Ontario court forces government to continue paying for autism treatment. (Disability).

ONTARIO -- Ontario Superior Court Justice Arthur Gans stopped the provincial government from cutting off the financial support for autism treatment to Andrew Lowrey who has reached the age of six, the government's cut-off point. The ministry of community, family and children's services has been ordered to fund the child's Intensive Behavioural Intervention treatment until a decision has been made in the case. Launched by 28 Ontario families and now under way, a decision is expected by next year.

The boy was treated by the IBI method, an intensive one-on-one therapy. The parents claim that ml has had a dramatic effect on Andrew.

The government removed its support in December when Andrew reached the age of six. The parents are now paying $4,000 per month to continue the treatment. They are planning to sell a family farm to pay the costs.

The government's lawyers argued that continuing to pay for Andrew's therapy would open the floodgates to thousands of other autistic children in Ontario now beyond their sixth birthday. They argued it would increase the list--estimated at more than 900 children--of those still waiting to begin IBI.

Justice Gans ordered that the government continue to pay until a decision is rendered in the case of the 28 families. "To do otherwise is to produce personal dislocation beyond anything that can be compensated in damages if the plaintiffs prove successful in the final analysis."