Victor arrest shows hurdles for students with autism

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http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100608/NEWS01/6080325/1002/NEWS

Victor arrest shows hurdles for students with autism

J. Loudon • Staff writer • June 8, 2010

Jarred Crawford has been feeling upset and angry recently, but he's not sure

why.

The 19-year-old, who has autism and developmental disabilities, is facing

resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges for allegedly trying to hit an

Ontario County sheriff's deputy at Victor High School on April 7. But Crawford's

mother, Britt, said his emotions aren't directly related to those legal

troubles.

" Since he's been very young, he's identified off my emotions, and I have to keep

my emotions in check and very responsible, " Britt said.

But she's had trouble hiding her fear and anxiety over the court case, and

Crawford seems to be picking up on it.

It's one facet of the disorder that has complicated their lives since he was

about 3.

A court-appointed psychologist on May 25 told Victor Town Justice M. Lyng

Jr. that Crawford is able to understand the charges against him and capable of

assisting in his defense. An expert hired by the defense will examine Crawford

and offer his opinion to Lyng, who must decide whether Crawford is competent to

stand trial.

Crawford's arrest indicates an apparent breakdown in an elaborate system of

safeguards found in most public schools to ensure the safety of students and

staff while providing an education to students with disabilities. Britt claims

school officials and the deputy assigned to the school as a resource officer

could have taken actions to defuse the situation before it reached a crisis

stage.

According to experts, all students, even those with developmental disabilities,

are expected to follow the same rules in public schools. But handling behavior

issues with students who have autism or other disabilities can be complicated.

Most schools have plans in place to address behavior issues in students with

disabilities, but experts say it's impossible to prepare for every potential

scenario, and the ability of school district personnel to respond appropriately

varies. Adequate training is key, but often limited by financial constraints,

they say.

With a startling rise in the prevalence of autism — currently an average of 1 in

110 children, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention — recognition of the circumstances and policies to prepare adequately

for the consequences are essential, experts said.

" Not only our public education system, but all of our social infrastructure may

not be prepared for this infusion or higher rate of autism that now exists, "

said Dennis Debbaudt, an autism expert who lives in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., and

trains law enforcement personnel nationwide on working with people who have

autism.

" Our society will have a lot more of these contacts. Certainly our law

enforcement agencies will have a higher rate of contact just by the mere numbers

of people diagnosed with autism, " he said.

Routine disrupted

According to the Autism Society, autism affects a person's ability to

communicate and interact with others. It affects individuals differently and to

varying degrees.

Like many students with disabilities, Crawford had a written plan — called an

individualized education program, or IEP — in place that details how he will be

educated. The IEP often includes a behavioral intervention plan, or BIP, with

information about what might trigger a behavior problem and how to handle the

situation if it occurs.

For example, the plan might note that a student gets upset when touched on the

shoulder. And the plan might suggest taking the student for a walk to calm him

or her down.

" It's really supposed to be a strategic kind of plan for that child, " said

Zarcone, a psychologist and associate professor and director of the

community consultation program at the J. Kirch Developmental Services

Center at Strong Memorial Hospital. She is a consultant to schools on behavioral

and educational issues for children with disabilities.

Crawford, who is at a preschool level academically, has had an IEP since he was

3, Britt said. Over the years, he has had a handful of disruptive episodes in

schools, but nothing that approached what happened April 7.

She said a series of circumstances on the day he was arrested created " the

perfect storm " and led to his unruly behavior, which escalated to a physical

confrontation with Deputy Everett Roach.

The day started with Britt asking her son to put away some clothes first thing

in the morning, something inconsistent with his routine. Routines are especially

important to Crawford, according to his mother.

" We have routines at home and a lot of structure that enables him to know what's

going to happen next and what's going on. He can handle some variation from

that, but not always. I've learned to give him enough time for transitions and

things like that, " Britt said.

Later at school, he had a disagreement with another student who was upset that

he seemed to be ignoring her. Also, a student peered over the door of a bathroom

stall that Crawford was using, he said. And the school had a series of fire

drills that day, which were especially stressful to Crawford, who is sensitive

to loud noises.

By that afternoon, he refused to obey the instructions of school staff.

According to a deposition given to police by T. Marriott, an aide in the

district, Crawford pounded on a desk, threw books, kicked and punched lockers,

and walked out of the school and refused to stop, even when Roach told him he

was under arrest.

" It's like taking a bull and putting him in a narrow and small area and when you

let him out, he just goes ballistic, " said Crawford, who admitted fighting with

Roach and kicking him.

Consequences

Properly trained personnel should have recognized the triggers at work and

should have acted sooner to relieve the tension that was building, said Britt,

who moved to Macedon, Wayne County, with Jarred and her 10-year-old daughter,

, in early May.

District officials have refused to discuss Crawford's case or related policies

in general. But district officials have announced that they are conducting an

investigation into the incident and the related policies.

" Instead of just saying, 'Let's stop and take him out for a walk,' they were

trying to corral him, " Britt said.

Roach has been specially trained to deal with youths with autism and provides

the training to other law enforcement officers, according to Sheriff Phil

Povero. However, Britt raised several questions about his involvement in the

incident.

Although Roach was familiar with Crawford and had contact with him over several

months, according to Povero, he was not called on by school officials until

Crawford's behavior had reached an uncontrollable stage. Crawford said Roach

threatened to use a Taser at one point, but Povero denied that allegation.

Povero said Crawford's behavior did not reach a threshold of danger to himself

or others that would have led to an arrest under the state Mental Health Law.

Under those circumstances, he would have been taken to a hospital for an

evaluation instead of the Ontario County Jail.

Crawford was held in the jail from the afternoon of his arrest until about 8

p.m. the next day after an Ontario County probation official contacted the

judge, who ordered his release, Britt said.

Making progress

Communication, especially among parents and school officials, is extremely

important, Zarcone said. It's crucial to keep officials informed about what's

going on at home that could affect a student's behavior.

She said schools are learning how to accommodate students with disabilities.

" I think it's getting better and I attribute it to administrators being more

progressive and colleges teaching teachers in these areas much better than in

the past, " as well as to parents advocating for their children, Zarcone said.

But it is still a challenge. Building a ramp to accommodate a child confined to

a wheelchair is easy, but making sure everybody has been trained on a student's

behavior plan is more complicated, Zarcone said.

" When we're doing our job well, you have the same set of rules for everybody.

But it's more about having different supports in place so that all the kids are

able to follow the rules, " said Phil Burrows, deputy superintendent and director

of pupil personnel services in the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District,

who works with students with disabilities.

Most students follow the rules as expected. Some students need reminders and

meetings with school personnel.

" And then you've got a few kids who have a real intensely planned and executed

behavior plan. In those cases, sometimes that kid maybe needs somebody close by

to remind them every few minutes what's expected of them, " said Burrows.

" It definitely means a lot of training for everybody that's in contact with the

kid, " Burrows said.

Cafeteria workers, bus drivers and sometimes janitors get training, too.

Classmates also often receive some training.

" It's really complicated. There are times when you've trained folks and have a

great plan in place, but something comes up that you just don't anticipate, "

Burrows said.

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