THE HEART IN
ANNUAL TSD CONFERENCE UNITES SPECIAL-EDUCATION TRANSPORTERS FOR WEEKLONG INTENSIVE TRAINING IN TEXAS
WRITTEN BY RYAN GRAY & SYLVIA ARROYO
justed” student might fit within this definition. He then discussed the concept of applying a “school-wide approach” that addresses challeng- ing behaviors in a “collaborative, comprehensive, research-validated and humane way” that can prevent problems before they happen. Te emotional status of these students can be exacerbated by how educators and transporters negatively reinforce punishment, which might reduce anxiety on the adult’s part, but adds stress and anxiety to the emotionally disturbed student. He said more students with emotional disabilities drop out of school than their disabled and non-disabled peers — 48 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 compared to 30 percent of disabled students and 24 percent of all students. Roadeo teams as well as regu-
lar conference attendees sat in on a March 10 general session that tackled the issue of seclusion and restraint of special-needs students on the bus. Burns elaborated on where school transportation fits into the discussion. She said possible federal legislation and regulation in the works could have unintended consequences on the bus, essentially removing a sometimes-necessary behavior strategy used by educators and student transporters. It also could lead to possibly removing more students with disabilities from public
school settings and school vehicles. Seclusion and restraint must also not be confused with child safety restraints systems (CSRS) necessary for transport per the IEP. Fellow ten- ured faculty members Sue Shutrump, occupational therapy supervisor for the Trumbull County Educational Service Center in Ohio, and Cheryl Wolf, a special-needs transpor- tation consultant from Indiana, joined Burns to discuss procedural safeguards when using CSRS with students with special needs. Tey stressed the importance of other op- tions before going with a CSRS, such as trying less-restrictive supports first, assuring the same amount of support for the student in the bus en- vironment as in other school settings, and documenting all the proactive steps transportation employees took that led them to use a CSRS. A March 11 general session ad-
dressed transportation’s contribution to special education and how to devel- op a comprehensive travel-education curriculum to successfully transition students with special needs to public transportation as adults. Additionally, attendees learned how implementing such a program could help reduce overall expenses in the process. Both transportation and travel
education are services IEP teams should consider planning for a child’s postsecondary transition needs. In implementing a travel training pro-
Rebecca Rocha, the state director at the Texas Department of Safety, welcomed attendees during a March 10 general session.
gram for students at a young age, it also could help transportation move away from curbside pickups and drop offs, which may cost extra money, time and manpower. Moving away from curbside service can help reduce costs while, at the same time, helping these students transition into regu- lar-ed buses. Some may believe the Individ- uals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires students with special needs to travel in separate vehicles, isolated from their peers, but that’s not the case. According to Part B regulations, many chil- dren with disabilities can receive the same transportation provided to non-disabled children, but it must be consistent with the least restrictive environment (LRE) requirements stated in IDEA. æ
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