Gotcha! Not one of my kids. Another student. Read on to find out why.
An important day in history is happening on Monday. One of my students, yes - an "ASD student," is going to travel to school on..... a BIG BUS!
His parents pushed the school district for their son to be allowed to join his peers on the regular school bus. He lives less than 2 miles from the school, yet spends 30 minutes on a special ed bus every morning. His brother doesn't leave the house until 30 minutes after him!
So, after many conferences, notes, letters, confrontations, and requests, they are getting what they want. (I am so happy). The school district was not exactly supportive of this change. They continued to say, "Part of the ASD program includes ASD transportation on the special ed bus." They have a hard time thinking outside the box. Sometimes I think they might be ASD students themselves (ASD student = ASD bus = ASD program, NOTHING DIFFERENT). This is a kid who is probably my highest functioning and is very socially aware. He is capable of walking from the bus into my classroom each morning. His parents asked me in the parent conference if I thought he was capable. I said yes. Apparently, that got me into trouble, because they used that in their plea bargaining to get the regular transportation (i.e. "Mrs. Smith told us he was capable.") I got caught in the middle of it all, because I speak the truth and advocate for my kids. I brushed it off because I knew it was for a good cause. I continued to tell them that I would meet him at the regular bus in the beginning, that he could come to my classroom early (before the bell), etc. They just don't think he can do it.
They have this vision in their heads that he's going to get off the bus and not know where to go. They might be forgetting that this is a kid with autism who, more than most kids at the school, is very capable of following the same routine each day. I've told them he'll be fine. I've told them that even if he does wander in the wrong direction, he'd eventually find my room. This is life that we're living here. There won't always be a special ed bus. This is a total breakthrough for my program: to know that the kids are capable of riding on the regular ed bus. The sad thing is, it will only happen if the parents push for it.
Well, apparently one of the "typical" (what is typical anyway?) kids on the regular ed bus heard that my little boy was starting on Monday. He told my student's brother that he was, "Going to beat up his dorky brother on the bus on Monday." Brother promptly told the assistant principal and said student is suspended for three days for making threats and bullying. Booyah.
Here's to successful trips on the big bus. Not only do we achieve success daily in the classroom, but now we've moved out to the real world: the big bus. I'll keep you posted.
