Why I Advocate
“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.”
The waitlist offered no real path to timely services for my son. I couldn't stay silent. I founded End The Wait Ontario to speak for the 71,263 families still waiting for a core funding agreement. I advocate for the supports our children need.
Dated OAP progress-report series · Updated
The Human Rights Case
In 2025, I filed a Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) application: Carroll v. Ontario, File 2025-62264-I. It argues that multi-year waits for medically necessary developmental services, during a child's critical developmental window, may break Ontario's Human Rights Code.
Statistics cited in this case come from Ontario government records, sourced through Freedom of Information requests. Verify any of them.
Credentials & Approach
Spencer treats autism advocacy as a data transparency project. He applies the same verification standards used in investigative journalism. Claims on this site trace back to government documents, FOI responses, or peer-reviewed publications where available. His method borrows from investigative journalism: primary-source documentation, independent cross-verification, and a documented provenance chain for every figure.
- FOI data analysis. Spencer analyzed and cross-referenced public data from Freedom of Information requests filed by the Ontario Autism Coalition, CBC News, and other organizations. Together, they document Ontario's autism service delivery gap.
- Data-driven methodology. Every statistic is cross-referenced against a primary government source (FAO, MCCSS, or the Ontario Budget) before publication.
- Clip included in WHO (@who) Instagram reel discussing autism early intervention and the importance of following the data. Not endorsed by WHO.
- Non-partisan approach, encouraging families to engage elected representatives of all parties based on evidence, not political affiliation
Independence Statement
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 do not work with consultants, lobbyists, or intermediaries. All data analysis is done independently, using public government documents and FOI responses.
