Developing and Evaluating the Feasibility of a Behavioural Educational Programme for Transporting Students With Disabilities on School Buses.
Allison Blackburn, Meg Stone-Heaberlin, Leanne Tamm and 2 others
PMID 40098411WHAT IT FOUND
Bus drivers and attendants rated a new behavioural training programme highly acceptable and reported increased confidence in supporting students with disabilities.
Most said they would use the skills on the job. These were self-reported perceptions after training, not observed changes in student safety or behaviour.
Key findings
01Over 90% of participants across all three training modules reported satisfaction with the presenter, materials, and information received, and stated they would recommend the training to a co-worker.
02Participants reported increased understanding of developmental disabilities and confidence in helping students, with agreement rates ranging from 86.3% to 95.0% across the three modules.
03The programme was suspended before all locations could complete the third training module due to the coronavirus pandemic, limiting conclusions about that specific component.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied entirely on self-reported perceptions of knowledge and confidence; it did not measure actual changes in staff behaviour or student safety outcomes. The third training module was only delivered at one location, so its feasibility and effectiveness are less certain than the first two. There was no control group, so it is impossible to know if the reported improvements were due to the training or other factors. Demographic data such as age, race, and education level of the participants were not collected. The study did not capture the perspectives of students or caregivers after the training was delivered.
Declared interests
The study was conducted in collaboration with First Student, a major school bus transportation provider. First Student's corporate office selected the three locations for the trial. It is not explicitly stated whether First Student funded the research, but the close collaboration and selection of sites by the company represent a potential conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high satisfaction and self-reported confidence as evidence that the training improves student safety or reduces behavioural incidents on the bus. The study measured what staff felt after the training, not what actually happened on the bus routes.