End the Wait Ontario
End the Wait Ontario
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) reports 70,176 children registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) by end of 2023-24. As of February 29, 2024, only 19,966 children were enrolled in core clinical services, leaving over 50,000 waiting for evidence-based care.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 · View SourceOf the 70,176 children registered with the Ontario Autism Program, only 19,966 (28%) are enrolled in core clinical services as of February 2024. This means 72% of registered children are waiting for evidence-based interventions during the critical developmental window.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 · View SourceOntario autism wait times range from 2 to 7+ years before families receive invitations to core clinical services. Families must wait based on registration date, with no transparent timeline or accountability measures for service delivery during the critical early intervention window.
Source: End The Wait Ontario Research · View SourceThe World Health Organization states that timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions can improve the ability of autistic children to communicate effectively and interact socially. The critical window for intervention is ages 0-6 when neural plasticity is highest.
Source: WHO Fact Sheet on Autism · View SourceThe years between birth and age six represent an extraordinary period of neural plasticity. During this window, the brain is most responsive to evidence-based interventions. After this window narrows, the same therapies become harder, slower, and less effective according to developmental neuroscience research.
Source: Developmental Neuroscience ResearchFAO reports Core Clinical Services funding ranges $6,600-$65,000 per year. This is direct funding—families choose public agencies (Kinark, Surrey Place) or private providers. However, evidence-based treatment costs $80,000+ annually, leaving significant gaps families must cover out-of-pocket.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 + Autism Treatment Cost Research · View SourceFAO reports an average annual funding commitment of approximately $34,000 for children in core clinical services (2023-24). However, allocations vary widely from $6,600 to $65,000 per year, and evidence-based treatment typically requires $80,000+ annually.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 · View SourceResearch indicates lifetime costs for individuals with autism can reach $2.4 million (Mandell et al., JAMA Pediatrics 2014). Early intensive intervention reduces annual costs by approximately $19,000 per year (Dawson/AAAS), demonstrating the economic value of timely access to services.
Source: JAMA Pediatrics 2014, AAAS ResearchUnder the Canadian Charter Section 15, Ontario Human Rights Code, and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children have the right to timely healthcare services without discrimination based on disability. Multi-year wait times may violate these protections.
Source: Canadian Charter, Ontario Human Rights Code, UN CRPDOntario does not publish transparent, real-time waitlist data for the Ontario Autism Program. Families do not know their position in the queue or when services will begin. The Financial Accountability Office provides periodic reports, but detailed enrollment timelines are not publicly available.
Source: End The Wait Ontario Policy AnalysisThe Ontario Autism Program uses an invitation-based system where families wait based on registration date. There is no transparent timeline provided, and families cannot predict when they will receive services. This lack of accountability creates uncertainty during the critical early intervention period.
Source: Ontario Government OAP GuidelinesA clip featuring Spencer Carroll discussing autism diagnosis and early intervention was shared on the World Health Organization's official Instagram account (@who). End the Wait Ontario is not affiliated with or endorsed by WHO, but the interview demonstrates alignment with WHO's emphasis on timely access to evidence-based interventions.
Source: WHO Instagram @who · View Source
Early intervention is critical before age six. Yet in Ontario, children wait over 5 years for essential support. A generation is being left behind.
| Children Registered (OAP) | 70,176 | FAO 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Children in Services | 19,966 | FAO Feb 2024 |
| Average Wait Time | 2-5 years | FAO |
| WHO Recommendation | Timely access to early intervention | WHO |
Verified program data and the scale of delays in access to core clinical services
Children registered with the new Ontario Autism Program by end of 2023–24
Source: FAO (MCCSS Spending Plan Review)Children and youth enrolled in core clinical services (as of Feb 29, 2024)
Source: FAO (MCCSS Spending Plan Review)Derived from FAO counts: registered (end of 2023–24) minus enrolled (as of Feb 29, 2024)
Source: FAO (derived from counts)Average annual funding commitment for children in core clinical services (2023–24)
Source: FAO (MCCSS Spending Plan Review)These numbers represent real children and families.
View detailed evidenceLoading Instagram embed...
"My son was fourteen months old when doctors diagnosed him with severe, non-verbal autism. They said one thing clearly: early intervention is critical—the window closes by six. We registered immediately. That was September 2021. He's five now. We're still waiting."
Four years of phone calls. Two MP interventions. An ombudsman complaint. Emails to the Premier, the Minister, AccessOAP. Silence. Form letters. Nothing.
We've paid thousands out of pocket for speech therapy, OT, whatever we could afford. The intensive behavioral support he actually needs costs more per month than most families spend on rent. We're not wealthy. We've been drowning.
Then the World Health Organization shared our story—not as inspiration, but as indictment. A Canadian father waiting years for services that should take weeks. Proof that Ontario's system violates global standards for disability rights.
I built this organization because it should have existed when we needed it. I filed a human rights complaint because silence wasn't working. Carroll v. Ontario argues what thousands of families already know: making disabled children wait years for medically necessary services isn't a waitlist—it's discrimination.
Spencer Carroll
Founder & Parent Advocate
Applicant, Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I)
70,176
Registered
19,966
In Services
< 1 in 4
Accessing Care
Citation-ready facts sourced from FAO reports, WHO guidelines, and official data. All statistics are verified and updated regularly.
As of the Financial Accountability Office's latest review, **70,176 children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program and waiting for core clinical services**, while fewer than **1 in 4** have actually started therapy. [FAO] This mismatch means most autistic children in Ontario face prolonged delays before receiving publicly funded support. Last verified: 2024-03-31
According to Ontario's Financial Accountability Office, the **average wait to access core Ontario Autism Program services is now roughly 2–5 years**, with many families reporting waits of **over five years** before funding starts. [FAO] As wait times lengthen, more children age out of the most critical early‑intervention window before support arrives. Last verified: 2024-03-31
The World Health Organization notes that intensive early intervention can significantly improve communication, adaptive skills, and long‑term independence for autistic children when provided before age **6**. [WHO] In Ontario, average waits of **2–5 years** mean many children miss this clinically critical window, reducing the potential impact of therapy they eventually receive. [FAO]
WHO‑aligned research shows that starting evidence‑based autism intervention before age **3** can improve language, social engagement, and daily living skills, with gains maintained for years. [WHO] In Ontario, many children wait until age **5–7** to begin funded services, meaning the system pays more to treat needs that could have been reduced earlier.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission has repeatedly affirmed that students with disabilities have a right to meaningful education without discrimination. [OHRC] When **47%** of surveyed families report insufficient school supports and **9%** say their autistic child cannot attend school due to lack of resources, the gap between legal rights and lived reality becomes a systemic rights issue. [OAC]
Based on FAO projections and international best practice, End The Wait Ontario calls for a **fully funded, needs‑based OAP**, with transparent targets to clear the **70,000+ child** waitlist within a defined multi‑year timeline. [FAO] [WHO] Linking annual budgets to measurable reductions in wait times would turn political promises into trackable obligations.
Source:
Financial Accountability Office [FAO] & World Health Organization [WHO]Last verified: 2025-01-09
How government marketing contradicts mathematical reality.
A line-by-line analysis of official claims versus verified data.
The psychological manipulation of a person causing them to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories.
Analysis:Celebrating a 'record' budget that is mathematically insufficient to serve the registered children is misleading families.
Analysis:Telling families 'we are moving kids off the list' while the list grows faster than ever is statistically false.
Analysis:Redefining 'support' to include watching a website video allows the claim that 100% of families are 'served'.
Analysis:Choice without sufficient funding is not empowerment; it is an offloading of responsibility to parents.
Spencer Carroll, parent advocate
World Health Organization interview on autism diagnosis and early intervention
The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and every major developmental research institution agree: the years between birth and six represent an extraordinary period of neural plasticity. After that window narrows, the same therapies become harder, slower, less effective.
This is what decades of peer-reviewed research consistently shows across multiple longitudinal studies.
Verified by International Standards
References cited for informational purposes.View full evidence library
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario • 2024
Primary source for OAP registration counts, core clinical enrollment, and reported funding allocation ranges.
World Health Organization • 2024
WHO guidance emphasizing timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions.
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
Official government guide to OAP eligibility, funding, and service pathways.
Ontario is not poor. It is not lacking in expertise or infrastructure. It has some of the finest children's hospitals and developmental pediatricians in the world. What it lacks is a system designed to connect children to those resources before the window that matters most has closed.
The brain between ages 0 and 6 possesses a plasticity that diminishes with time.
Neural pathways are still forming. Every month matters.
The appointment is over. The pediatrician has said the words—autism spectrum—and in the same breath, offered what sounds like hope. Early intervention is critical, she says. The research is clear. There are programs, therapies, supports. She gives you a number to call.
You call the number. You are placed on a list. You are not told how long the list is, or where you stand on it, or what will happen while you wait. You ask these questions. No one has answers. You are told to be patient.
The months pass. Your child's second birthday comes and goes. Then the third. You watch other children at the park—children who arrived later, developmentally—begin to talk, to play together, to do the things the books promised might happen for your child too, with the right support, at the right time. You wonder, sometimes, late at night, what might have been different.
“We know exactly what we need. We know when we need it, but for whatever reason there's a wait list.”
— Spencer Carroll, World Health Organization interview
The people who designed this system have never sat where you sit. They have not held a phone for forty-five minutes listening to hold music, nor explained to a teacher why their child struggles with transitions, nor calculated whether speech therapy or groceries comes first this month.
But you have. And here is the thing they do not tell you: your story—the particular truth of what this wait has cost your particular family—is the kind of evidence that changes things. Not eventually. Now.
Your experience becomes evidence for systemic change
“Every day on the waitlist is a day we can't get back. But together, we can make sure fewer families have to wait.”
— Ontario parent
What is happening to these children is not merely unfortunate. According to Canada's own constitution and human rights laws, it is not supposed to happen at all.
The Constitution guarantees equal treatment for people with disabilities. Making a child wait years for care that other children receive promptly is not equal treatment.
Provincial law requires accommodation for disability unless it would cause "undue hardship." A waitlist that stretches into years does not satisfy that standard.
Canada signed a treaty promising children with disabilities the right to health, education, and full participation in society.
The system moves at its own pace. That doesn't mean you have to wait without taking action.
Ask your child's clinician for a letter—one that names what your child needs, explains why timing matters, and describes what happens if intervention is delayed. This document becomes your proof, your leverage, your record. You will need it.
Request an IEP meeting. Schools have accommodations and supports that exist entirely outside the provincial waitlist—the speech therapist, the resource teacher, the quiet room for transitions. These things are sometimes available if you know to ask.
Every call you make, every email you send, every time you are told "no" or "wait"—write it down. Dates, names, times. A binder full of refused requests is harder to ignore than a polite parent on the phone.
Other parents have walked this road before you. They know which programs have shorter waits, which schools are more accommodating, which small victories are actually possible. You do not have to figure this out alone. Read parent stories and connect with support groups.
Detailed guides to autism therapy providers, assessment centers, and support services in major Ontario cities.
70,176 families standing together
Your voice matters. Join us.
Every email to a provincial representative is logged and tracked. When enough constituents write about the same issue, it gets flagged. When enough flags accumulate, change becomes possible.
We've drafted the message. You add your story. Together, we can make a difference.
Somewhere in Ontario right now, a parent is sitting in a pediatrician's office hearing words they did not expect. They will soon learn what the waitlist actually looks like. If you know someone who might be there soon—or is there now—send them this.
This page is part of the Ontario Autism Waitlist Crisis topic cluster. Core content pages from the central hub.
Sources: All statistics are sourced from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), and Ontario government publications. Citations are verified quarterly.
Last Updated: January 2026
Methodology: End The Wait Ontario is a parent-led advocacy organization. We track publicly available data and provide context through the lens of WHO guidelines and Canadian human rights law.
Contact: Report errors or request data sources at
EndTheWaitOntario.com is committed to accuracy. Our data is independently verified against official government reports, scientific literature, and accessible public records.
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) reports 70,176 children registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) by end of 2023-24. As of February 29, 2024, only 19,966 children were enrolled in core clinical services, leaving over 50,000 waiting for evidence-based care.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 · View SourceOf the 70,176 children registered with the Ontario Autism Program, only 19,966 (28%) are enrolled in core clinical services as of February 2024. This means 72% of registered children are waiting for evidence-based interventions during the critical developmental window.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 · View SourceOntario autism wait times range from 2 to 7+ years before families receive invitations to core clinical services. Families must wait based on registration date, with no transparent timeline or accountability measures for service delivery during the critical early intervention window.
Source: End The Wait Ontario Research · View SourceThe World Health Organization states that timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions can improve the ability of autistic children to communicate effectively and interact socially. The critical window for intervention is ages 0-6 when neural plasticity is highest.
Source: WHO Fact Sheet on Autism · View SourceThe years between birth and age six represent an extraordinary period of neural plasticity. During this window, the brain is most responsive to evidence-based interventions. After this window narrows, the same therapies become harder, slower, and less effective according to developmental neuroscience research.
Source: Developmental Neuroscience ResearchFAO reports Core Clinical Services funding ranges $6,600-$65,000 per year. This is direct funding—families choose public agencies (Kinark, Surrey Place) or private providers. However, evidence-based treatment costs $80,000+ annually, leaving significant gaps families must cover out-of-pocket.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 + Autism Treatment Cost Research · View SourceFAO reports an average annual funding commitment of approximately $34,000 for children in core clinical services (2023-24). However, allocations vary widely from $6,600 to $65,000 per year, and evidence-based treatment typically requires $80,000+ annually.
Source: FAO Report 2023-24 · View SourceResearch indicates lifetime costs for individuals with autism can reach $2.4 million (Mandell et al., JAMA Pediatrics 2014). Early intensive intervention reduces annual costs by approximately $19,000 per year (Dawson/AAAS), demonstrating the economic value of timely access to services.
Source: JAMA Pediatrics 2014, AAAS ResearchUnder the Canadian Charter Section 15, Ontario Human Rights Code, and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, children have the right to timely healthcare services without discrimination based on disability. Multi-year wait times may violate these protections.
Source: Canadian Charter, Ontario Human Rights Code, UN CRPDOntario does not publish transparent, real-time waitlist data for the Ontario Autism Program. Families do not know their position in the queue or when services will begin. The Financial Accountability Office provides periodic reports, but detailed enrollment timelines are not publicly available.
Source: End The Wait Ontario Policy AnalysisThe Ontario Autism Program uses an invitation-based system where families wait based on registration date. There is no transparent timeline provided, and families cannot predict when they will receive services. This lack of accountability creates uncertainty during the critical early intervention period.
Source: Ontario Government OAP GuidelinesA clip featuring Spencer Carroll discussing autism diagnosis and early intervention was shared on the World Health Organization's official Instagram account (@who). End the Wait Ontario is not affiliated with or endorsed by WHO, but the interview demonstrates alignment with WHO's emphasis on timely access to evidence-based interventions.
Source: WHO Instagram @who · View SourceEarly intervention is critical before age six. Yet in Ontario, children wait over 5 years for essential support. A generation is being left behind.
| Children Registered (OAP) | 70,176 | FAO 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Children in Services | 19,966 | FAO Feb 2024 |
| Average Wait Time | 2-5 years | FAO |
| WHO Recommendation | Timely access to early intervention | WHO |
Verified program data and the scale of delays in access to core clinical services
Children registered with the new Ontario Autism Program by end of 2023–24
Source: FAO (MCCSS Spending Plan Review)Children and youth enrolled in core clinical services (as of Feb 29, 2024)
Source: FAO (MCCSS Spending Plan Review)Derived from FAO counts: registered (end of 2023–24) minus enrolled (as of Feb 29, 2024)
Source: FAO (derived from counts)Average annual funding commitment for children in core clinical services (2023–24)
Source: FAO (MCCSS Spending Plan Review)These numbers represent real children and families.
View detailed evidenceLoading Instagram embed...
"My son was fourteen months old when doctors diagnosed him with severe, non-verbal autism. They said one thing clearly: early intervention is critical—the window closes by six. We registered immediately. That was September 2021. He's five now. We're still waiting."
Four years of phone calls. Two MP interventions. An ombudsman complaint. Emails to the Premier, the Minister, AccessOAP. Silence. Form letters. Nothing.
We've paid thousands out of pocket for speech therapy, OT, whatever we could afford. The intensive behavioral support he actually needs costs more per month than most families spend on rent. We're not wealthy. We've been drowning.
Then the World Health Organization shared our story—not as inspiration, but as indictment. A Canadian father waiting years for services that should take weeks. Proof that Ontario's system violates global standards for disability rights.
I built this organization because it should have existed when we needed it. I filed a human rights complaint because silence wasn't working. Carroll v. Ontario argues what thousands of families already know: making disabled children wait years for medically necessary services isn't a waitlist—it's discrimination.
Spencer Carroll
Founder & Parent Advocate
Applicant, Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I)
70,176
Registered
19,966
In Services
< 1 in 4
Accessing Care
Citation-ready facts sourced from FAO reports, WHO guidelines, and official data. All statistics are verified and updated regularly.
As of the Financial Accountability Office's latest review, **70,176 children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program and waiting for core clinical services**, while fewer than **1 in 4** have actually started therapy. [FAO] This mismatch means most autistic children in Ontario face prolonged delays before receiving publicly funded support. Last verified: 2024-03-31
According to Ontario's Financial Accountability Office, the **average wait to access core Ontario Autism Program services is now roughly 2–5 years**, with many families reporting waits of **over five years** before funding starts. [FAO] As wait times lengthen, more children age out of the most critical early‑intervention window before support arrives. Last verified: 2024-03-31
The World Health Organization notes that intensive early intervention can significantly improve communication, adaptive skills, and long‑term independence for autistic children when provided before age **6**. [WHO] In Ontario, average waits of **2–5 years** mean many children miss this clinically critical window, reducing the potential impact of therapy they eventually receive. [FAO]
WHO‑aligned research shows that starting evidence‑based autism intervention before age **3** can improve language, social engagement, and daily living skills, with gains maintained for years. [WHO] In Ontario, many children wait until age **5–7** to begin funded services, meaning the system pays more to treat needs that could have been reduced earlier.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission has repeatedly affirmed that students with disabilities have a right to meaningful education without discrimination. [OHRC] When **47%** of surveyed families report insufficient school supports and **9%** say their autistic child cannot attend school due to lack of resources, the gap between legal rights and lived reality becomes a systemic rights issue. [OAC]
Based on FAO projections and international best practice, End The Wait Ontario calls for a **fully funded, needs‑based OAP**, with transparent targets to clear the **70,000+ child** waitlist within a defined multi‑year timeline. [FAO] [WHO] Linking annual budgets to measurable reductions in wait times would turn political promises into trackable obligations.
Source:
Financial Accountability Office [FAO] & World Health Organization [WHO]Last verified: 2025-01-09
How government marketing contradicts mathematical reality.
A line-by-line analysis of official claims versus verified data.
The psychological manipulation of a person causing them to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories.
Analysis:Celebrating a 'record' budget that is mathematically insufficient to serve the registered children is misleading families.
Analysis:Telling families 'we are moving kids off the list' while the list grows faster than ever is statistically false.
Analysis:Redefining 'support' to include watching a website video allows the claim that 100% of families are 'served'.
Analysis:Choice without sufficient funding is not empowerment; it is an offloading of responsibility to parents.
Spencer Carroll, parent advocate
World Health Organization interview on autism diagnosis and early intervention
The World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and every major developmental research institution agree: the years between birth and six represent an extraordinary period of neural plasticity. After that window narrows, the same therapies become harder, slower, less effective.
This is what decades of peer-reviewed research consistently shows across multiple longitudinal studies.
Verified by International Standards
References cited for informational purposes.View full evidence library
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario • 2024
Primary source for OAP registration counts, core clinical enrollment, and reported funding allocation ranges.
World Health Organization • 2024
WHO guidance emphasizing timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions.
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
Official government guide to OAP eligibility, funding, and service pathways.
Ontario is not poor. It is not lacking in expertise or infrastructure. It has some of the finest children's hospitals and developmental pediatricians in the world. What it lacks is a system designed to connect children to those resources before the window that matters most has closed.
The brain between ages 0 and 6 possesses a plasticity that diminishes with time.
Neural pathways are still forming. Every month matters.
The appointment is over. The pediatrician has said the words—autism spectrum—and in the same breath, offered what sounds like hope. Early intervention is critical, she says. The research is clear. There are programs, therapies, supports. She gives you a number to call.
You call the number. You are placed on a list. You are not told how long the list is, or where you stand on it, or what will happen while you wait. You ask these questions. No one has answers. You are told to be patient.
The months pass. Your child's second birthday comes and goes. Then the third. You watch other children at the park—children who arrived later, developmentally—begin to talk, to play together, to do the things the books promised might happen for your child too, with the right support, at the right time. You wonder, sometimes, late at night, what might have been different.
“We know exactly what we need. We know when we need it, but for whatever reason there's a wait list.”
— Spencer Carroll, World Health Organization interview
The people who designed this system have never sat where you sit. They have not held a phone for forty-five minutes listening to hold music, nor explained to a teacher why their child struggles with transitions, nor calculated whether speech therapy or groceries comes first this month.
But you have. And here is the thing they do not tell you: your story—the particular truth of what this wait has cost your particular family—is the kind of evidence that changes things. Not eventually. Now.
Your experience becomes evidence for systemic change
“Every day on the waitlist is a day we can't get back. But together, we can make sure fewer families have to wait.”
— Ontario parent
What is happening to these children is not merely unfortunate. According to Canada's own constitution and human rights laws, it is not supposed to happen at all.
The Constitution guarantees equal treatment for people with disabilities. Making a child wait years for care that other children receive promptly is not equal treatment.
Provincial law requires accommodation for disability unless it would cause "undue hardship." A waitlist that stretches into years does not satisfy that standard.
Canada signed a treaty promising children with disabilities the right to health, education, and full participation in society.
The system moves at its own pace. That doesn't mean you have to wait without taking action.
Ask your child's clinician for a letter—one that names what your child needs, explains why timing matters, and describes what happens if intervention is delayed. This document becomes your proof, your leverage, your record. You will need it.
Request an IEP meeting. Schools have accommodations and supports that exist entirely outside the provincial waitlist—the speech therapist, the resource teacher, the quiet room for transitions. These things are sometimes available if you know to ask.
Every call you make, every email you send, every time you are told "no" or "wait"—write it down. Dates, names, times. A binder full of refused requests is harder to ignore than a polite parent on the phone.
Other parents have walked this road before you. They know which programs have shorter waits, which schools are more accommodating, which small victories are actually possible. You do not have to figure this out alone. Read parent stories and connect with support groups.
Detailed guides to autism therapy providers, assessment centers, and support services in major Ontario cities.
70,176 families standing together
Your voice matters. Join us.
Every email to a provincial representative is logged and tracked. When enough constituents write about the same issue, it gets flagged. When enough flags accumulate, change becomes possible.
We've drafted the message. You add your story. Together, we can make a difference.
Somewhere in Ontario right now, a parent is sitting in a pediatrician's office hearing words they did not expect. They will soon learn what the waitlist actually looks like. If you know someone who might be there soon—or is there now—send them this.
This page is part of the Ontario Autism Waitlist Crisis topic cluster. Core content pages from the central hub.
Sources: All statistics are sourced from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), and Ontario government publications. Citations are verified quarterly.
Last Updated: January 2026
Methodology: End The Wait Ontario is a parent-led advocacy organization. We track publicly available data and provide context through the lens of WHO guidelines and Canadian human rights law.
Contact: Report errors or request data sources at
EndTheWaitOntario.com is committed to accuracy. Our data is independently verified against official government reports, scientific literature, and accessible public records.
Children and youth must wait to be invited to apply for core clinical services based on their date of registration. The numbers below are from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO).
Children registered with the new Ontario Autism Program (end of 2023–24).
Children and youth enrolled in core clinical services (as of Feb 29, 2024; FAO).
Average annual funding commitment for children in core clinical services (2023–24; FAO).
Yearly core clinical services funding allocation range (FAO).
The FAO estimates the Province spent $691 million on the Autism program in 2023–24, and the 2024 Ontario Budget set a $723 million Autism program budget for 2024–25.
The World Health Organization shared a clip featuring Spencer Carroll. Watch the reel that helped bring Ontario's crisis to a global audience.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Articles 7, 25, 26) requires timely rehabilitation services for children. Multi-year waits violate Canada's treaty obligations.
Data last verified: Dec 2025 (FAO / WHO)
“The most critical window for a child is between the ages of 0 to 6. We know this. These are time-sensitive interventions that require immediate access.”
Spencer Carroll
On the critical early intervention window
Over 70,000 children are waiting for autism services in Ontario. The average wait exceeds five years. Most children's critical intervention window closes before help arrives.
When we ask for charity, governments decide whether to give. When we demand rights, governments must justify why they withhold. The Treatment Action Campaign proved this in South Africa: reframing treatment as a constitutional right shifted the burden of proof from advocates to government.
This isn't a budget constraint—it's a choice. The Financial Accountability Office has documented that Ontario is spending $779 million when $1.35 billion is needed. The government knows the gap and chooses not to close it.
The brain is most adaptable between ages 0 and 6. Making a three-year-old wait until they're eight isn't a delay—it's a denial of their developmental potential. The "reasonableness" standard asks: would a reasonable government, with available resources, impose this system on its own children?
Every Ontario child has the right to timely developmental supports under human rights law. The resources exist. The evidence is clear. What's missing is the political will.
WHO guidance emphasizes timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions. Ontario families must wait to be invited to apply for core clinical services based on registration date.
“The most critical window for a child is between the ages of 0 to 6. We know this. These are time-sensitive interventions that require immediate access.”
— Spencer Carroll, parent advocate, in a clip shared on WHO's official Instagram account (@who)
Timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions
“Timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions can improve the ability of autistic children to communicate effectively and interact socially.”
View SourceStandardized screening at 18 and 24 months; referral when concerns are identified
Clinical report on identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder.
View SourceAccess to health services and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities
International human-rights treaty ratified by Canada.
View SourceThis isn't parents asking for special treatment. This is Ontario failing to deliver timely access to evidence-based care.
Under Ontario’s current program design, children and youth must wait to be invited to apply for core clinical services based on date of registration (FAO). Advocates argue this structure delays access during early childhood development and requires urgent policy attention.
These aren't just numbers. They are facts backed by government reports and international health authorities.
“Follow the data. It is there for a reason.”
Common questions about wait times, funding, rights, and what you can do
These are not radical proposals. They are baseline constitutional obligations—the minimum required for Ontario to comply with the Canadian Charter, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and international treaties to which Canada is signatory.
In the UK, children begin services within weeks of diagnosis. In Australia, within months. This is not because those countries are richer—it is because they recognize that timely access to developmental supports is a right, not a privilege. Ontario could make the same decision tomorrow.
The government allocates $779 million when $1.35 billion is needed. This $571 million gap is a policy choice, not a budget constraint. Every $15,000 invested early prevents $2.4 million in lifetime support costs—700% return on investment that Ontario currently forgoes.
The "reasonableness" standard from constitutional law asks whether government restrictions are justified given available resources. Ontario must establish enforceable service standards that comply with Section 15 (equality rights) and Section 7 (life, liberty, security) of the Canadian Charter.
How many children are waiting? How long? What are the outcomes? These are not difficult questions to answer. The ministry has the numbers. It is a choice to keep them from the families who are doing the waiting. Transparency prevents failures from hiding in plain sight.
The ministry should not be the only entity measuring whether the ministry is succeeding. When the people being evaluated are also the people writing the evaluations, the results are predictable. Families deserve independent oversight they can trust.
"We're not asking for charity. Every Ontario child has the right to timely developmental supports under human rights law."
Spencer Carroll, Parent Advocate
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Children and youth must wait to be invited to apply for core clinical services based on their date of registration. The numbers below are from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO).
Children registered with the new Ontario Autism Program (end of 2023–24).
Children and youth enrolled in core clinical services (as of Feb 29, 2024; FAO).
Average annual funding commitment for children in core clinical services (2023–24; FAO).
Yearly core clinical services funding allocation range (FAO).
The FAO estimates the Province spent $691 million on the Autism program in 2023–24, and the 2024 Ontario Budget set a $723 million Autism program budget for 2024–25.
The World Health Organization shared a clip featuring Spencer Carroll. Watch the reel that helped bring Ontario's crisis to a global audience.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Articles 7, 25, 26) requires timely rehabilitation services for children. Multi-year waits violate Canada's treaty obligations.
Data last verified: Dec 2025 (FAO / WHO)
“The most critical window for a child is between the ages of 0 to 6. We know this. These are time-sensitive interventions that require immediate access.”
Spencer Carroll
On the critical early intervention window
Over 70,000 children are waiting for autism services in Ontario. The average wait exceeds five years. Most children's critical intervention window closes before help arrives.
When we ask for charity, governments decide whether to give. When we demand rights, governments must justify why they withhold. The Treatment Action Campaign proved this in South Africa: reframing treatment as a constitutional right shifted the burden of proof from advocates to government.
This isn't a budget constraint—it's a choice. The Financial Accountability Office has documented that Ontario is spending $779 million when $1.35 billion is needed. The government knows the gap and chooses not to close it.
The brain is most adaptable between ages 0 and 6. Making a three-year-old wait until they're eight isn't a delay—it's a denial of their developmental potential. The "reasonableness" standard asks: would a reasonable government, with available resources, impose this system on its own children?
Every Ontario child has the right to timely developmental supports under human rights law. The resources exist. The evidence is clear. What's missing is the political will.
WHO guidance emphasizes timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions. Ontario families must wait to be invited to apply for core clinical services based on registration date.
“The most critical window for a child is between the ages of 0 to 6. We know this. These are time-sensitive interventions that require immediate access.”
— Spencer Carroll, parent advocate, in a clip shared on WHO's official Instagram account (@who)
Timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions
“Timely access to early evidence-based psychosocial interventions can improve the ability of autistic children to communicate effectively and interact socially.”
View SourceStandardized screening at 18 and 24 months; referral when concerns are identified
Clinical report on identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder.
View SourceAccess to health services and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities
International human-rights treaty ratified by Canada.
View SourceThis isn't parents asking for special treatment. This is Ontario failing to deliver timely access to evidence-based care.
Under Ontario’s current program design, children and youth must wait to be invited to apply for core clinical services based on date of registration (FAO). Advocates argue this structure delays access during early childhood development and requires urgent policy attention.
These aren't just numbers. They are facts backed by government reports and international health authorities.
“Follow the data. It is there for a reason.”
Common questions about wait times, funding, rights, and what you can do
These are not radical proposals. They are baseline constitutional obligations—the minimum required for Ontario to comply with the Canadian Charter, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and international treaties to which Canada is signatory.
In the UK, children begin services within weeks of diagnosis. In Australia, within months. This is not because those countries are richer—it is because they recognize that timely access to developmental supports is a right, not a privilege. Ontario could make the same decision tomorrow.
The government allocates $779 million when $1.35 billion is needed. This $571 million gap is a policy choice, not a budget constraint. Every $15,000 invested early prevents $2.4 million in lifetime support costs—700% return on investment that Ontario currently forgoes.
The "reasonableness" standard from constitutional law asks whether government restrictions are justified given available resources. Ontario must establish enforceable service standards that comply with Section 15 (equality rights) and Section 7 (life, liberty, security) of the Canadian Charter.
How many children are waiting? How long? What are the outcomes? These are not difficult questions to answer. The ministry has the numbers. It is a choice to keep them from the families who are doing the waiting. Transparency prevents failures from hiding in plain sight.
The ministry should not be the only entity measuring whether the ministry is succeeding. When the people being evaluated are also the people writing the evaluations, the results are predictable. Families deserve independent oversight they can trust.
"We're not asking for charity. Every Ontario child has the right to timely developmental supports under human rights law."
Spencer Carroll, Parent Advocate
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Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario
Sylvia Jones
Deputy Premier & Minister of Health
Michael Parsa
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
Vijay Thanigasalam
Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Paul Calandra
Minister of Education
David Piccini
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Sam Oosterhoff
Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
Minister of Health
Federal Minister of Health
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
ESDC Minister
Minister of Employment and Social Development
Finance Minister
Federal Minister of Finance
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