Non-verbal boy with autism left on Philly school bus twice in one week, mom seeks answers

PHILADELPHIA - A 5-year-old boy with autism who is nonverbal was left on a school bus twice in one week, according to his mother, raising concerns about the safety of children with special needs during school transportation.

Family says substitute bus driver failed to drop off child twice

What we know:

The boy, who attends the SPIN School in Northeast Philadelphia, takes the school bus through the School District of Philadelphia to and from his special needs program, said Caleigh Connor, his mother. 

She said, "He takes the school bus through the public school district of Philadelphia to and from his special needs program." 

Connor said there was a substitute bus driver for the afternoon route and the family was not familiar with her.

On Tuesday afternoon, the boy was not dropped off at his normal stop and was missing for hours before being located. 

"She had him for two hours. We couldn’t get a hold of her until finally dispatch was able to track her down. My father went and got him off the bus," said Connor.

Connor said she was initially told it was a one-time mistake due to the substitute driver possibly getting lost. "They wrote it off as she’s a substitute, maybe she got lost," said Connor.

The same situation happened again on Friday, May 1.

Timeline:

On Friday, May 1, Connor said her son was again not dropped off in the afternoon, leaving the family in a panic. 

She said, "She was instructed to bring him directly home because we’re the closest family to the school." After an hour and a half, Connor contacted dispatch and was told the driver was on her way.

Connor said she made several calls to the bus company and tried to locate the bus. "Of course my anxiety as his mother was through the roof. They GPS tracked her and she was on Adam’s Ave. We live in the Somerton section," said Connor. She added, "About 40 minutes away from the school or home."

After three and a half hours and several calls, Connor found her son 20 minutes away from his usual drop-off location. He was the only child left on the bus with the driver. "What did you do with him? You know he can’t speak for himself. He’s soiled. You know he has special needs. And we were confirmed by the school he’s the first drop off," said Connor. She said the bus driver did not provide an explanation, saying, "She said she didn’t have to get into it with us about where she was or what she was doing."

The family says these repeated problems have left their son upset and changed his feelings about school.

School and parent respond to transportation issues

The SPIN School responded to the situation, saying, "We are saddened to learn that one of our families recently had a negative experience with the transport company that transports their children to and from SPIN." 

The school also said, "Unfortunately, our influence with this outside vendor is limited since we are not their client. We are hopeful that last week’s incidents are isolated."

Connor said she is still looking for answers. 

"I have no answers as to why he was upset or soiled. Or why he was the only kid on the bus and you had him for 3 and a half hours," said Connor. She added, "Having a child with a disability.. your fear is somebody would take advantage of that disability and know they can do whatever because he can’t tell anybody."

The family says they want to know why their son was left alone on the bus for hours and are calling for more accountability from the bus company.

Connor said her son usually loves school and his routine, but that has changed since these incidents. 

The family lives in the Somerton section of Philadelphia, and the boy’s school is in the Northeast.

What we don't know:

It is not clear what actions, if any, the bus company or the School District of Philadelphia will take in response to these incidents. There is no information yet on whether the substitute driver will continue to work the route or if new safety measures will be put in place.

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