In Leavenworth, Kansas an autistic boy was left locked on a hot school bus for hours after the other students were dropped off at their elementary school on Monday. The KCTV5.com story indicates that there were 2 adult supervisors on the bus. The Leavenworth School District supervisor didn't answer questions about procedures for checking buses.
I think I can, all the way up here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, answer the KCTC5 news team questions on that one. There either are no procedures for checking the school buses in the Leavenworth School District or they exist only on paper. It is beyond comprehension that an autistic child could have been left on that locked bus by any competent, conscious and conscientious adult. The article indicates that the bus company employees were at work the NEXT day on a different route.
With the wonders of the internet you never know who will read your blog. If the 2 "supervisors" on that bus ever Stumble Upon, Digg, Google, or otherwise come across this comment I have some words of advice for them:
Find a different line of work. One where vulnerable children are not entrusted to your care.
If that is too harsh for you, if you continue your employment as supervisors then - SUPERVISE, earn your pay checks, fulfill your responsibilities.
I agree completely - these people are in the wrong line of work. If they cared enough about the children they supervise and work with, this incident wouldn't have happened. I have a 7 year old autistic son and there is no way he would even be able to let himself out of the school. He just wouldn't know how to. He is non-verbal.. just imagine the same situation but with my son. Also imagine a 'not so friendly' person took the child into their car? I'd make damned sure a few people lost their jobs after such an incident. Someone has to set an example here. It really upsets me to think of a similar situation occurring with my own child.. I worry ever single day he leaves home to be taken to school via a bus.
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