Special Needs Transportation

Explore best practices for safely and effectively transporting students with disabilities and special transportation needs. We cover accessibility, wheelchair securement, equipment, training, student behavior, regulations, and specialized transportation services.

Kelli Goterba, the 2026 Special-Needs Driver of the Year, stands with her arms crossed in front of a Trumbull County Board of Developmental Disabilities school bus.

News

Kelli Goterba Named 2026 Special-Needs School Bus Driver of the Year

Through building trust with students and strengthening her transportation team, Goterba exemplifies the impact special-needs drivers can make.

Digital Cover Features

The Most Common Wheelchair Securement Mistakes on School Buses (and How to Fix Them)

A wheelchair user operates a school bus wheelchair lift equipped with BraunAbility’s LiftSentinel barrier system as another person stands nearby with a handheld control.

News

BraunAbility Introduces New Safety Barrier for Wheelchair Lifts

A close up image of a hand holding a phone with HopSkipDrive's platform and CareDriver information on the screen.

News

HopSkipDrive Launches New Safety, Driver Consistency Features for 2026-27 School Year

News•by Staff•September 14, 2015

Student with autism found dead in school bus

A 19-year-old student was found dead in an empty school bus in California, and his family believes he was left in the bus all day. He was severely autistic and nonverbal, and may have stayed on the bus because he was waiting for a cue, family members say.

News•by Staff•September 11, 2015

Former school bus monitor pleads guilty to hitting special-needs student

The former monitor for Colonial Heights (Va.) Public Schools admits she struck a 6-year-old boy who hit her. She pleads guilty to assault and battery of a child, receives a suspended jail sentence, and must take parenting classes, and complete community service and an anger management program.

News•by Staff•September 10, 2015

Trans Tech unveils new Type A school bus features

The OEM’s 2017 model year buses will include a redesigned entrance door with more headroom and rub-rail end caps for corrosion protection.

News•by Staff•September 3, 2015

More Ohio districts order Lion school buses

The Marion and Fremont districts each receive two Lion buses, both utilizing the 42-inch seat option. Meanwhile, Huber Heights orders the first wheelchair-accessible Lion unit.

News•by Staff•August 3, 2015

Special-needs student left on school bus for 4 hours

A California bus driver brings the other three children aboard the bus to school, drives to the bus yard and parks and leaves with the four-year-old still strapped in his seat.

Photo Galleries•by Staff•August 3, 2015

PHOTOS: 2015 Photo Contest

News•by Staff•August 3, 2015

Lack of A/C on school buses a concern for New York special-needs students

Last week’s temperatures in the 90s had summer school administrators and parents concerned for students riding buses without air conditioning for long periods of time, particularly those with special needs.

News•by Staff•July 31, 2015

New edition of special-needs transportation manual available

The fifth edition of NAPT’s Transporting Children with Disabilities, authored by Dr. Linda Bluth, provides new and updated information.

News•by Staff•July 31, 2015

NSTA partners with Autism Society to offer toolkit

The toolkit will provide school bus staff members with information on autism spectrum disorder, signs for early detection and ways to communicate this information to caregivers and parents.

News•by Staff•July 6, 2015

Boy with autism left on school bus after falling asleep

The bus driver did not find the 8-year-old, who was being taken to a summer camp program, until he got back to his base when he checked the bus. The bus company said the driver followed protocol and it is considering more prevention measures.

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