Whenever possible a certified transit wheelchair should be used for school bus transportation. Rehabilitation therapists can help identify products that are certified by the manufacturer to meet this standard. A certified transit wheelchair is one that meets voluntary design and performance requirements for use as a seat bym their occupant when traveling in a motor vehicle. Most wheelchairs have not been developed as certified transit devices and are not currently subjected to any crash-testing requirements. Wheelchairs are the primary mode of transport on the school bus for many children with special needs. 1 National recommended standards for special education school buses were revised in May 1995 by the Twelfth National Standards Conference on School Transportation. However, a 1994 amendment to FMVSS 222 applied to the securement of wheelchairs and their occupants in school buses. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations (FMVSS) 222 (School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection) established safety requirements for school bus interiors, but it applied only to able-bodied children. Although the provider could vary from state to state, it is often the responsibility of the school systems to provide these related services to infants and toddlers. It also requires that infants and toddlers (birth to 3 years of age) have access to these same services however, it does not specify how these children are to be transported to these services if they are to be conducted outside of the child's natural home or school environment. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act 1997 (Public Law 105-17) has established requirements for preschool children ages 3 to 5 to have access to related services (i.e., audiology and occupational therapy). Many preschool-aged and school-aged children with special needs are transported in school buses. Pediatricians can also play an important role at the state and local level in the development of school bus specifications. Pediatricians can help their patients by being aware of guidelines for restraint systems for children with special needs and by remaining informed of new resources. Research provides the basis for recommendations concerning occupant securement for children in wheelchairs and children with other special needs who are transported on a school bus. Guidelines that apply to general school transportation should be followed, including the training of staff, provision of nurses or aides if needed, establishment of a written emergency evacuation plan, and a comprehensive infection control program. This statement provides current guidelines for the protection of child passengers with specific health care needs, including those with a tracheostomy, those requiring use of car seats, or those transported in wheelchairs.
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, and a plan should be developed to provide the most current and proper support to children with special transportation requirements. Program directors and transportation personnel can refer to this article for recommendations to consider when developing plans to provide the most current and proper support to children with special transportation requirements. Local child care programs and school systems that provide transportation services are responsible for ensuring that children with special needs are safely transported on all forms of federally approved transportation.
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