Unruly Student and an Asthma Attack
At 3:40 p.m., 31 middle school students are aboard a 48-passenger bus on a four-lane arterial with a 45 mph limit. Two blocks after school, a 13-year-old in seat 7 unbuckles, stands, and shouts at a student in seat 12; a paper ball hits your shoulder. The student has a known behavior plan that calls for a quiet seat near the front and a private signal to you, but today he refuses. A student in seat 4 says she feels an asthma attack coming and has an inhaler in her backpack. There is a shopping center lot 300 feet ahead with a safe entrance. Traffic is heavy, and the next assigned stop is 0.8 mile away. You are the only adult aboard.
1. What are your immediate actions while the bus is still moving?
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Do not turn around, stand up, or take your hands off the wheel. Reduce speed and use the intercom in a calm, direct voice: “Seat 7, sit down now.” Keep the student in view in the mirror, but do not try to manage him physically while driving. Continue to the shopping center entrance 300 feet ahead; a four-lane arterial with heavy traffic is not a place to stop. The asthma report changes your priority: medical distress outranks a defiance incident. Ask the student in seat 4 whether she has her inhaler and whether she can breathe. If she cannot speak or is in obvious distress, stop as soon as you can pull completely off the road, even before the lot. The 13-year-old’s behavior is serious, but it does not justify a risky stop in live traffic.
2. Once you are in the shopping center lot, how do you handle the medical issue and the behavior issue in what order?
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Pull into the lot, stop away from the entrance, set the parking brake, turn on the flashers, and secure the bus. Attend to the student with asthma first. Ask whether she has used the inhaler, let her use it, and call 911 if she cannot speak, is wheezing badly, or has blue lips. Then deal with the 13-year-old. Move him to the front seat if he will comply, or move another student away from him if he will not. Do not leave him unsupervised, and do not physically restrain him unless he is endangering himself or others. Keep the bus stopped until the behavior is under control. Do not put him off the bus at the shopping center; a driver does not dump a student except at school or the assigned stop, and the behavior plan should be followed as closely as safety allows.
3. What must you document and report after the bus is moving again?
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Document the times, seat numbers, what was said and done, the student’s asthma symptoms, whether the inhaler was used, and any 911 call. Report to the principal or transportation supervisor the same day and complete the district’s behavior and medical incident forms. The student with asthma should be seen by the school nurse. The 13-year-old’s case manager should review the behavior plan, because the plan did not work today. If the behavior recurs, request a seating change or an aide rather than improvising each trip. Keep the report factual and do not discuss the incident with other students or parents.