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Estimate your position based on registration date. With 91,974 registered and 71,263 waiting, new registrations continue to outpace invitations — the waitlist has grown year over year.
No public position tracker exists. Contact Access OAP at 1-833-425-2445 for status updates. Position is NOT affected by clinical need, age, or urgency.
Ontario uses first-in-first-out only. Other provinces use needs-based systems.
With no public tracker, registration date is the only indicator of your position in Ontario's queue.
Registered
91,97491,974Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Funded
20,71120,711Have active funding
Only 22.5% of registered children
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Waiting
71,26371,263Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Verified , MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Still waiting | 71,263 |
While OAP does not publish a public waitlist tracker, you can take these steps to understand your child's current status and what comes next:
Call 1-833-425-2445 or visit AccessOAP.ca. Ask specifically about your child's registration status, whether their needs assessment is complete, and when they are likely to receive an invitation to core services.
Your registration date determines your queue position. Request written confirmation of the exact date your child was registered, this is your primary proof of place in the waitlist.
The needs assessment must be completed before your child can receive an invitation. If your child hasn't had this assessment, contact Access OAP immediately, any delay costs developmental time that cannot be recovered.
Based on May 2026 FOI data, here are the numbers behind the queue. New registrations continue to outpace invitations, and the number of children waiting has grown substantially since the program launched.
91,974
Total registered
71,263
Currently waiting
22.5%
Receiving services
Ontario's first-in-first-out system does not account for age, clinical urgency, or developmental windows. By contrast, BC, Alberta, and Manitoba prioritize younger children and those with more acute needs.
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Now that you know how it works, here's how to navigate it for your child.
APA Style:
End The Wait Ontario. (2026). How to Estimate OAP Waitlist Position. Retrieved February 3, 2026, from https://www.endthewaitontario.com/answers/oap-waitlist-position-estimateRelated Resources
What do recent surveys say about the waitlist?
VerifiedFOI data (May 2026) confirms 71,263 children and youth remain on Ontario's autism waitlist without active funding agreements, and less than one‑quarter of registered children have started core services. [OAC] Despite repeated government assurances of progress, on‑the‑ground data continue to show entrenched delays and unmet commitments.
Source: Ontario Autism Coalition [OAC] & FOI Data · Verify Link
Can autistic students get an educational assistant (EA)?
VerifiedSchools may assign EAs based on IEP needs, but 47% of families report insufficient supports. EA availability varies by board and often fails to match clinical needs, leaving many autistic students without necessary classroom support.
Source: Ontario Education Act & OAC · Verify Link
Which Ontario hospitals diagnose autism?
VerifiedMajor autism diagnostic centres in Ontario include Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Holland Bloorview, McMaster Children's, CHEO, and Children's Hospital London. [OAP] These publicly funded hubs typically have 12-24 month waitlists, while private clinics can provide assessments within weeks for $2,500-$4,000.
Source: Ontario Autism Program [OAP] · Verify Link
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four
$965M
Ontario allocated $965M 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