Parents of Special Needs Kids Allegedly Brutalized by Bus Aide Speak Out

Two of the parents of special needs kids who were allegedly brutalized by an aide at their school are speaking out ... and they say this whole thing could've been prevented.

We talked to Jessica Vestal and Brittany Yarborough on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, and they explained how they discovered that 28-year-old Kiarra Jones was allegedly hurting their sons ... something they say they figured out through surveillance video on the bus they rode.

As you know ... the footage that surfaced depicts Jones apparently hurting Jessica's son -- who's autistic and nonverbal -- and Brittany says her own son, who's also nonverbal, was also sustaining mysterious injuries that were inexplicable ... including a broken toe.

After doing some digging, the two moms say they eventually put this on cops' radar -- who investigated themselves ... at which point, the video came up and showed what it showed.

Jessica and Brittany say that while their kids might, at times, engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) -- they say the wounds their kids had went far beyond that ... which is what led them to try and figure out what was happening. In hindsight, they say they're glad they did.

As we reported ... Jones was arrested and booked on charges for crimes against at-risk children -- and in the aftermath, these two mothers wonder why this was allowed to happen.

They say if anyone had just done their job and checked the footage -- which apparently hadn't been reviewed until this was all brought up -- then this whole situation could've been avoided ... and their kids wouldn't have had to endure what they did.

Brittany and Jessica stop short of saying they're filing suit -- but they've already said they're exploring their legal options ... including potentially suing the school district here.