Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

I want to preface this by saying, I hope I am over reacting, cause this darn school is making me look and feel crazy yet again.

Bus pulls up this morning, about 10 min's late. Turns around, was going wrong way, I notice its a new driver, think ok his driver has the day off.

I get him on the bus and he doesnt want to go when he notices the aide is diff. too.

For anyone who has not read my previous posts, he has a HUGE HUGE transitional issue and problem with change. It took me two FREAKING months to get him to go on the bus in Sept w/o a meltdown.

So I say oh so and so is off, she says No I am the the driver now. And thats it. No hi, my name is such and such...nothing. Noah now has a hold of my neck, is sobbing and shaking saying Im scared over and over. I tell them he is afraid of change. Nothing, no talking nice, trying to calm him, NOTHING.

So finally I said Noah , lets ask their names. So they tell me, they dont tell HIM, dont say HI Noah, nice to meet you, dont worry we'll all be ok. NOTHING.

So now I finally get him in the seat and he calms down a bit, I am telling him it will be ok, blah blah and they leave.

AM I wrong to think that a bus with special needs kids requires SOME better level of understanding?

So now I am in tears cause of his fear and the thought of 2 months of meltdowns ...and I call the schools social worker, and leave her a message, saying why would they not prepare us for a new driver ? Its a BIG change IMO. They have my 4 yr old special needs child on their bus and drive them and no one cares to tell me who the heck they are? he is 4 yrs old.

So the Social worker calls me back and is SOOOOO condescending on the phone. She says I checked on him, he is absolutly fine, he was fine coming off the bus etc. I said I know this, I knew he would be once he got there, but were gonna have major issues for a while getting him comfortable with the new drivers, why did no one tell me so I could have prepared him? She said they dont do that and I was "asking a lot" of the bus company. She was really almost rude...so I did the mature thing..and hung up on her

I have no more patience for them, I know it was super immature, but I was ready to cry. I just said, I am sick of everyone acting like I am nuts when I tell you the troubles I am having and everyone, EVERYONE , there telling me it is normal. Thanks for calling me back..and I hung up.

I called the bus comapny, explained to the guy how its rough with kids to not know, plus as a PARENT, I want to know whose hands I'm trusting my son's life with as he is being driven.

So I will deal with it on this end..

But I would love to know if I'm really over-reacting bad or if those reading this...what would your district/school/bus do?

Do you find the bus welcoming or a bit stressful of an envirnoment?

thanks for reading, I know it is long.

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

I don't think you are over-reacting, but unfortunately, I don't think your experience is unusual.

We had a WONDERFUL driver last year. She would greet DS every morning, and as the matron belted him in, she would leave the door open and talk to me, which I think helped him settle down and get on the bus. At the beginning of this year, DS fought getting on the bus, I think it is really just because he was mad that he had a new driver. The driver this year is fine, but not as friendly and shuts the door as soon as DS is on the bus, not chatty or anything.

We haven't had changes in the driver, but sometimes, if the matron is out sick, he balks at getting on with someone new. Someone I know has had a change in drivers a couple of times since school started, no notice. Like I said before, I don't think it is unusual for this to happen. However, the school is not seeing the scene you see when you put them on. I know my DS is fine once they are pulling away from the house. That doesn't make it easier to get him actually ON the bus when he is hitting me (or like this morning, kicking me) because he is fighting getting on.

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

sometimes they are out sick. In the beginning of the year we had a change in drivers. I wasnt notified. I really liked her, but my son didnt mind at all he is just happy when the bus comes.

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

So far, our bus driver has been there every day. I don't have problems with him--he's friendly and really cheered my DS on when he started walking on the bus by himself. DS likes him.

His matron at the beginning of the school year was awful--I complained about her a number of times and finally got a new matron. She not only didn't speak, she also wouldn't buckle him in or walk him on the bus. The new matron I've noticed stays on the bus now that it's cold, but she buckles him in, she's friendly enough, though a little quiet. But that's fine, I just wanted someone to say hi to DS, so I get why you don't care for your driver.

Is the matron at least pleasant? I would say something if you think the driver can do some simple things (liek say hi) that might help you along.

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

I understand!

The school has NOTHING to do with this though.

The bus company or SERVICE AIR should have called you. The school is not in charge of the bus driver nore does it has any weight in their decision to change both driver and matron.

You need to talk to the bus company on WHY you were not informed of the new driver.

1/ safety issue. You don't know who those people are at all and how are you to assume they are even hired by the bus company.

2/ It's a courtesy so you have time to prepare your kid.

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

Its not a one day change, it is a permanent change. Thats the only reason I was upset ( although maybe I am overreacting)

If someones out on vacation, sick etc I dont care, I expect that.

But they completly changed drivers for the rest of the yr and the matron as well.

No-one said they would be changing drivers/routes.

Thats why I expected a "hello my name is.." ( on a one day , or two day driver on vacation etc, I dont care ) .

I wanted to know who was driving him for the rest of the year and I guess I thought that they would remember the issues we had at the beginning of the yr with him. But that was defintly my mistake and I dont blame them for that.

I just thought perhaps it was standard protocol when you change a route, a bus driver and a matron to let the parent know when its a 3-4 yr old special needs bus. They didnt even know Noah's name. I just find it dangerous. My kid gets non verbal when he is scared and has an anxiety issue...if something happened, they wouldnt even know his name? And I wouldnt know theirs? KWIM?

I am over it, I was just curious if other areas did it different, but I think maybe no -one has had a driver be changed mid year?

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)

Re: Change in Bus driver-are you notified? ( long...sorry)