Learning Life Skills on the School Bus Identification and teaching of generalizable transportation...
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Transcript of Learning Life Skills on the School Bus Identification and teaching of generalizable transportation...
Learning Life Skills on the School Bus
Identification and teaching of generalizable transportation skills
1
Meet Your GuidesMeet Your Guides
Moderator ? – Ryan Gray, STN
Ted Finlayson-Schueler, Safety Rules!
Clarkstown CSD• Jodi Caliciotti,
Special Ed Teacher• Carla Zambri,
School Psychologist • Barbara McCabe,
Special Ed Teacher
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Today’s Goals
At the conclusion of this presentation, you will have an understanding of:•Travel Training within the context of IDEA, FAPE, LRE, Related Services and Transition Planning•The difference between IDEA and ADA•Broad travel training concepts and school bus corollaries•Specific potentially transferable travel skills•Feasibility and Risk with this population•Necessary, resources, processes and support
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Definitions
• IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
• FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)
• LRE -- LR(s)E (Least Restrictive (safe) Environment)
• Related Services• Transition Planning• Travel Training• ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
• Fixed Route• Paratransit• Kneeling bus
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Travel Training
Providing instruction, as appropriate, to children with significant cognitive disabilities, and any other children with disabilities who require this instruction, to enable them to develop an awareness of the environment in which they live and learn the skills necessary
to move effectively from place to place within that environment, as for example in school, in the home, and in the community.
– 34 C.F.R. 300.26(b)(4)5
Adult (ADA)
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Student (IDEA)
• IDEA – school (0-21) specific travel
• IDEA – specialized services
• Known riders• User-specific staff,
vehicle & training• School assesses risk• Traffic control• Maintain custody
• ADA – exempts school buses
• ADA – equal opportunity• General public• Operate lift, secure
wheelchair & announce stops
• User assesses risk• No traffic control• No custody
The basic process of transporting a group of passengers has many
similarities
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The environments have very different parameters, so
how can one prepare riders for the other?
Driving Principles
• Safety• LR(s)E• Teach self-
advocacy• Team focused• Baby steps
Traditional Travel Training: Short-term, comprehensive, intensive instruction (2-6 wk)
School Bus Travel Training: Long-term, incremental instruction focused on individual skills that can be generalized to the transit environment (ages 3-21 or about 7,000 bus stops)
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ESPA* Core Travel Skills
Background Skills• Intellectual• Physical• Wayfinding• Pedestrian• Safety
Technical skills• Boarding the
vehicle• Riding the
vehicle• De-boarding
the vehicle
*Easter Seals Project Action9
NCST* Student Instruction Content
• Travel to and from bus stops• Loading and unloading procedures• Behavior at bus stops• Behavior on board vehicles• Use of applicable passenger
restraints and other safety items identified by transportation safety experts.
*National Congress on School Transportation10
Transit School Bus
Background Skills• Intellectual• Physical• Wayfinding• Pedestrian• Safety Technical skills• Boarding the vehicle• Riding the vehicle• De-boarding the vehicle
Student Training Skills• Travel to and from bus stops• Loading and unloading
procedures• Behavior at bus stops• Behavior on board vehicles• Use of restraints and safety
items
Different…or not?
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Which school bus will most likely provide
that instruction?
Why?Who needs it?
Everybody!
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Range of Services
1. Walk to school3. School bus5. Ambulance
Group stop …. Unsupervised ….Get on alone ....
Sit in seat ….Wheelchair (WC) ….
No medical ….Behavior OK ….
2. Transit bus4. Lift/Special S.B. 6. Parent contract
Special stopSupervisionAssisted loadingSeat w/CSRS*Custom WC equipMedical proceduresBehavior plan
*Child Safety Restraint System
Barriers
• Poor communication between Special Education and Transportation
• Team members unwilling to participate• “Special education bus” mentality• Low expectations of students• High turnover – inadequate driver/
attendant training – frequent absenteeism
• Over-protectiveness of students w/disabilities
• Lack of transportation goal-setting 14
Everything builds confidence
Teach and Praise• Be waiting at stop• Walk up the stairs• Get in seat• Put on seat belt• Hold buckle while you
fasten seat belt or carseat straps
• Maneuver WC inside bus
• Tell you which way to turn
• Announce next stop
• Sitting for 5 minutes or 30 seconds
• Using appropriate voice
• Calming down15
School Bus Simulation
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SKILL -- Communication
• Talk to students – even if you have to have both sides of the conversation
• Ask questions• Have them ask questions – don’t
guess• Encourage/allow conversations with
other students• Help students learn conversation
clues
*Easter Seals Project Action
Transit Skill*
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SKILL -- Locating the stop or station
Transition from door-to-door• Walk, wheel, drive final feet
to bus – parent fades• Move stop incrementally
from front of house• Create group stop at house• Move to group stop• Create a “bus stop” sign to
identify stop
*Easter Seals Project Action
School Bus SimulationTransit Skill*
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SKILL -- Identifying the correct vehicle
• While waiting, the parent can ask, “Is that your bus?” every time a bus passes
• At school, student can learn to find/identify bus with route number or symbol displayed
• At school, follow the same fading home procedure for getting from classroom to bus
*Easter Seals Project Action
School Bus SimulationTransit Skill*
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SKILL -- Paying the Fare
• Create bus “passes” that the student needs to give to the driver
• Give pass to student immediately before boarding – fade to a book of ten tickets for the week
• Have driver give student “transfer” in the morning for PM trip home
*Easter Seals Project Action
School Bus SimulationTransit Skill*
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SKILL -- Identifying Landmarks and Bus Stops
• Teach them landmarks/street names• Teach them the route• Have them describe their location and
plans for travel• Give them a map of the bus route
each day and they can mark progress• Have them write the time they pass
landmarks, major streets, etc.• Have them “signal” the driver when
their stop is approaching (buzzer)
*Easter Seals Project Action
School Bus SimulationTransit Skill*
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SKILL -- Finding a seat
• Begin with helping child to assigned seat• Create marker to identify child’s seat• Allow child to find seat• Encourage helping with CSRS• Practice fading as established by
transportation goals• Establish a “safety signal” so child can
communicate dis-ease
*Easter Seals Project Action
School Bus SimulationTransit Skill*
Attendant Fading
ATTChild
Driver
ATTChild
Driver
ATT Child
Driver
ATT
Child
Driver
Child
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SKILL -- Following the Rules
• Start with one rule• Start with concrete rules• Explain reasons• Identify natural
consequences• Encourage small
accomplishments
*Easter Seals Project Action
School Bus SimulationTransit Skill*
Praiseworthy
He got it half right!
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Travel Training
Key Principles*• Individualized instruction• Training in real environment• Structured sequential Learning
Steps• Emphasis on the whole person• Collaboration of trainee/trainer
* Kennedy Center Report25
Implementation Needs
• Stable, well-trained bus staff• Commitment to LR(s)E• Transportation involvement in IEP goal
setting• Transportation is a part of BIPs• PT and OT coordinate with transportation
in skill development• Qualified Travel Instructor is a part of the
identification of transferable skills
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Necessary Process
• Appoint a Task Force• Develop Policies and
Procedures/Forms• Perform Task Analyses• Create Progressive Goals• Design Assessment Measures• Create Staff Training• Establish an ongoing Travel
Training Committee27
Let’s work together…
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For our students’ future
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