Shaun Markham is one of about 12 Kings High School special needs pupils who receive regular sessions at the school with a physiotherapist and occupational therapist through government funding.
This $2.5 million worth of funding became available in 1999 but was cut from the Budget earlier this year.
After months of pressure from families, schools and Opposition MPs, Education Minister Anne Tolley yesterday announced pupils now receiving additional therapy at 23 schools in New Zealand would continue to receive funding.
Those already receiving services would continue to do so while they remained at their current school.
No new pupils would be eligible for additional therapy funding at the schools, she said.
Kings High School and Queens High School were the only schools in Dunedin to offer the services.
Mrs Markham described Shaun as a "bright wee bugger", but said "everything is a battle where his education is concerned".
They talked to Labour MP Pete Hodgson last week about the issue and said if the decision was not overturned Shaun would have to seek private treatment to help with his cerebral palsy.
"He has to be tweaked and adjusted all the time."
Weekly sessions had changed his life and made him able to achieve much more than he would have otherwise.
"He never would have been able to walk up and down stairs to get to class."
While she was "rapt they have come to their senses", she was concerned about other children with disabilities and what their school experiences would be like.
"There will be future children coming along and they need to be dealt with. If there is a child out there who needs help, they should be able to get it.
"They have a right to an education like able-bodied kids."
Kings High physiotherapist Julian O'Hagan said the decision was "good for the short term", but he also was concerned about what would happen for children moving through the system.
Mr O'Hagan worked with about 30 other pupils around Dunedin and said he loved getting all the children working alongside their peers.
Kings High principal Dan Reddiex was "relieved and excited for the boys" after hearing of the decision.
He described the physiotherapy and occupational therapy at the school as "fairly critical" for those pupils who struggled with mobility.
While he was disappointed the funding for high-end users would cease, he knew there was the probability it would be discontinued at some point.
Medium-needs users would continue to be able to seek treatment, while for others it would be a case of "doing what we can with the services we've got", Mr Reddiex said.
