Advocacy Resource
Advocacy ResourceThe policy behind the numbers
A structural funding gap leaves 69,166 children without funded services, the current budget covers only a fraction of what the FAO says is needed.
Registered
89,799Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
OAC FOI Mar 2026
Funded
20,633Have active funding
Only 23% of registered children
OAC FOI Mar 2026
Waiting
69,166Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
OAC FOI Mar 2026
Verified , OAC FOI Mar 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 89,799 |
| Have active funding | 20,633 |
| Still waiting | 69,166 |
Per child per year (OAP allocation)
$965M ÷ 89,799 children
Per child needed for adequate therapy
20–40 hrs/week at $100–200/hr
OAP covers 13–27% of actual therapy cost
Of adequate therapy cost
A straightforward breakdown of Ontario's per-child allocation vs. the actual cost of evidence-based ABA therapy.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OAP Total Budget (2026-27) | $965,000,000 | Ontario government allocation |
| Children Registered (OAP) | 89,799 | As of Dec 2025 (FAO data) |
| Per-Child Annual Allocation | $10,746 | $965M ÷ 89,799 |
| Cost: 20 hrs/week ABA therapy | $156,000 | At $150/hr × 52 weeks |
| Minimum adequate ABA (10 hrs/wk) | $78,000 | At $150/hr × 52 weeks |
| Funding Gap (20 hrs/wk) | $145,254 | Families must cover this out-of-pocket |
Select how many therapy hours your child needs per week to see the annual cost vs. what OAP actually provides.
Annual Therapy Cost
$156,000
20 hrs × $150/hr × 52 weeks
OAP Provides
$10,746
Per child per year
Your Out-of-Pocket Gap
$145,254
OAP covers only 7%
Note: The OAP Childhood Budget base amount is $5,000/year (ages 6–17) or up to $20,000/year (ages 0–5). Core Clinical Services funding of up to $55,000/year requires waiting 5+ years for a needs assessment. This calculator uses the average per-child allocation across the full budget.
Ontario's OAP budget has grown, but not nearly enough to meet the actual need.
The gap: Even at $965M, Ontario would need to more than triple the OAP budget, to approximately $2.5B, to fund adequate therapy for all 89,799 registered children (at 20 hrs/week per child).
International evidence shows what effective autism intervention requires.
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.
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Verified Facts
89,799, children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23%, Only 20,633 children have active funding agreements — less than one in four
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
$965M, Ontario allocated to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement