Taking an autistic child on the bus for the first time
Buses lurch, hiss, beep and fill up with strangers, and you can’t control when they arrive. A few practice runs turn the bus into a known thing.
Practise in pieces
- Walk to the bus stop and watch buses come and go, without getting on.
- Next time, ride one stop and walk back.
- Then do the real journey.
Read the bus story before each step and use the picture strip on the day: wait, hand out, get on, pay, sit, bell, get off.
Give them a job
Putting a hand out for the bus, tapping the card, or pressing the bell at your stop turns a passive, unpredictable trip into something with a role in it. Agree who presses the bell, and stick to it.
Noise and people
Sit downstairs near the front where it is less bouncy, by the window if your child likes watching. Ear defenders or headphones with something to listen to help. Off-peak buses are quieter; avoid school run times for the first few trips.
If the bus is full or late
Say in advance: ‘Sometimes the bus is late. We wait and watch for it.' Have a waiting activity ready. If it’s full and standing is too much, let it go and catch the next one. That is a plan, not giving up.
Make the free story first
Type your child’s name and get “Sam goes on the bus” as a picture story: one picture and one sentence a page, in their name. Read it a few times before the day, then take it with you. Print it, save it as a PDF, or read it in the Now & Next app with every routine as a story too.
Make the story (free) Open the appKits that go with this guide
- Everything bundle (£14.99): Every kit in the shop in one download: 24 kits and 500+ picture cards, plus the Card Maker. Save £74.27.
Written by a dad to an autistic son with ADHD. This is everyday parenting advice, not medical or therapy advice. If you’re worried about your child, talk to your GP, health visitor or school SENCo.