How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
Direct answer
As of May 13, 2026, the OAP recorded 91,974 registrations, 20,711 active Core Funding Agreements, and 71,263 registrations without an active agreement. Agreement status does not establish therapy attendance. The registrations-without-agreement figure is not a measured count of children receiving no services.
What this means for your family
The May 13, 2026 snapshot counts registrations and active funding agreements, not therapy attendance. Keep your registration confirmation and ask AccessOAP which supports fit your child. Programs have different eligibility and invitation requirements; registration alone does not guarantee immediate access.
About This Article
Published:
Last updated:
Context & Explanation
The May 13, 2026 snapshot must not be labelled January 2026. Ontario has not published a province-wide or regional average in the cited records. In July 2026, the Ontario Autism Coalition reported invitations reaching families registered in August 2021, describing roughly five years for that community-reported cohort; it is not an average or a forecast for a newly registered child.
Illustrative example
This is a composite example, not a real family.
A newly registering family cannot use the total number of registrations as the number of people ahead of its child. Ask AccessOAP to confirm registration details and explain available services rather than calculating a promised start date from these totals.
The numbers behind this answer
Every answer on this site sits on the same verified counts. These are the current figures.
Ontario's figures, as of May 2026 (MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026).
Registered
91,974Children registered
Total registered in the Ontario Autism Program
Funded
20,711Have active funding
22.5% of registered children
Without active agreement
71,263Without an active funding agreement
An administrative status; it does not confirm current service delivery.
Show as table
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Without an active funding agreement | 71,263 |
Frequently asked questions
As of May 13, 2026, the OAP recorded 91,974 registrations, 20,711 active Core Funding Agreements, and 71,263 registrations without an active agreement. Agreement status does not establish therapy attendance. The registrations-without-agreement figure is not a measured count of children receiving no services.
Sources
MCCSS figures published by the Ontario Autism Coalition
Observation: May 13, 2026. Site data record and definitions; the underlying OAC release URL and publication date are not recorded.
Ontario Autism Coalition community report
July 2026 report about August 2021 registrants; community-reported cohort, not a government average. Direct report URL is not recorded.
Ontario Autism Program — registration and service options
Official program guidance; does not supply the May snapshot or a measured average.
Next steps
Keep going with related guidance, tools, and evidence.
Related questions
How long is the Ontario Autism Program waitlist?
The registration total includes children with active agreements, so it is not a count of children waiting.
Which Ontario regions have the longest autism waitlists?
A provincial invitation cohort cannot be converted into a Toronto, Northern Ontario or other regional average.
About this page
Check the author’s context, review method, and how to report an error.