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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Autistic 7 yr old in a taxi

98 replies

saffy1234 · 01/07/2019 14:27

I have previously posted before about my son who is five at the moment and has autism.
He is currently attending a special needs school which is really close to our house which is very lucky and it's only a three minute drive and maximum 10 minute walk however they can only attend to the school until year two which means my son has one more year left after this school year ends . Last night myself and my husband were discussing the next move and it is likely that next year as he enters year two and is seven in the September he will attend a special needs school that is around about a 15 minute drive away it wouldn't be possible to walk it I was suggesting that I would drop my other kids off to school early at breakfast clubs and then drive him to his school after so nobody was late and I can ensure my children are safe. However my husband deems this ridiculous,To put things in perspective I have a large family my husband works and I have children at secondary school children at primary and then my son who can't attend that same primary so goes to a special needs school. My husband is suggesting that my autistic son gets a taxi to school as the local authority to provide them to families and many children at his current school get them (even some of them who are only children with parents who don't work, don't even get me started on that) now I have an issue with this as I have noticed that some of the children who get a taxi to school at the moment are not chaperoned. I rang the local authority to enquire about it to solidify my fears and I was right they are not chaperoned.I don't see any problem with having to stretch my morning routine and start earlier if it ensures my sons safety, at the end of the day my children are my priority but my son is an extra priority as he is vulnerable he is non-verbal. I know it's unlikely but if a child is in a taxi with a stranger that they don't know there is a risk of anything happening and my son would not be able to communicate this with me, my husband however thinks I'm being ridiculous,he says these people are professionals and that nothing would happen to our son. So I guess I'm asking do you think I'm being unreasonable my husband seems to think that I I'm putting autistic sons needs above of the children's needs.

OP posts:
Original poster
saffy1234 · 01/07/2019 14:28

Just a note autism isn't my sons only issue he has also got other learning difficulties and separate issues.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 01/07/2019 14:30

I think properly set up transport to and from
School logistically makes much more sense

GoldenBlue · 01/07/2019 14:32

It's not unusual that taxis are used in this instance. The drivers have extended vetting and training for this role, it's not a standard taxi

Jemima232 · 01/07/2019 14:33

I agree with your husband.

Baritriwsahys · 01/07/2019 14:35

The drivers have extended vetting and training for this role, it's not a standard taxi

Not in my local council. Or the neighbouring ones. Some of the school runs have regular (as in the same) drivers, some of them are loaded on to the system like any other job. There is no extra training whatsoever; one of the councils has insisted taxi drivers do an SVQ but it's not specific to SEN.

Contact your council and ask for clarification.

TheStruth · 01/07/2019 14:37

Good lord! Why is it up to your husband where and when you do drops offs?
Do what makes you comfortable.

spanieleyes · 01/07/2019 14:37

They don't just phone up the local taxi rank and get the next available cab! these are fully vetted drivers, generally with considerable experience and usually, but not always with an additional adult. the latter depends on the number and needs of the children being transported. if the county feel, for safety reasons, a second adult is required, there will be one provided. I'm not quite sure what you think might happen?

NeitherNowtNorSummat01 · 01/07/2019 14:38

I think there are usually 2 adults in the taxi for safeguarding purposes.
I work in a school where the children are taxi’d in. The taxi picks up about 5 kids before coming to school. The first child is picked up At 7:45. There is no way I’d let my vulnerable child get a taxi every day if I could do it myself.

Baritriwsahys · 01/07/2019 14:39

They don't just phone up the local taxi rank and get the next available cab!

In my city that's pretty much what happens to a lot of the school runs. They are pre loaded booking that go out to the closest car. Said car may well been sat on a tank.

Parmavioletgin1 · 01/07/2019 14:40

I wouldn't put my autistic son in a taxi with no escort ( for safety as he can be aggressive).
Our local authority currently provide taxis with escort but I think they are considering getting rid of the escorts (due to funding cuts). Should this happen then the other 2 children will go to breakfast club and I will take my son to his sen school.

CrazyTownBananaPants · 01/07/2019 14:43

I feel the same as you. I extend my working day by 2.5 hours every day to get my nonverbal autistic son to and from his school (luckily I’m self employed so can pick up the slack at night) Probably nothing would ever happen but I’m not prepared to take that risk when I have another option. It’s not just risk from taxi drivers which is probably minimal but also about my son being calm, comfortable and happy in a routine - you rarely get regular drivers where we are. My husband agrees but if he didn’t I’d still be doing it.

spanieleyes · 01/07/2019 14:43

Well, in mine the county council transport department has contracts with different taxi companies who have to bid for the service, the drivers have to have a DBS check, two adults are required if there is only one child in the taxi but not always if there are more. Each route has a regular driver who knows the children, the families and the school well and remains on the route pretty much for ever ( some of our drivers have been coming to the school longer than I have)

Cwtches123 · 01/07/2019 14:44

You would be better off getting this moved to the special needs board.

My son attends a special school where most arrive by taxi or minibus - all pupils have an escort. We live so close that we don't need transport. Has the LA said that they never provide an escort? Here an individual assessment of the pupils' needs would be done, and then a decision made based on that.

lyralalala · 01/07/2019 14:45

Just because you see some kids without escorts doesn’t mean they will all go unaccompanied.

You need to find out their policy for chaperones and drivers. When DD went to school in the taxi before she went back to mainstream she had an escort in the beginning then they decided she was fine without one. She had the same taxi driver every day and he would let her know if he was on holiday and there was going to be a different driver.

JADS · 01/07/2019 14:45

Is there no school bus op? My son goes to a special needs school and is picked up by mini bus along with 5 other children. There is a driver and an escort who doesn't leave the bus. He started there age 7 and I would not have put him in a taxi on his own.

Can your secondary school kids get to school under their own steam? Is there a breakfast club that would take your primary age kids?

Sleepyblueocean · 01/07/2019 15:01

I wouldn't put my non verbal son in a taxi without an escort. His anxiety would be through the roof and he would behave in an unsafe way.
Your LA can't have an absolute rule about no escort because they have to ensure safe transport and arriving at school in a calm frame of mind for working. I would apply for transport and take it from there. They should do a risk assessment as part of organising transport.

Feelingwalkedover · 01/07/2019 15:03

Oh heck.
My son is due at a special needs school in September,an hour away .
Everyone has told me he will get a taxi with chaperone...

Baritriwsahys · 01/07/2019 15:09

@Feelingwalkedover he may well do.

empod · 01/07/2019 15:11

I agree with you on this 💐

ForTheRecord · 01/07/2019 15:15

No way would I put my autistic son in a taxi without a dedicated chaperone. It sounds like the LA is asking one person to act as chaperone and driver. But those ought to be two separate jobs. It is unrealistic to expect the driver to do two jobs at once. I would hazard a guess the LA only wants to pay one salary. Yet another example of today's SEND Crisis where local government is putting vulnerable children at risk in order to protect their budget. Hmm

Baritriwsahys · 01/07/2019 15:16

the drivers have to have a DBS check,

All taxi drivers have to have this. It doesn't mean they are nice, able to deal with SEN children or even interested in ensuring the child is ok. Some of them are fantastic with kids in general, but some of them are grumpy arseholes who won't even acknowledge a child in their car. DBS doesn't make for a nice person.

Teddybear45 · 01/07/2019 15:18

My local taxi company has a seperate process for school taxis. They have 2 people in the taxi for safeguarding and also everybody involved has extended vetting. Ask for the name of the company the school plans to use and ask them for their process.

SuperheroBirds · 01/07/2019 15:19

My Grandma has worked as a chaperone in this scenario since retiring. In her local authority the taxi drivers are just usual mini cab drivers with no extra skills/training, but they are accompanied by a chaperone who is vetted. She would usually work with the same child for several years (she has been doing it for 20 years), so builds up a good relationship with them and really does have their best interests at heart.
Obviously it seems like different local authorities have different arrangements but I don’t think I would feel comfortable leaving my child with a normal taxi driver without a chaperone.

wizzywig · 01/07/2019 15:21

Hi op, have you found out if your child would be chaperoned even if others arent? My son has been on a school/ council minibus since year 1.

Lougle · 01/07/2019 15:22

My DD has got a minibus since she was 4, but it has always been a group minibus with an escort.

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