Direct answer
Ontario's Passport program is a direct individual funding program for adults (18+) with ASD or intellectual disability. Accessed through Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) after eligibility is confirmed. Passport funds community participation, support workers, respite, and skill development — not clinical therapy. Funding ranges from approximately $5,000 to $50,000 per year based on assessed support needs.
Start with the short answer, then reveal deeper context where helpful.
Personal support workers — hourly support for community participation, skill-building, and daily tasks outside the home.
Housing (rent, mortgage, utilities); food, clothing, basic household items.
Self-directed: family or individual manages the budget directly, hires support workers independently. Maximum flexibility. Requires administrative capacity for payroll, receipts, and reporting.
There are currently 69,166 children on the OAP waitlist — 77% of all registered children — without funded clinical therapy. When those children become adults, many will require more intensive Passport support because early intervention was never provided.
Personal support workers — hourly support for community participation, skill-building, and daily tasks outside the home.
Day programs, recreation, and community activities — structured programming through approved service providers.
Respite for caregivers — funded breaks for family caregivers, including overnight respite.
Skill development programs — life skills, money management, community navigation delivered by approved providers.
Employment-related supports — transportation to work, job coaching (may overlap with ODSP Employment Supports).
Housing (rent, mortgage, utilities); food, clothing, basic household items.
Medical equipment or prescriptions (covered under OHIP/ADP); income replacement.
Core clinical therapy (ABA, SLP, OT, psychology) — those are OAP categories.
Self-directed: family or individual manages the budget directly, hires support workers independently. Maximum flexibility. Requires administrative capacity for payroll, receipts, and reporting.
Agency-managed: a designated service agency manages funds on your behalf — handles hiring, payroll, and government reporting. Less administrative burden, less flexibility.
Many families start with agency-managed and transition to self-directed as their capacity grows.
There are currently 69,166 children on the OAP waitlist — 77% of all registered children — without funded clinical therapy. When those children become adults, many will require more intensive Passport support because early intervention was never provided.
Many families use a combination of Passport and federal supports. Useful federal programs that stack with Passport: Disability Tax Credit (~$3,000/yr credit), RDSP (up to $90,000 in lifetime federal grants), Canada Disability Benefit (rolling out 2025–2026), Canada Caregiver Credit.
DSO
Developmental Services Ontario — Passport funding eligibility and intake
MCCSS
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services — Passport program guidelines
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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