Ontario Autism Services, Answered

As of May 13, 2026, 91,974 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). Of these, only 20,711 (22.5%) have active Core Funding Agreements. The remaining 71,263 children are registered but unfunded.

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) is the provincial government's program providing funding and services to autistic children and youth under 18 in Ontario. It includes Core Funding (direct therapy funding) and Foundational Family Services.

Registrations have grown faster than new Core Funding Agreements. See the data hub for the figures.

Wait times vary. 5+ years for families registered in August 2021 (community-reported, Ontario Autism Coalition, July 2026). This is a community report, not a province-wide average.

Ontario spent an estimated $691.2M on the Ontario Autism Program in 2023-24. About 44 cents of every dollar reached core clinical services, approximately $307.3M (44.5%). The remainder went to administration, overhead, and non-clinical supports.

End The Wait Ontario's analysis estimates a minimum of $385M in additional annual funding would be required to provide Core Funding to all currently unfunded children.

Core Funding is direct funding provided to families to purchase autism services (ABA therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and other interventions). The Core Clinical Services funding ranges from $6,600 to $65,000 per child per year depending on age and support needs.

Ontario does not mandate insurance coverage for autism therapy. The OAP is the primary government funding mechanism, but the program's Core Funding is not universally available due to the waitlist.

AccessOAP is the intake organization that administers the Ontario Autism Program under contract to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. It is operated by a consortium led by Accerta Services Inc., with Autism Ontario, McMaster University, and Serefin, and handles registration, intake, care coordination, and payment reconciliation. AccessOAP operations cost $57.9M in 2023-24, about 8.4% of the OAP budget (FAO, MCCSS Spending Plan Review, June 2024).