P.J.’s Law
The New York State Assembly has approved P.J.’s Law, to protect disabled children on schoolbuses, according to today’s Staten Island Advance. The bill is named for an autistic New York (upstate) boy, P.J. Rossi.
On Sept. 30, the boy, then 7 years old, apparently was tormented by a driver and matron for the Atlantic Express Bus Co., who are heard on tape alternately taunting and ignoring him as he wails and beats his head against the side of the bus.
Suspecting something was amiss, his mother had placed a tape recorder in his backpack.
Under P.J.’s law, special training is required for school bus drivers and matrons; the law also “mandates the reporting of all instances of child abuse aboard a school bus.”
With ESY starting next week for Charlie—-who will be riding a school bus with a different driver and aides—-it seems that P.J.’s Law should if not must be the law nationwide.
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POSTED IN: Crime, Legislation, Safety, Schoolbus
15 opinions for P.J.’s Law
Ballastexistenz
Jun 23, 2006 at 10:20 am
If someone’s going to taunt people, “training” won’t stop them, and if they’re the only person on the bus who can report abuse, and they’re the abuser, then “mandated reporting” won’t stop them. This law sounds like another one of those ones that’s more designed to create a sense of safety than safety.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jun 23, 2006 at 1:13 pm
It does—– and I don’t know if it is better to have a law that makes minimal or part-way changes that lead to people thinking “no need to do anything else” or to have to wait for a much more strict law that would truly create safety across the board.
Autism Vox » Who’s getting hurt here?
Jul 7, 2006 at 7:53 am
[...] On June 23rd, the New York State Assembly approved P.J.’s Law, to protect disabled children on schoolbuses by requiring special training for school bus drivers and matrons and also the reporting of all instances of child abuse aboard a school bus. As reported in today’s Staten Island Advance, though, the criminial case against the bus matron who is accused of taunting then seven-old autistic P.J. Rossi has been “crippled” after a judge ruled that Lisa Rossi, P.J.’s mother, invaded the privacy of the bus matron, Connie Clark, when she placed a tape recorder in the backpack of her non-verbal son. As P.J. repeatedly banged his head on the seat of an Atlantic Express Co. bus, Ms. Clark is heard on the tape teasing the boy, “Owww, the whole bus shook,” and “You’re gonna go through the window, knucklehead.” [...]
David N. Andrews MEd (Dec2006)
Sep 20, 2006 at 3:24 pm
“If someone’s going to taunt people, ‘training’ won’t stop them, and if they’re the only person on the bus who can report abuse, and they’re the abuser, then ‘mandated reporting’ won’t stop them. This law sounds like another one of those ones that’s more designed to create a sense of safety than safety.”
I agree. Sadly, by making such laws, governments actually ALLOW the very think they wish to seem to be trying to prevent.
‘Time to ring some changes…. time to ring some changes…’ (R. Thompson)
David N. Andrews MEd (Dec2006)
Sep 20, 2006 at 3:26 pm
“On Sept. 30, the boy, then 7 years old, apparently was tormented by a driver and matron for the Atlantic Express Bus Co., who are heard on tape alternately taunting and ignoring him as he wails and beats his head against the side of the bus.”
This is an example of really sick people in positions of power. Maybe mandatory life sentences for such people might help, provided that the abuse can be monitored by a means not under the control of the bus staff.
Bill
May 17, 2008 at 10:31 pm
To me this seems like a very shady situation. We’ve seemed to only hear one side of the story and that’s the child’s parents side. First off, if the parents believed their autistic son was being endangered then why would they endanger him any further by placing him back on the bus? The matrons job is not to restrain the child. The mother had made a signed written statement that states that he hits and bruises himself. This paper statement is in the possession of the matron. IF the child was prescribed a helmet then why didn’t Mrs. Rossi make it a priority for her child to wear it? What are these parents really looking for? Obviously the parents are not looking out for the child’s welfare if they keep putting him on the bus when he’s so called being abused. All you heard was the matron’s voice and nothing else. There’s no proof of physical abuse on this tape!!!!!!!!!!!!!Even if this illegal wire tape was admissible there really is nothing on it suggesting any abuse.
The board of education would not supply the Rossi’s with a Para to accompany their child to and from school. They gave the Rossi’s an Atlantic Express bus for their child with a matron. They had the Matron performing the duties of a Para without her knowledge or proper training. So tell me this? Are the Rossi’s seeking justice for their child or just money? What is the truth behind this story?????????
Kristina Chew, PhD
May 18, 2008 at 12:00 am
@Bill, Those are good questions; thank you. I don’t know enough of the details of the situation but I can say that, as the parent of an autistic child who does not have a lot of language, I tend to ask a lot of questions and make more suppositions and inferences about what might have happened. My son is not able to tell me these things and safeguards are beyond important.
Regan
May 18, 2008 at 12:39 am
I think that this position paper might give a broader perspective to the thought behind the law than that of this particular case:
COMMITTEE ON LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
NY City Bar Association
http://www.nycbar.org/pdf/report/memo_proposed_PJ_law.pdf
Ted Finlayson-Schueler
Sep 22, 2008 at 7:23 pm
This background information cited in this law contains a few inaccuracies that should be addressed. Of the 30 hours of training that school bus drivers receive during their first year of employment, 3 hours, or 10% is specifically focused on students with disabilities - not 15 minutes as is suggested. This training includes understanding the characteristics and successful strategies for working with students identified with all the IDEA identified categories of disability. Training is also provided in sensitivity to students with disabilities and their families and how manage student behavior, both acting out and self-abusive behaviors. Bus attendants receive 10 hours of training in their first year of employment and about half of that training is specific to working with students with disabilities.
The real concern is not so much the design of the training but the fact it is only given during the first year of employment - which could have been 20 years ago for some employees - and, as with any mandated training, the quality of the training is not always uniformly effective. New York State and Federal Laws require that school bus staff be given relevant student-specific IEP information so as to be able to safely transport student with disabilities who receive transportation as a related service. The problem is not more laws or training, the problem is that drivers and attendants are not receiving the information and training that the law already requires them to receive.
The “cover” for not providing this information is often “privacy or confidentiality” but the real reason is that the system is not designed to pass the information from special education departments to the transportation department and/or bus companies and, in many cases, the transportation provider is not educated about the issues so as to transform the information into informed action that would lead to adequately preparing drivers and attendants who are ready to serve students with special intellectual, emotional, or physical needs.
Bill
Sep 23, 2008 at 10:47 am
@Kristina, that’s the thing no one has the details. I am very close friends with the matron and I know her as a good woman. She gave me all the details about the case and how she is getting screwed by the system. As far as I know those Rossi’s have a past reputation that I’m not going to get into. Connie Clark is not supposed to touch that child under any circumstances and she never did. Anyone that has ever been verbally abused in the past knows that being called “A knucklehead” is absolutely nothing. My dad and my brother call me a knucklehead from time to time lol”. I have a soft spot for children, I really do, but sometimes when a child is involved everything else is totally overshadowed. This is definitely a case where a family is using their child’s disability for financial gain and it makes me sick. Worried about your child’s welfare and than they throw him back on the bus? Obviously the child’s parents are not looking out for his welfare. Wake up people!!!
Steven Wilson
Sep 23, 2008 at 10:53 am
@Ted Finlayson-Schueler, the law is bullshit. After this whole tape recording incident I know I would never try to restrain a child because it’ll just come back to bite you in the ass. I don’t care if the kid is cracking his own skull open like an egg. I’m not going to jail.
Regan
Sep 23, 2008 at 1:07 pm
…As far as I know those Rossi’s have a past reputation that I’m not going to get into…
…I don’t care if the kid is cracking his own skull open like an egg. I’m not going to jail…
I know you guys are trying to present an alternative side to the story and present some defense to the professionalism of those who work in the transportation companies, but are you quite sure statements like this are really the best ones for reassuring parents who want to feel confident about supervising personnel?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Sep 23, 2008 at 3:07 pm
@Ted Finlayson-Schueler,
thanks for all the details; training 20 years ago is not going to be the most helpful in being an aide for autistic children, indeed. So much has changed.
@Bill, thank for you more background information. Many of us parents whose children have minimal language or none at all, just have lots of concerns about what is going on on the bus. My son cannot tell me anything. No one wants to blame anyone—-just wanting to keep our children safe.
@Steven Wilson,
Have you been an aide or teacher for autistic kids, if may ask?
Steven Wilson
Sep 23, 2008 at 4:07 pm
@Regan
but are you quite sure statements like this are really the best ones for reassuring parents who want to feel confident about supervising personnel?
Well I do believe if you are not confident about the supervising personnel than you should not be sending your child back on that bus, plain and simple. You just endangered the welfare of your own child!
Bill
Sep 23, 2008 at 4:10 pm
@Kristina, No one wants to blame anyone—-just wanting to keep our children safe.
What Steven said is true. I don’t think it was safe for these parents to place their kid back on that bus if they thought his/her welfare would be in trouble. What kind of parent does this???
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