Specialized Student TRANSPORTATION Throughout Cuyahoga

Did you know?

Many preschool and school-aged children with special health care needs are transported in school buses. These children have the same need for safe transportation as all children. According to the US Department of Education, approximately 14% of all students have some disability.

School systems are responsible for ensuring that children with special needs are safely transported on all forms of federally approved transportation provided by the school system. A plan to provide the most current and proper support to children with special transportation needs should be developed by the Individualized Education Program team, including the parent, school transportation director, and school nurse, in conjunction with physician orders and recommendations.

At Beachwood Transportation, we offer peace of mind to parents, teachers, and administrators.

Specialized Transportation Services for Handicapped Children

Beachwood Transportation provides specialized transportation to students whose Individual Education Programs (IEPs) recommends our assisted transportation service or students with disabilities and cannot utilize public transportation. Instead of being picked up at a centralized stop, with specialized transportation, students are picked up at the closest, safest stop to their residence.

makes student transportation safer and more comfortable with modern vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art GPS tracking and camera technology. Allow our well-maintained ADA compliant buses and trained driving staff deliver a safe and reliable travel experience to your students.

We provide student transportation service throughout Cuyahoga and surrounding counties and offer peace of mind to parents, teachers, and administrator. Students are traveling in safe and well-maintained vehicles and drivers are well trained, credentialed, undergone background checks, and experienced in working with students with mobility issues.

Beachwood Transportation continues to serve students throughout Cuyahoga County and beyond.

When is specialized transportation provided for students?

Most students with IEPs travel to and from school in the same manner as students without IEPs. An IEP team may recommend specialized transportation for children whose documented needs affect their ability to travel to or from school. These needs can be:

Emotional
Behavioral
Cognitive or communication
Physical or medical

Some children may also require additional transportation accommodations to travel safely to and from school. These can include:

1:1 transportation paraprofessionals
Medical/nursing services
Travel time limitations
Climate control
Safety vests
Car seats

How do I request specialized transportation services?

Your child’s school-based IEP team will address transportation needs as part of the Initial and Annual Review process of your child’s IEP. Please discuss any transportation related concerns with your child’s IEP team. The IEP team will provide you with any necessary paperwork to complete as part of the review process, including:

Authorization for Release of Medical Information Pursuant to HIPAA: This is completed and signed by you.

Request for Medical Accommodations: This is completed and signed by your child’s doctor. It must explain the need for door-to-door busing and any other medical accommodations your child may need.

If you would like the IEP team to consider additional medical documentation, you should provide it as far in advance of the IEP meeting as possible.

A physician representing the school district may review your request for specialized transportation accommodations and may participate in your child's IEP meeting for the portion of the meeting in which transportation is discussed.

Established in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the right for children with qualifying disabilities from birth to 21 years of age to a “free and appropriate public education.” As needed, these students are entitled to school-provided transportation as a “related service” to access school and health services.

Special transportation considerations are required for children with many different conditions. Children with respiratory problems, tracheostomies, thermoregulatory difficulty, seizures, and feeding tubes all require special thought and planning for transportation. Additionally, children with neuromuscular problems in which sitting posture is affected and children with developmental, behavioral, and cognitive problems require special resources to ensure safety during transportation.

Wheelchairs Used in Vehicle Transport

Using a child safety restraint systems (CSRS) on a bench seat provides the best protection in a crash and should be selected for every child who can be transferred out of a wheelchair for travel. However, for children who must remain in a wheelchair for travel, using a system that meets the voluntary industry standards of the American National Standards Institute and Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America greatly enhances safety. A certified transit-ready wheelchair system is one that meets these voluntary design and performance requirements for use as a seat by its occupant when traveling in a motor vehicle.

The safe transportation of students seated in CSRSs or wheelchairs on school buses requires planning, selection, and procedures developed by a team of transportation professionals, including occupational and physical therapists and a child passenger safety technician with the specialized training to apply the safety principles of these devices.

Because there is no certification or standard for training of student drivers and attendants, Beachwood Transportation utilizes an internal Driver-in-Training program requiring new drivers to work and serve directly under senior drivers and Directors until proper competence, understanding, and job-related skill have been demonstrated.

Any time a child’s special need affects transportation, representatives of school and their transportation services should be included in the meeting to help develop the transportation plan.

The safe transportation of students seated in CSRSs or wheelchairs on school buses requires planning, selection, and procedures developed in collaboration with the parent, the transportation provider, and possibly occupational and physical therapists, and school nurses to ensure the appropriate devices are selected, installed, and used properly.

On-bus personnel should be apprised of aspects of a child’s medical condition and potential medical emergencies that are relevant to the child’s safety while in transport. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act authorizes such information to be shared with school officials as well as the transportation provider, aides, and substitutes.

Beachwood drivers participate in student transportation training programs to ensure that they can provide the most current and proper services to students with special needs.

Contact Beachwood to Learn More