Well, the wonder of Thanksgiving weekend was quickly followed by the vagaries of the NYC School system. We woke up Monday morning to a new bus driver. Why? Some union rule in which drivers are given the opportunity to pick their routes twice a year to get routes they want. I'm all for unions, but I have to admitt that I can make out how this could possibly be good for the kids, especially in the case of special needs kids.
In any case, Noa and the new driver immediately did not hit it off. She had huge screaming fits on the bus with him. We don't know why - maybe the new driver, maybe something else completely, the problem isn't so much the fits as it is what he is saying about them (she has had screaming fits before and we deal with them - trying to sort out what the problem is and addressing).
But on Tuesday (day two with Noa) he asked if we had drugs for her. When I said I didn't drug her, he suggested that we should. The next day he said he wanted to pick her up 20 minutes earlier (remember all we went through to get the shorter bus route???). He said he wasn't able to get to school on time. When we called the school they said she did get to school on time. Wednesday afternoon he told me he felt that we should go on the bus with Noa - or have someone go on the bus - because Noa is impossible and out of control (there is a matron on the bus, and only one other child). He also told me that Noa's screaming and shaking in her wheel chair broke the lift on the bus. Yeah, right, all 42 pounds of her.
Soooo all that to say that Noa has been home since Thursday while we battle with the powers that be and try to get a new driver. This guy obviously shouldn't be driving special needs kids. But it takes time and it's unclear if we'll succeed. Don't know what we'll do if we don't win this one - he probably already knows we put in a complaint (and so did the school) - plus they are also changing the matron so that will be another new person on the bus... ack!
BUT as you can see Noa is taking it all in stride. The photos are actually from her trip to the Children's Museum on Friday with Daddy. She seems to be enjoying the whole thing!
In the photo above you put letters in a dino's mouth and then he says the letters. In the photo below she is playing with tubes that blow air - what could be better???
As for Mommy and Daddy - well it's a bit more complicated to try to make this work but hey, that's just another day in the Land of Noa!
Wish us luck this week trying to sort it all out...
1 comment:
Oh. My. Word. More power to you, Mama!!! Changes like that are so horrible to kids -- especially those who have special needs!! On our drive to daycare (Nate goes part time), I recite the names of all the kids who will be there that day and his teachers and his "special guests" (his therapists). Without it, it's meltdown city -- and it's also no bueno if the routine changes. Get thee a new bus driver! I highly recommend that the school system get your daughter a limo. Heck. It's got to be cheaper than the bus! :)
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