Page 53 - School Bus Operators and Attendants Handbook

suspended from the bus for a specific number of days in a school year. Transportation may still be
required for a suspended or expelled student in order to attend another school program if it is
stated in the IEP.

A special needs student is one who requires specialized education and/or services. This includes students
who are disabled and might receive Exceptional Student Education (ESE) or “504” services. Some special
needs students attend alternative education programs, juvenile justice programs, teen parent programs,
and/or pre-school aged programs, just to name a few.

Transportation is considered a special or related service for many students in these programs. However,
they do not always need a special bus to get them to their program. Many of them ride on regular school
buses, Palm Tran buses, TRI-RAIL, walk, ride a bike, or are brought to school by their parents just like any
other student.

Occasionally, all students on a bus may be identified as Exceptional Education students. They might have
physical, mental, emotional, social, or sensory needs that require a more specialized bus environment or
additional adult assistance and supervision.

 Many special buses have a wheelchair lift and a place for wheelchairs to be secured. Often the
windows are more darkly tinted, and the bus may be air-conditioned to accommodate student
needs.
 Parents, school, and district personnel (and sometimes transportation) meet to decide what
types of transportation services a student may need. A “Transportation Request for Special Needs
Student” form (PBSD # 1848) is completed and sent to the Transportation Department.

Sensitivity to Students with Disabilities

Students can have one or many disabilities and special needs. These can be classified under
general categories such as cognitive or intellectual, sensory, social, emotional, health, or physical
disabilities or impairments. This section will help drivers and attendants understand how to talk to
students and manage their behaviors.

What Causes Disability?

Disabilities can be the result of an event that occurred before a person is born, during the birth
process, or may result later because of an accident, physical/emotional abuse, drug use, or trauma
at any time in a person’s life. Science is making people aware more and more of severely and
profoundly disabled students in the educational system because of increased scientific knowledge.

Labeling Individuals and What Not to Say – People First Language

Disability labels focus on what individuals cannot do rather than the person’s abilities. PEOPLE
FIRST LANGUAGE looks at the individual before the disability. A disability is something that an
individual has, not what an individual is.

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Students with Special Needs