Student Management and Special Situations
Domain 5 tests behavior management and special-needs transport. Questions ask how to correct misbehavior without distracting the driver, how to secure wheelchairs, and when a student may be left alone (never).
Managing behavior
- Set rules at the start of the year and apply them consistently and privately.
- Never argue or discipline while the bus is moving. Pull into a safe stop, set the brake, and address serious behavior.
- Use a progressive response: verbal reminder, seat change, parent contact, referral to administration.
- Do not use physical punishment, threats, or profanity.
Special situations
- Know each student's IEP, medical needs, and emergency contacts.
- Secure a wheelchair with a four-point tie-down and a separate occupant restraint. Never rely on the wheelchair's own belts.
- Do not leave a student alone on the bus, including a sleeping child at the end of a run.
- If a student has a seizure, stop safely, protect the student from injury, do not restrain, and call for help.
- For diabetes or severe allergy, follow the written health plan and call 911 if symptoms are severe.
Worked example
A student with autism refuses to sit and blocks the aisle. The driver does not yell or grab the student. The driver stops in a safe location, sets the parking brake, radios dispatch, and waits for assistance while keeping other students seated. The driver documents the incident and notifies the parent and school.
Traps
- Disciplining while driving.
- Using a wheelchair tie-down without an occupant restraint.
- Leaving a child on the bus after the route.
- Physically restraining a student without training or authorization.