Mother upset after autistic son left on school bus unnoticed
SALEM, Ore. - An 8-year-old special needs student was left on a school bus undetected Monday and his mother said she wasn't properly notified.
The Salem-Keizer Public Schools did call Brittni Donnelly but with a recorded message so she didn't initially have any details about what happened. According to the district, the bus driver did make a mistake and it is making sure the rules are followed. But Donnelly said that's not enough.
Donnelly placed her autistic son, Braeden, on the bus herself and even buckled him in. So she was surprised when she got an automated call from the school.
"My heart just dropped, because I knew he was placed on the bus, and then you get a call saying your student is absent – you're like, OK," Donnelly said.
She said she had to call the school and transportation to find out what happened.
"He fell asleep on the bus. They didn't realize it until the bus driver got back to the lot and he did his routine of checking the bus and that's when he found him sleeping," Donnelly said.
A school district spokesman said when the bus pulled up to Harritt Elementary School some adults got on and helped the kids off the bus. But the bus driver didn't clear the bus, which is typical protocol.
The driver left the school then went back to the bus barn. When the bus arrives the driver is supposed to clear the bus there too, according to the district. When that happened Braeden was finally found and brought back to school.
"I find it hard to believe that he was overlooked," Donnelly said upset, especially since her son can't explain what happened. She said she wants stricter policies.
"I'm relieved he's OK," she said. "I'm very disappointed in communication, the procedures that were taken, and I think this can be prevented."
According to the district, it is reminding all of its drivers about the protocols: to clear the bus at the school and then again at the bus barn.
There's no word on what disciplinary action could be, if any, taken against the bus driver.
I took the time to read the story's every comment to this point. Of the over thousand reports and the many thousands of comments I've read in the press across our nation over the years concerning this issue, none, not one thread, exceeded empathy toward the child and also the civility toward the bus driver/monitor involved, as what I read following the story here. Good for Oregon!
From the story: "I find it hard to believe that he was overlooked," Donnelly said upset, especially since her son can't explain what happened. She said she wants stricter policies. << >>
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What is hard to believe? Usually some sort of distraction can cause the driver to miss a child sleeping in the safety of the school bus. This event happens some 5,000 times each year in our country, often involving two or more adults on the bus - very rare an injury involved, and no deaths for some two decades (as far back as I researched.) When the law in some states was changed to place infants rear-facing in the back seat of parents vehicles the death rate of children forgotten in hot cars escalated 800-percent. One child to keep track of? Although a school bus driver with a good record does not deserve to be terminated, good cause does not exist, suspension without pay is a suitable response. Far better is to accept the science involved and install an inexpensive child check device, now standard on new production school buses. The device helps protect both the child and the bus driver from this storyâs procedural error. More about this issue by performing a Google search: The vicious circle of children left sleeping in hot cars and school buses
Well earlier i comment out of heated action...i still strongly feel some of you have gone to far using the word Retarded...these Challenged Children deserve any and everything anyone else does. Sometimes more if needed and if you cant handle that then just dont say anything out them cause they are caring kind hearted and loving. If you had a child that was Autistic you would understand how this mother and why this mother feels the way she does on all of this. It could have been much much worse and i do want to apologize for the earlier commented post :-) just think about some things people. If you were in this position how would you feel/respond? If you had 1 or more autistic children how would it affect you and your feelings on this differently? Alot of changes would happen thats for sure. So please learn Autism and the Children/Grown ups with it please it will help us all.
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Retarded may be a medical term for some mental conditions. The terms mental retardation and mentally retarded were invented in the middle of the 20th century to replace the previous set of terms, which were deemed to have become offensive. Political correctness does not change the child's condition, but only makes vaguer a reality that ought not to offend when spoken with the correct intent. Regardless, I understand your thought, the word can be misused like so many words, may not even apply to the autistic. As for me when some school bus industry expert calls children 'precious cargo' it raises the hairs on the back of my neck. Kids are not packages, they are precious lives, including the retarded, or the otherwise challenged, and the gifted. As far as leaving kids sleeping safely on an actual school bus, more about that issue by performing a Google search: The vicious circle of children left sleeping in hot cars and school buses
The bus was a small 24 setter bus with only 8 children on the bus so how could they over look my nephew. The bus driver saw my nephew go on the bus and my sister buckle him up so why would he just forget a child when he only had 8 children on the bus. AND FOR THE HATERS COMMENTING ABOUT MY SISTER OR MY NEPHEW YOU ARE IGNORANT!! My nephew is Autistic and he is so smart how dare you call him retarded shame on you!!!!!!!! This was a very scary thing that happened to my sister and my brother inlaw. My nephew is their world and the bus driver didn't follow protocol at the school and then my nephew was on the bus for over an hour after this makes you wonder what happened in the 1 hr that he was with the bus driver by him self????? I as his aunt and being a mother my self don't trust NO ONE!! and If this was your child you would fill the same way! My sister was scared cause she got an absent call when she put him on the bus. NO one called her saying we found your kids at the bus barn. If she never got that automatic call for absent she would have never known. We trust our children with the bus driver to make sure they make it to their schools. Now my sister has to be worried about it every day. All because a careless bus driver didn't go by the procedure and protocols. NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!!!
 @Starlene Jewel Pineda We are on your Sister's Side!  I Agree With You!!Â
I think the point that so many of you are missing is the school did not call her to explain why he was marked absent. She got an automated message, had to call the school herself and even then was not told that her son was driven back to the bus barn. She didn't find out that he had been to the bus barn till she called the bus barn to file a complaint. I would also like to point out that this was not a big full size school bus, this was a small bus that is generally used for special needs kids. I think it is scary to think of any child being left on a bus but a child with special needs has a harder time adapting to change in most situations.
So many families now have Internet access, have often wondered why schools have not added a bus area communications portal linked too the parent's classroom link/parents' account where communication alerts are in one place. Might require some reengineering, but so what. Combining some of the school activities to improve access and in respect of parentsâ time, if for no other reason seems a good thing.Â
@littlemama33 No child was "left on the bus". There is nothing stating that the driver was ever away from the bus and the child was alone. I think that the automated messages 99.99% of the time are sufficient for notifying a parent a kid is not at school. I think the communication after the message was poor at best. That needs to be worked out, but there is nothing wrong with the automated messaging system in general.
So, the kid was never in any danger? Okay. Someone made a mistake that didn't put anyone in any danger? Okay What's the news here?
So many interesting comments, guess I'll take the time to try answering one more...
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The parent voicing her concerns is probably what makes it newsworthy to the press, the facts not required for this to happen. Happens thousands of times on school buses every school year in this country but with no deaths, simply is not newsworthy unless the affected parent excites this issue, or the employer instigates interest by terminating the driver/monitor involved. Otherwise, the event seems is not newsworthy.
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Happened to one of my grandchildren in Albany several years back -- explained calmly to the child what had occurred and that he was not ever in danger. My grandson preferred sleeping safely on a school bus to that of a bee sting. Defended the bus driver's mistake and warned would help defend him if he was terminated. The kids very much liked that bus driver.
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Not newsworthy -- the event not mentioned in the press. Had we called for the driver lynched and the school held accountable for not installing a simple child check alert device -- that might have been newsworthy if space available. A death involved on a school bus would likely make national headlines.
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But there have been no deaths for at least twenty-years happen on an actual school bus, to my knowledge. If one had occurred could not find in my own years of research, as well as inquiries to major industry magazines and national press portals.
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Other than a death or serious injury involved, were such things really newsworthy, then every mistake human's make concerning children would be splashed in to huge volumes of daily news to read. The local daily newspaper would be a mile or more high in pages. But include some drama in this issue and a story might fly.
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Whenever reading a story like this, and Iâve read some thousand such stories reported, and many not reported on, I do now call for a simple device installed, standard equipment on new production school buses, or an inexpensive retrofit. More about that by performing a Google search: The vicious circle of children left sleeping in hot cars and school buses
I am wondering the amount of time from leaving the school, going to the bus barn, and checking the bus. Â It does take some time before those automated calls go out. So... did we check the bus immediately, or check before leaving to go home.Â
Well, that's why they check twice!
Getting past all of the imagery and heart string pulling storywriting, what really happened here?
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A young special needs student fell asleep on the bus on his way to school, didn't get off the bus @ school, and was found by the driver when the bus returned to the bus yard.Â
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The mother is upset because 'Donnelly said that's not enough.' referring to the automated attendance system calling her to tell her that her son had been marked absent.Â
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The driver, by his own and the school districts admission, did not follow protocol in that he didn't check the bus when he left the school. He did, however, follow protocol and check the bus before he disembarked after returning to the bus lot. That is when the boy was found, and the then taken to school.Â
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I get the mothers reaction, I really do. There isn't a parent on earth (particularly mothers) who doesn't burn with anger when they find out that their child was potentially placed in harms way while in someone elses care. None the less, she was notified, he was found. He was safe. He was taken back to school. The system worked.Â
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Does the driver deserve some sort of disciplinary action for his failure to follow established protocols? Yes. Does this event merit some exponentially expensive 'top down' reevaluation of the whole of the process? Probably not.Â
 @MarkKpic Still not as bad as the Beaverton school bus dumping my middle school kid off at a high school knowing that connecting buses had already left because he was late and the kids would be stuck with no way home and no one watching them at the high school...
You cant Blame the Mother for someone elses Action's the Bus driver is Accountable for his or her Action's not the Mother that's what buses are for to get there children to and from school there supposed to be safe! Â
Both are accountable, as well as the school, in my opinion. The school district failed to protect both the child and the bus driver/monitor from this miss by not having installed an inexpensive child check alert device, now standard equipment on new production school buses.
@Sheila What was unsafe about this situation exactly? Nothihng.
Let's see, boy falls asleep, doesn't get off at school, the driver doesn't check the bus prior to leaving the school, but finds the boy asleep when he returning to the bus burn. While perhaps the "typical" protocol wasn't followed, the boy was safe, was not left unattended as has been the case in some similar incidents. This mother should be happy that this was the case, and there's nothing saying that she can't transport HER child to school herself.
Might be some risk to the parent when transporting the child. Parents can forget as well with only one child to keep track of. Deaths escalated 800-percent in hot cars where states required by law that the very young be placed rear-facing in the back seat. We most clearly see the mistakes others make, but our own mistakes -- not so much.Â
This is so sad when i read some of the comment's about this story I know how this Mother feel's I have been through it with my child and its the worst feeling anyone could ever feel until you have had this happen to your child you should not Judge how someone should feel!! All this Mother is trying to do is get the word out there so this does not happen to another child!! This is happening more and more and there as always been good news in the end that the child is ok but that may not be the case next time that's why it needs to be prevented!! This is a Mother who love's her child unconditionally!! & will go to the Extreme to keep her Son Safe!! & That's An Awesome Mother!!Â
Happened to one of my grandchildren. So not to be again redundant, how we responded is included in a more recent post.
I do not believe that the bus driver needs to be fired,but he did make a mistake,by not checking the bus before he left the school. He never should assume,that that had been done. The comment about the mother should be blamed was horrible.The child is Autistic,and does not appear to be severely autistic at that.He also appears to be able  to function in a regular classroom. I know autistic kids who do very well,in a regualr classroom. I know of "normal" kids who fall asleep on a bus-does that mean their moms should ride with them to make sure they get off the bus? I think not!
Glad all turned out well. It is a little scary to think had the driver not done what what was required at the barn the boy could have stayed in the bus in the heat all day. That would not have been good. And @Â swimbad, what a cruel thing to say.Â
The kid fell asleep. Maybe autistic children should either wear a blinking light on their head, or mom should ride with the child. I think this was more of moms fault for not letting the kid get enough sleep.
@Razor1 Seriously? What an ignorant comment!
 @Razor1 How in the H do you think this might be Mom's fault? Most Autistic children are not "Retarded", they are super bright, This is the bus drivers fault, he/she was supposed to 'clear' the bus to make sure all of these children were off, before he/she left the school. Apparently because other adults removed the children at the school, this person did not do this one little task. The child rode to the bus barn. Thank heavens this person did clear the bus before leaving the barn, and discovered this little boy sleeping.
 @Yamhill354 Where do you see that I mentioned he was retarded?
@Razor1  Really? The derelict bus driver did not follow protocol. Gotta love the "blame the victim" crowd. The bus driver needs to be severely reprimanded...oh wait...they are union...nothing will happen.
@wondering I agree the driver needs to be reprimanded but the fact is the child was never in any danger nor was the bus left unattended with the child on board. "Severely" reprimanded might be going a little far in this case, but I am sure you are one of those people that have never ever made a mistake in your perfect life.
There's not enough taxpayer money in the world to give mentally retarded children the special care they require. The government has decided it's progressive to pretend they're just like everyone else so should attend class with everyone else, but demands they receive special attention, treatment and care because they're not like everyone else. We get them thrown in the classrooms to slow everyone else down but we have to pretend they're just like everyone else except when they're required to get special treatment when we have to admit they're not like everyone else. It's time we admitted we aren't the richest country in the world anymore and we can't do everything we want anymore. It's time we tighten our belts and isolate them from the mainstream and put them in retarded schools with others like them.Â
hankhandsome, Not the worst opinion I've read, nor the most offensive. Both sides of the sidebar issue you present can be just as obnoxious as the the other side, but some seem it is right to excuse themselves when accusing others. I agree with some of what you said, especially your right to say it, but disagree with some of it. My Mrs. was on the board of the local ARC some decadeâs back. I had the opportunity to be in contact with many of the kids. Most are a delightful, courteous, interested, willing to learn, and willing to help adults keep kids safe sort of children. Regardless of whatever there handicap, so many are better behaved than the many so-called normal kids, These are most often a positive influence to the school environment. Nevertheless, you are unfortunately correct that some parents of these precious lives take abusive advantage of taxpayer funded public services, just like some so-called normals may do. Your mentioning of a special-ed reality unfortunately can bring some vicious backlash from some of the special self-interests involved. Nothing has to be pretended, you are evidence of that reality and I for one appreciate you taking the time and risk of rejection for expressing your frustration.Â
@hankhandsome Looks like you'd be first in line at that retarded school, considering your statement is full of ridiculous ignorance. My son has an Autistic disorder, but is quite bright, carrying an A- GPA.
@hankhandsome Autistic people are not mentally retrarded
 @hankhandsome That is one of the most hate-filled, ignorant and down-right mean responses I have ever seen. Just because their brains operate on a different frequency than most people's doesn't mean they are "retarded" and should be just dumped into some "retarded school".  If they can learn to function in the real world, many autistic children grow up to lead productive lives. And "normal" kids also get the benefit of learning compassion for others, something you obviously missed out on. And no, I'm not some touchy-feely liberal.Â
 @hankhandsome mentally retarded   S. 2781, the "Rosa's Law," which changes references in many Federal statutes that currently refer to "mental retardation" to refer, instead, to "intellectual disability"; andÂ
@katiagoldstein Would a rose smell as sweet by any other name?
This is such a non-news story. The kid is fine, and was never in any danger. KATU should know better than to make this so much more than it is. Front page of your website? Really?
@JBlaes Maybe if it was your child you would feel a bit differently about it.
@AC I wouldn't after the fact, because the fact is the child was never in danger. I would have been worried during the time I did not know where he was though, sure. Do you know why they check the bus twice? Because maybe the missed something the first time or even forgot to check it the first time. Seems to be the case here. No one was ever in danger of coming to harm though, so I'm not seeing the big story here.
OK, so maybe the system isn't exactly fool-proof, but it sure seems like nothing all that bad happened. I don't see where the child was ever in any danger. Yes, I am sure it scared Mom a little bit, but a newspaper article, an investigation, possible disciplinary action?Â
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Assuming this is a one-time incident, it seems like an apology, a quick reminder to the driver, and maybe a bit of a check on the adults who helped unload the bus is in order.
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Having dealt with an autistic family member, I can assure this woman that there are more of these types of incidents in her child's future, and you have got to cut some slack to people who are willing to try to work with your child.
al_02, So well presented, one of the best I've read.
That's kind of weird, when I drove special need, teachers had to come to the bus to take the kids, or parents had to take the kids when they got homes, no teachers, no parents, no get off. If one student didn't take the bus, then school distric radioed to let me know, or a teacher would talk to me. May be Salem and Portland have different protocol?
"There's no word on what disciplinary action could be, if any, taken against the bus driver." What disciplinary? Fired for sure. There three things that a school bus driver should not do, to leave a kid on the bus unattended, forget to stop at railroad crossing and DUI.
I don't feel bad for such a driver.
@tptpttp Where are you getting that the child was left unattended? Are you making up things to suit your demand for the driver to be burnt at the stake for a simple, no harm caused, error?
TPTPTP,
A bit harsh aren't you for a slight mistake, which caused no harm actually. The driver did not leave the child unattended, the adults who escorted the other kids off messed up. The only thing the driver did wrong was "assume" the adults were doing the job. Everyone will sharpen their pointing fingers to point blame.
Time to move on.
 @tptpttp I see we read the same article with a different understanding of what happened. The way I read it, the driver did not leave the little autie unattended, driver was not drunk, and the driver lifted both feet of the floor of the bus every time the bus rolled over railroad tracks. The driver followed protocol and discovered the child while doing a yard check at the end of the run. The driver did miss clearing the bus at the school, causing a bit of a problem. The driver doesn't need to be fired for one mistake that was corrected a short time later. The driver only needs to be reminded to follow through with clearing the bus at each stop. Maybe you should be fired from your job because you have no vowels in your name.
 @swimbad Well said. That is the point that I was going to make. At no time was the child unattended. Mom overreacting.