each parent to

make sure they know their child is out of school? The article says this

parent may have opted-out of that phone call from the school to double

check. The scary part is this bus had a driver and a monitor.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/NEWS/114\

0322

<http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/NEWS/11\

40322>

>

>

> Our daughter, Ava, 4, goes to a Developmental Preschool for her Speech

Apraxia. She was forgotten on the school bus and left alone for three

hours.

> This was a horrific, terrible event. Pleasedon't be afraid to ask your

school district how theykeep track of your kids and what procedures they

have in place toprevent this incident from happening to anyone again!

Let this help us be a voice for some of our children who have no voice.

>

[Guest guest]

Ugh.  I am sickened!  I am so glad you went to the media!  Both the driver and

the teacher should be disciplined! 

Hugs to Ava!  She must have been so scared. 

________________________________

From: " devo62680@... " <devo62680@...>

Sent: Thu, February 4, 2010 11:31:08 PM

Subject: [ ] Our Child was left on the school bus

Our daughter, Ava, 4, goes to a Developmental Preschool for her Speech Apraxia. 

She was forgotten on the school bus and left alone for three hours. 

This was a horrific, terrible event.  Pleasedon't be afraid to ask your school

district how theykeep track of your kids and what procedures they have in place

toprevent this incident from happening to anyone again!  Let this help us be a

voice for some of our children who have no voice. 

Here's the link:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/83599842.html

Blessings,

[Guest guest]

I'm so glad your child is okay and that it was not hot outside.  One of my

worst fears is that he will get left on the bus! His bus driver did forget to

drop him off one day but she still had kids on the bus and just came back around

to bring him home.  But, that is so scary!!! So glad she is okay!!!

[Guest guest]

That is just so horrible, I can't even imagine!

Honestly, it seems to me like this should be followed up with a criminal

investigation by the police as well. Imagine if a parent left their child in

their vehicle for 3 hours and what would happen to that parent ...

>

>

> Our daughter, Ava, 4, goes to a Developmental Preschool for her Speech

Apraxia. She was forgotten on the school bus and left alone for three hours.

> This was a horrific, terrible event. Pleasedon't be afraid to ask your school

district how theykeep track of your kids and what procedures they have in place

toprevent this incident from happening to anyone again! Let this help us be a

voice for some of our children who have no voice.

>

> Here's the link:

>

>

>

>

> http://www.komonews.com/news/local/83599842.html

>

> Blessings,

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

please do continue to raise awareness about this. While there are

wonderful drivers and teachers and aids working with our children- people that

are irresponsible -even if it's " just " a " one time " mistake -should in my

opinion not be working with children -no less speech disabled special needs

children. This is unfortunately not the first time we've had incidents. If you

check the archives we've had children locked in dark rooms, strapped to chairs

-as punishment. Many of us have our nightmare stories that will haunt us for

probably ever. We take our innocent children who are unable to

communicate...who trust us- and leave them in the hands of people that we assume

we can trust. When that trust is violated -it cuts deep. We can't go back to

change what happened -but we can raise awareness to try to prevent it going

ahead. I agree with you that the driver should be fired -should have been

already.

I'm also not sure if you (or anyone) is aware that there are over one hundred

responses to this article online...here is my favorite so far from what I read:

" I know that I work in special education and I know that I have ridden on

special ed buses and the driver is required to do a pre-trip and a post-trip

inspection. I know that many bus drivers are lazy and rude and completely lack

compassion or concern for the students they carry. I also KNOW that had she

reported it to her supervisor the transportation department would have contacted

the girls mother immediately. It is very possible that information was left out

of this article but it implies that the girl was dropped off to an unsuspecting

mother who then had to get the information from her very distraught and speech

impaired daughter. If the driver reported her mistake right away the mother

needed to be called. That is a policy widely accepted by local districts because

sadly this happens far too often. "

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/83599842.html

I can share more of these types of stories if needed -but don't want to add

undue stress to parents sending their little ones off the preschool for the

first time since in most cases the professionals and adults in general hired to

work with the children are beautiful people that genuinely love children and

what they do. But we can't ignore that these types of situations happen -and

need to do what we can to raise awareness to prevent it going ahead. And that

is what you are helping to do by taking this public. So thank you from

all of us...most only post about it here. Here are a few archives just related

to busing to share you aren't alone. (I'm sure there was another child left on

the bus in our group but it's hard to find it in all the messages!)

Jan Compton <mar4com2003@...>

Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:58 pm

Re: [ ] Thanks to all who responded...

Hello Sherry,

My son has Apraxia and when he was 2.11 he had less than 20 words. He had

speech therapy 2x a week and when he turned 3 he was enrolled in a special ed

preschool. He currently speaks almost normally. He has some problems with some

words or phrases. He is almost 8 and is 4 years behind in terms of speech and

Language. He understands most of what he hears but takes everything literally.

This could be because of the apraxia or other symptoms of his additional dx. He

also has Apergers (mild) and ADHD and an anxiety disorder.

Even though my son speech is somewhat close to his peers speech now, does not

mean that his problems are cured. In my sons case he has problems with receptive

and expressive language. What this means is that although he may have the words

to express himself he may not be able too. If he gets in trouble on the

playground he is not able to tell his side of the story. If he gets lost

someplace he may not be able to tell a stranger my name or phone number even

though he knows it and can speak it. I don't know if your child will have that

problem but it wouldn't hurt to work on it now.

When my son was about 3 1\2 he was taking the school bus to the babysitters 2

blocks away from the school. The school bus dropped my son off in front of the

sitters house but someone else was walking by with a baby in a stroller and the

bus drive let him go with this lady. This lady did not speak English and my son

could not tell the bus driver that was not his babysitter. I got a call from the

police department saying that my lost son had been found. The only way they

connected me to my son was my name and number was written in his backpack. I was

at work and out to lunch so the police dept call my sons school to get another

contact number. I got back from lunch to several frantic phone messages on my

phone. I left work and got my son from the police dept. I had wanted to press

charges against the bus driver but since my son was found and not missing I

could not press any charges. Needless to say my child will not be riding a

school bus anymore.

I am not trying to make you worry more I am just letting you know that if your

son can talk like his peers make sure he is able to talk in any situation. If he

can not you will need to let others like his teachers, family and friends know.

Jan In Ca.

Re: [ ] Now I'm steamed!

Hi, -

Boy, can I relate to your bus story! When school started last fall, our

district had gone through a major reorganization and the buses were messed up

for the first couple of days of school. The very first day we were assured the

bus would take Josh from school to afterschool care at Easter Seals. At around

3:00, I was kidding with one of my co-workers that the it seemed the buses were

running OK since I hadn't gotten any call about Josh sitting at the office.

Well, 3:30 comes and my phone rings - Josh had gotten on the bus but it wasn't

scheduled to go to Easter Seals for the first week of school - he just rode

around for an hour on the bus, in the heat, until the driver realized he hadn't

gotten off and took him back to school - when I got to school I was livid (so

angry I cried all the way to school). His teacher was there and said he was

fine, they gave him some water to cool off and he was in the teacher's lounge

where the air conditioning was set up (the rest of the

school hadn't had it turned on yet!). I called that bus company and reemed

them out something fierce only to find out it was Easter Seals mistake for

telling parents the bus would deliver the kids (Josh wasn't the only kid - there

were three or four who rode around on their respective buses).

Good thing was that the schedule worked out within a day and everything was

fine after that. Hope your problem works out as easily as ours did but, I can

tell you, you're going to be angry about for awhile!

Sherry

Lane Wells <mommybizz@...> wrote:

I just can't belive this! Hope started school for the summer program today.

She's been getting her speech, occupational, and physical therapy since school

ended in May, but this month is the summer program for school and she's going

there now as well. Then she'll have a couple of weeks off in August until

regular school starts. Anyway I got the phone call from the bus company saying

they would be here at the house to pick her up between 7:30 and 7:45 this

morning. No problem right? Wrong! We waited and waited this morning, but no

one came. We saw a bus coming down the one section of our road, but never

turned to our house and went straight out. So at just after 8 am I got her and

Faith in the car to take Hope to school (for an 8:30 start) so she wouldn't miss

anything.

On the way home I stopped by the bus company office and talked to them about it.

They pulled the book and found Hope's name and the directions. The woman who

called me and wrote everything down only printed off the first part of the

directions. So the bus had gone to the bottom of our road and sat there. Hope

wasnt' there so they left. I gave them the full directions and let them know

she was at school. They said no problem and they'd get her home.

About 12:30 Hope's teacher called and made sure she was riding the bus home and

I wasnt' coming to pick her up. I told her no we worked it out with the bus

company so she's riding the bus home. She said ok, her bus isnt' here yet, but

we'll make sure she's on it. Just after 1pm the bus company calls me. They got

a call from the school that Hope was still at the school and they were sending

someone to pick her up and bring her home, and get directions to the house for a

third time.

and just now the school called to le me know that the bus ins't there yet, but

should be shortly. Her teacher had told me her bus number, which is the one the

bus company told them. But that number was wrong, so that's why she missed it.

They were going to put her on the bus with that number, and that bus was going

the opposite direction of our house. Luckily her bus isn't the only one that

got messed up, she she's not the only kid at the school. The secretary said

she's not upset or anything, they have her coloring while they wait for the bus

so she's happy.

She may not be upset, but mommy sure is. it's 18 miles from my house to this

school where the summer program is. Now this bus company can't get their things

straight when they know they're dealing with special needs kids?? If this is

how they run things now, how am I supposed to relax and send her on the bus 4

days a week this fall? Her TSS is starting this week here at home, but to go to

school we have to get separate approval later which includes her BEC going to

the school to observe her in class and talk to her teacher. So at least for the

first few weeks she wont have her TSS at school with her or able to ride the bus

with her. We think there is a loophole we can work through temporarily, but

we'll have to work that out with the TSS.

Can we say mommy has a migraine already today?? I swear if when she gets here

I see she's been crying, somone will be getting an earful. At the least.

Toni Wells

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~end of archives

=====

[Guest guest]

not sure if you read this -but here's another article I found on what

happened to your daughter. Apparently the bus driver is on " paid leave " (I

clicked to say I liked the article -probably good if we all do!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bainbridge Island Bus Driver Leaves 4-Year-Old on Bus for Hours

Published February 08, 2010 by:

DeVault

Bainbridge Island School District Puts Bus Driver on Paid Leave Pending

Investigation

A Bainbridge Island school bus driver left a 4-year-old on the bus for hours.

The Bainbridge Island bus was for Ordway Elementary, and the driver left a child

on the bus that was incapable of defending herself during the mistake. Now that

driver is on paid leave as another driver is being paid to do their job until an

investigation comes to an end. It is hard to fathom exactly how this child was

abandoned on the bus by the driver in question, especially when you look at all

of the facts.

The facts of this incident are that a driver for the Bainbridge Island School

District was driving a bus of three children for Ordway Elementary. One girl was

placed in a car seat (restrained) when she got on the bus and remained in that

seat for the duration of her ride on the bus. When the bus made its way to

Ordway Elementary, two students got off the bus, and then the driver returned

the bus to the depot, where they ate their lunch on the bus before the discovery

was made hours later that there was still a child on the bus.

With all of the facts in hand, it starts to make you question how something like

this could happen. The excuse that " things like this happen " is just too

ridiculous to receive credence, and adding to it the fact that the little

4-year-old girl was strapped in leads onlookers to believe that this is a moment

of gross negligence. The mother of this little girl is not happy at all (who

would be?) and has demanded that the driver be fired. Right now the driver is on

paid leave, as someone else is paid for doing their job.

The girl who was left on the bus suffers from speech apraxia, which keeps her

from speaking loud enough for some people to hear. After being placed in the

care of this driver, it seems pretty self-explanatory that the driver was then

responsible for her care. Something is seriously lacking here, and it's

unbelievable that something like this can still happen when bus drivers are

required to double-check their buses to make sure all the kids are off.

Apparently having three kids in their care was too much for this particular

driver though.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2679607/bainbridge_island_bus_driver_le\

aves.html?cat=9

=====

[Guest guest]

Thanks . It is one of the scariest scenarios we as parents could ever face.

The comment about the original article was what I thought too--that she was left

on the bus and when they found her, only drove back to the school and than drove

her home like nothing ever happened!! Now the driver is on paid leave?? Even

when this happened in the next school district over from me--its also my sisters

district- the driver who found the sleeping child called the parents as soon as

he was discovered at the bus garage! The AM driver and monitor who left him

there in the morning were fired the next day!

>

> not sure if you read this -but here's another article I found on what

happened to your daughter. Apparently the bus driver is on " paid leave " (I

clicked to say I liked the article -probably good if we all do!)

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well you also have to think about the weather. We've had so many cold fronts

across the US and I wonder what the temperature was in the bus as the poor

little thing sat there for hours and hours. I also wonder if Ava would need any

type of therapy from this incident. I don't get the paid leave either. It was

this person's JOB to make sure these (3!!) children were delivered safe to and

from the school. Wouldn't that be rule number one in the:

" how to be a bus driver for special needs children "

1. Don't leave any children in the bus when you get to the school.

I mean if you don't get fired for that -then what???? And what parents are

going to want to see that driver's face and put their child on the bus with that

person???? I mean come on!

=====

[Guest guest]

Found another article on this

Special needs student left on Washington school bus for hours

2010-02-09 04:18:00 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Personal

Injury)

A special needs girl was left on school bus.

Legal news for Washington personal injury attorneys. A special needs girl was

left on school bus for two hours.

Washington personal injury attorneys alert- A girl with speech apraxia was left

on the school bus in Bainbridge, WA.

Bainbridge Island, WA�A 4-year-old special needs student was left on a school

bus unattended for hours. The little girl, who has a speech apraxia, couldn't

talk loud enough to let anyone know she needed help on Thursday, February 4,

2010, as reported by KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

Ava, 4, was left alone crying and waiting for someone to come find her. The bus

that Ava was riding on, was on its way to Ordway Elementary with two other

students who got off the bus at the school. Ava was in a car seat and needed

help to get out, but was unable to

speak to ask for help. Ava was left on the bus for two hours without anyone

noticing that she was still stuck on the bus. The bus driver apparently drove

the bus to the bus barn, and ate her lunch on the bus just a few feet away from

Ava without even realizing the young girl was still there. The mother of Ava,

Rowe, is demanding that the bus driver be fired, and is calling the

incident gross negligence. Rowe apparently runs a home for adults with special

needs and is deeply disturbed by the incident. The school district is

investigating the incident. No word if the bus driver, who has been employed by

the school district for 14 years, has been reprimanded for the incident.

Legal News Reporter: Howley-Legal news for Washington personal injury

lawyers.

http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2010/02/09/special-student-left-washington-schoo\

l-bus-hours_201002093286.html

=====

[Guest guest]

What shocks me similar to what said below, is that depending on the

weather, a mistake like this could be fatal...  I live in Phoenix, AZ and we

hear way too many stories of parents accidentally leaving a small child/baby in

the car in the summer and them dying...  (or even people w/ pets in the car)

and they are arrested, face charges, etc...  Just having a child alone in a car

for ANY amount of time, will have the police at your door, even if the child is

" fine " .

 

And this driver basically did the same thing and it was her JOB to make sure

these children got to school safely and she's on PAID LEAVE?  Really!??!!? 

 

I think the school needs to realize what COULD have happened, and that the

driver just got " lucky " ...  And treat it that way.  Absolutely inexcusable.

 

Dana Wayne

From: kiddietalk <kiddietalk@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: Our Child was left on the school bus

Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 9:18 AM

 

Well you also have to think about the weather. We've had so many cold fronts

across the US and I wonder what the temperature was in the bus as the poor

little thing sat there for hours and hours. I also wonder if Ava would need any

type of therapy from this incident. I don't get the paid leave either. It was

this person's JOB to make sure these (3!!) children were delivered safe to and

from the school. Wouldn't that be rule number one in the:

" how to be a bus driver for special needs children "

1. Don't leave any children in the bus when you get to the school.

I mean if you don't get fired for that -then what???? And what parents are going

to want to see that driver's face and put their child on the bus with that

person???? I mean come on!

=====

[Guest guest]

Is there a way that we as parents can protect our children from this situation?

It terrifies me. Kate

>

>

> From: kiddietalk <kiddietalk@...>

> Subject: [ ] Re: Our Child was left on the school bus

>

> Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 9:18 AM

>

>

>  

>

>

>

> Well you also have to think about the weather. We've had so many cold fronts

across the US and I wonder what the temperature was in the bus as the poor

little thing sat there for hours and hours. I also wonder if Ava would need any

type of therapy from this incident. I don't get the paid leave either. It was

this person's JOB to make sure these (3!!) children were delivered safe to and

from the school. Wouldn't that be rule number one in the:

>

> " how to be a bus driver for special needs children "

> 1. Don't leave any children in the bus when you get to the school.

>

> I mean if you don't get fired for that -then what???? And what parents are

going to want to see that driver's face and put their child on the bus with that

person???? I mean come on!

>

> =====

>

[Guest guest]

" Is there a way that we as parents can protect our children from this situation?

It terrifies me. Kate "

Kate I think the first thing is speaking with the teachers to make sure that

they are taking attendance. If your child is bused everyday, and one day doesn't

show up, then those teachers need to call a parent. I also would speak to the

bus drivers & supvsr of the bus service to make sure that they are doing sweeps

before & after every route. Although most bus services have that policy, they

may be laxed on doing those sweeps every time. But obviously, it is a problem.

This particular bus driver only had to account for 3 children, yet still failed

to account that 3 got on, 3 got off. So in my opinion, every bus driver needs to

be walking down those aisles each & every time their route is over.

[Guest guest]

Did the parents call the police for investigation? The worst part is they drove

back to the school and than drove her home like nothing ever happened! Similar

situation has happened here to our friend's child, once the parent filed a

complain at the police, at least they were offered home therapy etc.

> >

> >

> > From: kiddietalk <kiddietalk@>

> > Subject: [ ] Re: Our Child was left on the school bus

> >

> > Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 9:18 AM

> >

> >

> >  

> >

> >

> >

> > Well you also have to think about the weather. We've had so many cold fronts

across the US and I wonder what the temperature was in the bus as the poor

little thing sat there for hours and hours. I also wonder if Ava would need any

type of therapy from this incident. I don't get the paid leave either. It was

this person's JOB to make sure these (3!!) children were delivered safe to and

from the school. Wouldn't that be rule number one in the:

> >

> > " how to be a bus driver for special needs children "

> > 1. Don't leave any children in the bus when you get to the school.

> >

> > I mean if you don't get fired for that -then what???? And what parents are

going to want to see that driver's face and put their child on the bus with that

person???? I mean come on!

> >

> > =====

> >