Federal oversight group says disabled students neglected at Yonkers school

A group with federal oversight responsibility for disabled New Yorkers says many students at a Yonkers school have been neglected because the school has failed to develop individual learning and specific behavior plans to keep them from acting out.

Disability Rights New York says most of the 73 residential and day students, up to age 21, at the School for Adaptive and Integrated Learning at Ferncliff Manor have persistent and severe behavioral issues.

The oversight group says that includes aggression, hurting other students, and self-injury, and that its preliminary report was issued publicly this week because of the serious findings.

Ferncliff Manor officials call the release of tentative findings destructive, saying it will be shown to be a caring resource and sanctuary once it has a chance to rebut the accusations.