Founder & Parent Advocate
Applicant, Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I)
Clip shared on WHO Instagram (@who)
“My son was diagnosed with severe, non-verbal autism at 14 months old. Like thousands of other parents, I was told early intervention was critical. And like thousands of others, I was placed on a waitlist that effectively has no end.”
When I realized the waitlist offered no realistic prospect of timely services for my son, I couldn't stay silent. I founded End The Wait Ontario to give voice to the 88,175 families waiting and to advocate for the supports our children need.
In 2025, I filed a Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) application (Carroll v. Ontario, File 2025-62264-I) arguing that multi-year waits for medically necessary developmental services during critical developmental windows may constitute discrimination under Ontario's Human Rights Code.
Statistics cited in this case are FOI-sourced from Ontario government records. Verify any of them.
Spencer approaches autism advocacy as a data transparency project, applying the same verification standards used in investigative journalism. Claims on this site are traced to government documents, FOI responses, or peer-reviewed publications where available. His methodology mirrors peer-reviewed research standards: primary-source documentation, verification against independent datasets, and full provenance chains for published figures.
Spencer Carroll and End The Wait Ontario operate as independent parent advocacy. We are not affiliated with any political party, lobbying organization, service provider, or government body. We are not working with consultants, lobbyists, or intermediaries. All data analysis is conducted independently using publicly available government documents and FOI responses.
The scale of the problem he's fighting
Spencer Carroll's son is one of tens of thousands of children caught in Ontario's autism funding crisis. This is the data behind the legal battle.
Registered
88,175Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Funded
20,666Have active funding
Just 23.4% of registered children
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Waiting
67,509Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Verified — CBC FOI Jan 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 88,175 |
| Have active funding | 20,666 |
| Still waiting | 67,509 |
About the Founder
Founder & Parent Advocate
Applicant, Carroll v. Ontario
HRTO 2025-62264-I
“My son was diagnosed with severe, non-verbal autism at 14 months old. Like thousands of other parents, I was told early intervention was critical. And like thousands of others, I was placed on a waitlist that effectively has no end.”
Commitment to Accuracy: Our data is verified against official government reports (FAO, MCCSS), peer-reviewed scientific literature, and accessible public records. Last updated: March 24, 2026.
HRTO Case Disclaimer
The legal claims in Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I) involve specific individual circumstances and are distinct from the general advocacy positions expressed on this website. This case alleges that wait times during documented critical developmental windows may constitute discrimination under Ontario's Human Rights Code.
Related Resources
Verified Facts
88,175 — children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23.4% — Only 20,666 children have active funding agreements () — less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement