In North Carolina, traditional public schools usually offer transportation to all students who live a certain distance away from the school that they attend (i.e., outside the “walk zone”). The majority of school-age children with disabilities in those public schools use the same transportation options as their typically developing peers.  However, some students with disabilities require something a little different to be transported to and from school safely and appropriately. Like most matters related to students with disabilities, the details determine how things are handled.

Some students require a seat belt, harness or a car seat for stability or safety. Others may need preferential seating near the bus driver or other adult. There are students who must be transported in a climate-controlled vehicle. Some need constant monitoring due to health conditions. In some situations, it might be necessary to change the pick-up and drop off location. It is possible to make any of these adjustments and still have the student ride a regular school bus with their typical peers. Accommodations like these should be documented on the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) in the section for supplementary aids and services.

Changes that take a student with a disability off the regular school bus will usually involve Transportation as a related service. A related service is a developmental, corrective or supportive service required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.

As a related service, Transportation includes:

• Travel to and from school and between schools;
• Travel in and around school buildings; and
• Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts and ramps), if required               to provide special transportation for a child with a disability.    (34 CFR 300.34; NC 1500-2.27)

There is no list that includes all possible options for what transportation can look like as a related service. It could mean a specialized van service, or reimbursing parents for mileage when they transport the child to and from school. It could mean using a golf cart to transport a student across a large school campus. Of course, it could also mean the classic “short bus” that carries students with disabilities on an alternate route.

Whether it is included on the IEP as a related service or an accommodation, the specific needs of the student should be described in clear detail. This will help avoid problems as the student moves from one school or school year to the next. As always, the IEP can be changed if the student’s transportation needs shift over time.

It is worth noting that some students with Section 504 Accommodation Plans also have special transportation needs. The range of possible options for meeting those needs is almost as broad as it is for students that qualify for special education services, even though schools do not receive any extra funding for those students.