Purpose
- ACSD
- Income-tested help with extraordinary costs of caring for a child with a severe disability.
- Ontario Autism Program
- Autism-specific services and supports, including foundational family services and needs-based clinical services.
Ontario funding comparison
What Is ACSD in Ontario 2026? Monthly Amounts, Eligibility, and How to Apply
Verified answerVerified 2026-08-12
Direct answer
ACSD (Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities) pays eligible Ontario families $25 to $678 per month for extraordinary disability-related costs. Payments are income-tested and depend on family size and disability severity. OAP, by contrast, funds autism-specific services. Families may apply to both; approval for one does not approve the other.
$25–$678
ACSD monthly range
Ontario, June 30, 2026
Under 18
ACSD age rule
Ontario ACSD
Separate
Applications
Official program pages
Within 30 days
Review request
Ontario ACSD
The numbers behind this answer
Every answer on this site sits on the same verified counts. These are the current figures.
FOI & Government Data
Last verified: May 13, 2026Sources: FAO Report 2023-24 (Financial Accountability Office of Ontario) · 2026 Ontario Budget (tabled March 26, 2026) · CBC News FOI investigation — bi-weekly OAP progress reports, Jun 2024 – Jan 2026, published Mar 30, 2026 (Nicole Brockbank & Angelina King) · MCCSS bi-weekly OAP Core Clinical Services progress reports, Dec 10, 2025 – Mar 4, 2026, obtained under Freedom of Information (release CSS2026-0749) · MCCSS Ontario Autism Program figures as of May 13, 2026, released under Freedom of Information to the Ontario Autism Coalition and published in the OAC "OAP At A Glance" update, July 2026 (ontarioautismcoalition.com)Last Updated:
About This Article
Published:
Last updated:
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Quick answer
- ACSD pays eligible families roughly $25 to $678 each month as of July 1, 2026 (income-tested; confirm current rates).
- OAP is autism-specific; ACSD is available for severe disabilities that meet its rules.
- ACSD is income-tested. OAP eligibility requires a written autism diagnosis.
- Apply to each program separately and do not claim the same expense twice.
What is ACSD?
Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities helps eligible Ontario families with some extraordinary costs of caring for a child under 18 who lives at home and has a severe disability. Ontario considers family income, family size, disability severity and disability-related costs.
Ontario lists disability-related travel, special shoes and clothing, and parental relief such as respite as examples. The official monthly range is $25 to $678 effective July 1, 2026.
What is the Ontario Autism Program?
The Ontario Autism Program is for children and youth under 18 who live in Ontario and have a written autism diagnosis. It includes foundational family services, early-years and school-entry programs, urgent-response services and needs-based clinical services.
Registration is through AccessOAP. OAP and ACSD use different eligibility decisions, application routes and rules, so neither replaces the other.
How to apply for both programs
Apply for ACSD online or send the paper application to the ministry regional office. A special agreements officer reviews the application and may request more information. Ontario does not publish a general ACSD processing-time standard.
Register with AccessOAP after receiving the written autism diagnosis. Keep confirmations, decisions and expense records for each program separate. If an expense could fit more than one benefit, request written guidance before claiming it.
ACSD and OAP compared
| Question | ACSD | Ontario Autism Program |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Income-tested help with extraordinary costs of caring for a child with a severe disability. | Autism-specific services and supports, including foundational family services and needs-based clinical services. |
| Who it serves | Eligible Ontario families caring for a child under 18 who lives at home and has a severe disability. | Ontario children and youth under 18 with a written autism diagnosis. |
| Autism diagnosis | Not specifically required; ACSD is open to severe disabilities that meet its rules. | Required for registration with AccessOAP. |
| Income test | Yes. Ontario considers family income, family size, disability severity and extraordinary costs. | OAP eligibility is not described as an income-tested benefit. |
| Payment or service | Roughly $25 to $678 each month for approved families, effective July 1, 2026 (confirm current amounts with the program). | A mix of services and needs-based clinical funding; amounts follow the OAP process and rules. |
| Examples of support | Ontario lists disability-related travel, special shoes and clothing, and parental relief such as respite. | Autism-specific family, early-years, school-entry and clinical services. |
| How to apply | Apply online or submit the paper application to the ministry regional office. | Register through AccessOAP after receiving the written diagnosis. |
| Can families use both? | Families may apply to each program separately. Approval in one does not approve the other. | Keep expense records separate and ask the responsible program before assigning the same cost twice. |
Who it serves
- ACSD
- Eligible Ontario families caring for a child under 18 who lives at home and has a severe disability.
- Ontario Autism Program
- Ontario children and youth under 18 with a written autism diagnosis.
Autism diagnosis
- ACSD
- Not specifically required; ACSD is open to severe disabilities that meet its rules.
- Ontario Autism Program
- Required for registration with AccessOAP.
Income test
- ACSD
- Yes. Ontario considers family income, family size, disability severity and extraordinary costs.
- Ontario Autism Program
- OAP eligibility is not described as an income-tested benefit.
Payment or service
- ACSD
- Roughly $25 to $678 each month for approved families, effective July 1, 2026 (confirm current amounts with the program).
- Ontario Autism Program
- A mix of services and needs-based clinical funding; amounts follow the OAP process and rules.
Examples of support
- ACSD
- Ontario lists disability-related travel, special shoes and clothing, and parental relief such as respite.
- Ontario Autism Program
- Autism-specific family, early-years, school-entry and clinical services.
How to apply
- ACSD
- Apply online or submit the paper application to the ministry regional office.
- Ontario Autism Program
- Register through AccessOAP after receiving the written diagnosis.
Can families use both?
- ACSD
- Families may apply to each program separately. Approval in one does not approve the other.
- Ontario Autism Program
- Keep expense records separate and ask the responsible program before assigning the same cost twice.
Verify current rules at the official ACSD program page and Ontario Autism Program page.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
1
Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
https://www.ontario.ca/page/assistance-children-severe-disabilities-program
2
Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program
Next step near you
Local route
Where to be assessed near you
Assessment routes, local providers and school boards are tracked city by city. Pick the one closest to you.
- TorontoHolland Bloorview
- OttawaCHEO
- MississaugaErinoakKids (Mississauga Facility)
- BramptonErinoakKids (Brampton)
- North YorkHolland Bloorview (referral)
- ScarboroughSickKids (referral)
The clock
Where the wait clock starts
A child's place in the Ontario Autism Program queue is set by the AccessOAP registration date. 71,263 children are registered and still waiting for core funding (MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026).
Evidence for this answer
Updated:Official Government Sources
- [2026]Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities ProgramGovernment SourceGovernment of Ontario • Government • 2026-06-30
- [2026]Ontario Autism Program guidelines for Core Clinical Services and supportsGovernment SourceGovernment of Ontario • Government • 2026-08-12
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.
Citable source facts(2)Question-and-answer pairs with their source and verification link.
How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
As of May 13, 2026, 91,974 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program. However, only 20,711 (22.5%) have an active Core Funding Agreement. This represents ~300% growth in registrations since 2019, with 71,263 children still waiting for essential funding.
Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · Mar 2026, FAO Report 2024 · Verify Link
Does OAP enrolment mean a child is receiving services?
No. As of 2026-05-13, 24,417 children and youth were enrolled in Core Clinical Services, while 20,711 had an active Core Funding Agreement. Enrolment includes people who accepted an invitation and had not exited; it does not establish that services are being received.
Source: MCCSS Ontario Autism Program figures, May 13, 2026, obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition under Freedom of Information · Verify Link
Next steps & sources
Continue with verified evidence.
Direct action pathways, primary source data, and contextual verification.
About this pageSee authorship, freshness, trust signals, and ways to stay current.
Written bySpencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate