Special Needs Boy Dropped Off at Wrong School

Silas Stinnett has just started school.  He takes the bus every morning to a pre-k program at Lincoln Elementary in Norman for children with developmental challenges. 

"I put him on the bus at 6:50 in the morning. I assumed he would arrive at school at about 7:45, like he normally does. I ended up getting a phone call at around nine o'clock, saying 'Megan, take a deep breath' and I automatically freaked out and said 'what happened?'" Megan Stinnett, Silas's mom said.  She said the school called to tell her her son had been found.  He was dropped off at the wrong school Monday morning.

Silas has moderate to severe autism and is non-verbal.  So, he couldn't tell the staff at  Southern Plains Treatment Center he didn't belong there.

"There was a presumption by some of the individuals involved that this was a new students to go to [Southern Plains] and be served in a special education program there," Shelly Hickman, the Norman Public Schools Communication Director said.

Hickman said Silas was always under staff supervision and there was no safety issue in the mix-up.  She said Southern Plains quickly realized Silas was not a new student.  It took a couple of hours to find out he attends Lincoln.

"This is a mistake, and we regret the mistake and we're still investigating to see exactly what happened, and why it happened," Hickman said.

Megan Stinnett said the bus driver knows her son.  He is the same one who picks Silas up everyday.

"I walk him up to the bus, I give him a kiss and tell him be good, and I ask the bus driver everyday, to please take care of my son," Megan said.

She said there was no reason for him to be confused about which school Silas was to be dropped off at.

Norman Public Schools said part of the investigation would include whether school bus producers need to be changed.

This is not  the first time the district has had issues with children with autism. It  was sued in 2007 by families who said their special needs children were abused at school. The school ended up settling the suit.
Special Needs Boy Dropped Off at Wrong School

Posted: Tuesday, October 9 2012, 09:22 PM CDT