Autistic Boy Left on Bus in July Heat
July 10, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
It has been thoroughly hot and humid here on the East Coast: I usually get a panoramic view of the New York skyline as I near my exit ramp on the Pulaski Skyway on my way to work, but today a murky gray haze obscured any view of Manhattan. Yesterday was no better—-and yesterday an autistic boy was left on—locked in—-a schoolbus on Long Island: WNBC has a video with details.
The boy is all right—-but talk about a nightmare for all involved.
You know I thought that this kind of thing was an urban myth until I heard the very same tale from a pal of mine where her friend’s son [non-verbal] was left on the bus all day. Luckily [?] it was Winter in California. The school district instituted a new policy to stop that kind of disaster happening again.
BEst wishes
And I’ve heard of other cases—2 years ago in NJ and in the winter in Hartford, CT.
Constant head-counting going on in Charlie’s classroom, especially at that bus time—-
I rode the bus with a student the other day. Our bus drivers are now required to get up and do a visual check of each seat after they drop off the last student.
I’m glad that my district is being proactive — but it’s a shame that it has happened enough that it has to become a Policy, rather than common sense and good work habits.
It does seem like it should be a matter of common sense—-the boy in the news story was on the bus to go to a summer camp and, when he was father went to pick him up, the boy was not to be accounted for. Surely a counselor or some other person ought to have noted that he was missing then?
This is a huge concern at my house–my son likes to climb into the cars to play when I’m not looking. Living in Texas with 100+ degree heat, I worry about this all the time. I’ve tried to get him to understand that he must *never* get into the cars without a grown-up, but he still tries to from time-to-time. We have to lock all of our cars when in the garage to keep him out (it’s too hot for him to be in the garage, even).
I hate stories like this one… one of my worst fears…
I love reading after the Pulaski Skyway link; stuff I didn’t know, before.
I mind the time, when a little kid, when I got on the bus and just zoned out. The bus got to the end of the line, the driver noticed I was the only one still riding.
There was some weird stuff which happened after that which I thankfully don’t remember, but I did get put on a bus which took me back home.
Fortunately, I was able to tell the grownups my exact address.
And my students wonder why I’m so hyper-vigilant about head counts.
When my son was in preschool about fourteen years ago, he too was left on the bus.
He had fallen asleep on the way to school, and the sped. ed. aide who was taking kids off the bus missed him. But this school has a policy of personally calling the home (or work) number of the parents of kids who have unexcused absences. So after the initial panic, my son was found on the bus at the bus barn (which was not far from the school) and taken to school.
Fortunately, it was not too hot nor too cold… and it was all resolved fairly quickly. Mostly because of that school’s policy of checking up on absent kids (then it was a regular ed. school with 25% of its students in their communication disorder special ed. programs, which also included deaf and hard of hearing).
I’ve been reflecting on this—-Charlie has been known to doze off on the bus. But the aides at his school are scrupulous and he only takes the bus between home and school, and between school and home—-and if no Charlie were on ths bus…….another nightmare.
A couple of years later when my son was in kindergarten his bus to pick him up from school was very very late. There was a substitute driver who had gotten lost while doing the special ed. high school run (the high schools start and end earlier, so the same buses can be used for elementary).
I actually called the school to find out what was happening, and the less than helpful office clerk told me to call the bus dispatcher. As it turns out my son was sitting on the couch in the office right in front of her!!! I was livid when I found that out.
Fortunately my son did arrive home about two hours late… and some poor disabled high school student was still on that short bus (over three hours late!).
Before he started third grade I called an IEP meeting to get him on the regular bus with his little brother. I could have had his little brother ride the short bus, but I decided I needed to continue the mainstreaming not only in the classroom but in transportation.
As it turns out that clerk’s incompetence in other areas meant she was not there for very long. In a school with a great educational team, therapists and support… it only takes one idiot to ruin a parent’s day.
Justthisguy,
glad you liked to read about my mentioning the Skyway etc.—-it is 2 lanes both ways with no shoulder and high-speed and, yes, I have seen little yellow school buses on it: It would be a terrible place to get a flat tire, for sure.
But the view—on a non-hazey day—-is something if you are driving west towards NYC.
Ah, you mean East, right, Ma’am? I think New Jersey is to the West of New York City. Sorry to get all persnickety and autie-like on you.
my cousins 5 year autistic son was left, locked in a bus yeasterday afternoon for about three hours and when they found him they called his mother to come get him after it took 45 min to figure out who he was. she rushed him to the hospital and he was dehydrated and this morning he is afraid to go to school. what do they do?
Has she contacted the school authorities—in particular, her son’s case manager, teacher, administrators? Can she find out who is in charge of transportion; does the district use an outside provider?
She ought to keep track of any medical records from the hospital about him being dehydrated and it might be helpful for her, too, to write up a narrative of what happened and get all the facts down.
How is her son doing? Did he go to school?