Last week was 3-year-old Levi Vidal's first day of school. It was surely one filled with much excitement and nervousness for him and his parents as first days typically are. Only his had a nightmare ending that they could have never imagined happening -- that should have never happened.
Instead of coming home on the school bus in a timely manner (his parents estimate the ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn should have taken about 40 minutes), he instead endured a hellish five-hour ride. While on board, he was given neither food nor a bathroom break, and he was terrified. Can you even imagine a 3-year-old forced to sit on a bus that long? Making matters even worse -- Levi is autistic.
His mother, Serena Vidal, described to the New York Daily News just how traumatic the experience was for him.
He was delirious, starving, and in his full diaper. It’s insane, heartbreaking. How can you treat kids like that?
The school bus company doesn't seem to have many answers besides just saying they often encounter problems during the beginning of the school year. That's so not good enough.
And Levi, tragically, isn't the only student to be affected. The paper found another autistic boy, 4-year-old Efraim Shapiro, who was forced to endure a three-hour bus ride last week in New York during which he urinated on himself twice and was "dropped off wet and shivering." Other complaints have been reported as well.
It's as heartbreaking as it is infuriating, and someone needs to do something to prevent it from happening again. It shouldn't happen to ANY child, but especially when it comes to children with special needs, who may not have the same coping skills as typical children, extra care really should be taken. And where was the humanity in this bus driver? Did he or she really not think a child would need food or a restroom after five hours? It's inexcusable any way you look at it.
It's frightening enough to put children who can't always speak up for themselves in the care of others, and it's stories like this that fuel all of our parenting fears and make us want to keep our children by our side always.
Has your child ever been in a scary situation like this?
Image via KB35/Flickr
Kim and Kanye's Baby Name Predictions!
Moms Love Birthday Parties, Too!
Father Knows Best - Happy Father's Day!
Are Cheaters Entitled to Privacy? - A...
Comments 228
From what I understand the driver got lost and tied up in traffic, which I believe is common in midtown Manhattan. It's 40 minutes from the school to their house without heavy traffic and if you go directly from one point to the next. On Friday it took 3 hours for him to get home. It's not like he was forgotten or the bus missed his stop, the traffic situation and route are to be blamed. I guess there is a much faster parkway but trucks and buses are not allowed on it. Can't believe there isn't a program or school closer to their home.
Wow Kay...I guess you don't live in a place like I do. We all live in the country for the most part so the bus is really the only option if you are a working parent. The drop off doors open at 7:40am and close at 7:50am. I've sat in the parent drop off line for 20 minutes and I got there at 7:30 to queue up. I couldn't imagine being a parent who works and has to be at work for 8am. My oldest is Autistic but very high functioning. I STILL make sure his 1:1 is outside waiting for him. And when they weren't I parked and walked him and my 2 year old into the school, dropped him off at his classroom and then went to the office to ask where on earth his 1:1 was.
A couple of years ago my then 4 year old son was left in an empty house because I was just on time and the but was running early. (the door lock had broken the day before we don't usualy leave the house unlocked) Luckly I pulled up before the bus actualy pulled away, but he was in the house alalone and they were leaving.