LOWER LAKE — The Lake Transit Authority is providing free fares to enhance mobility training for special-education students at Lower Lake Elementary School. At a recent LTA meeting, directors voted unanimously to approve the school”s request on behalf of a group of nine children.
According to Susan Bier in the Konocti Unified School District, teachers will be using bus trips to orient special-needs children within their communities to reduce confusion and isolation. A benefit for Lake Transit is that by the time these children exit high school, they should be familiarized with appropriate riding behaviors.
Jennifer Chwialkowski, a teacher from LLES, discussed with the group how participating in these trips will teach special-education children to behave correctly in the community, help them learn to transition and deal with daily issues outside of their normal routine.
Chwialkowski cited for example a recent trip to McDonald”s. “While most people would consider that trip to be an easily achieved one, for these children it takes weeks of preparation. The children need to have visual aids to help understand what will be taking place during their trip.”
Lake Transit will continue to run its regularly-scheduled service according to Transit Manager Mark Wall. Since no additional or special buses will be added to accommodate the school”s request, Lake Transit should not incur any additional direct cost, compiled from draft minutes of the Lake Transit Authority for Nov. 9, 2007, which has been submitted for approval as part of its agenda on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Cynthia Parkhill can be reached at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
