School transport

[Siadwell]

Sorry for the topic description, but that's how we feel at the moment. Our son was on school transport before the holidays and travelled in the front, as he doesn't like bieng in the back. ( bieng touched, people brushing past him etc.) Today he had a different bus, as the last bus there was a bit of a to do with the escort, she was shouting at him , and we complained (how dare we), anyway bus turns up and he's put..... in the back because they don't want to upset the routine of the other children. We specifically said to the office that he needed a place up front, and also on the emergency contact form that he gets physically and verbally aggresive when he does get touched. When he returned home the escort said he was fine very quiet (not ours) and sat right at the back with his coat zipped right up to the top! Just wondered if anyone has had this problem, or if there is something we could do as when he came home the meltdown gradually began (still going)...

[CEJesson]

Sorry for the topic description, but that's how we feel at the moment. Our son was on school transport before the holidays and travelled in the front, as he doesn't like bieng in the back. ( bieng touched, people brushing past him etc.) Today he had a different bus, as the last bus there was a bit of a to do with the escort, she was shouting at him , and we complained (how dare we), anyway bus turns up and he's put..... in the back because they don't want to upset the routine of the other children. We specifically said to the office that he needed a place up front, and also on the emergency contact form that he gets physically and verbally aggresive when he does get touched. When he returned home the escort said he was fine very quiet (not ours) and sat right at the back with his coat zipped right up to the top! Just wondered if anyone has had this problem, or if there is something we could do as when he came home the meltdown gradually began (still going)...

 

Having been bullied on the bus very frequently as a young teenager, I had my preferences of sitting at the front on the bottom deck. Being a double decker with no cameras or bus person/escort it was hard to monitor what was going on. I would get very tetchy and aggressive if people touched me or spoke into my ears etc, but I made sure I was as near to the driver as possible. Coat zipped up to the top sounds familiar, it acts as a barrier against the evil outside. I'd say that if there is a specific teacher rather than escort that you can talk to, then try and get an appointment to push for more stringent rules to be enforced on school buses. It shouldn't be about upsetting the routine of other children, when AS sufferers are most unsettled when their routines are broken and changes are not appreciated!

 

If he was quiet on the 'new' bus then I give credit to him for managing the journey well, but I hope the escort was not telling white lies.

[Clare63]

My lad used the bus for about 6 weeks but could not cope with all the nosie and bustle. Other kids used to block his way when he tried to get off just to see him panic.

Clare x

[Annea]

My daughter has never used the school bus as I knew she would never cope.....

 

She is hypersensitive to noise and can't bear to be touched, she is also prone to bullying.

 

I applied for an LEA funded taxi, They tried everything to deny it to me, but finally I won my case with the help of a friendly letter from her paediatrician. She has had the bus for 2 yrs now and I know a review is coming up but I will not give in.

 

I knwo a few adult asperger sufferers who have never travelled on public transport as it is too stressful. Why make these children suffer more than they should just to save a few coppers....

 

I say go to the LEA and ask your paed to back you in the quest for a taxi for safety reasons.

 

I know I will have to fight the review each year, but they are not having the taxi off me!!!!!!

 

Anne