Are schools prepared to deal with the special needs of physically and mentally challenged students in an emergency?
Special needs of students and staff should be a consideration in all school safety plans. Local schools must identify their particular needs and how best to address these needs. Some schools will need to communicate with and transport students and staff with mobility impairments while others must address the needs of blind or deaf students, or those with language barriers. The U.S. Department of Education will be developing a model school safety plan in the upcoming months, and this plan will contain a section on students and staff with special needs. As an educator, what are the most important things for me to do in the short term to be prepared to respond to a potential terrorist event impacting my school? Look at your schools current safety plan. Review the plan and make sure its up to date. Review the evacuation and transportation plans. Look at the plans for returning children to their families, or moving students to a safe location should they need to leave school property. You c
