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We are committed to accuracy, transparency, and evidence-based advocacy. Here you will find our mission, standards, and the sources we trust.
The scale of the crisis
67,509 children are waiting without funded services, every number on this site traces to a verified primary source.
Registered
88,175Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Funded
20,666Have active funding
Only 23.4% of registered children
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Waiting
67,509Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Verified , CBC FOI Jan 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 88,175 |
| Have active funding | 20,666 |
| Still waiting | 67,509 |
End The Wait Ontario (also known as ETWO)
We are a parent-led advocacy organization operating in Ontario, Canada. We are not a registered charity, but a grassroots collective of families affected by the Ontario Autism Program waitlist crisis.
To end the waitlist for evidence-based autism services in Ontario by: amplifying parent voices, advocating for government accountability, and advocating for evidence-based policy that serves autistic children and their families.
Geographic Focus: Ontario, Canada
Policy Scope: Ontario Autism Program (OAP), related provincial programs, and their impact on families
We prioritize sources in this order:
FAO reports, Ministry data, WHO guidelines, peer-reviewed research
Mainstream media coverage, established advocacy organizations
Anonymous surveys, individual stories (clearly labeled as such)
This site is not a peer-reviewed statistical analysis. It is advocacy documentation, a public record of systemic neglect, compiled by affected families when official channels fail to provide accessible, accurate accounting of services for disabled children.
When governments restrict transparency around waitlist methodology while families experience documented harm, that information asymmetry itself becomes evidence. The legal purpose of publishing this information is to establish a public record that can inform policy decisions, media coverage, and legal accountability.
The 88,175 children registered with the Ontario Autism Program (up from 70,176in the FAO's 2023-24 report) represents a provincial crisis.
We cite the Financial Accountability Office's historical figure of 70,176 children (Mar 2024). Community members have raised valid concerns about these numbers:
We acknowledge these limitations. However, the broader picture of neglect does not hinge on whether this specific figure contains duplication issues, it is supported by the lived experience of thousands of families and the government's own admissions about service gaps, therapist capacity stagnation, and multi-year wait times.
An official World Health Organization channel shared content from this project in their materials on autism diagnosis and early intervention, not because our data is perfect, but because it represents what families are forced to piece together when governments fail their duty to provide accessible public accounting. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by WHO; the reference demonstrates alignment with their emphasis on timely access to evidence-based interventions.
If you identify specific factual errors on this site, we are genuinely open to corrections. Contact us with documentation and we will investigate and update as appropriate. Report an error →
Independent provincial office providing analysis on Ontario's finances. Source for OAP registration, enrollment, and funding data.
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Official OAP policy and announcements.
Global health authority. Evidence-based guidance on early intervention and autism support.
Curated collection of research, government reports, and policy documents.
We welcome anonymous stories about your family's experience with the OAP waitlist. Stories help put faces to the statistics.
Share your story →If you find an inaccuracy on our site, please let us know. We correct verified errors promptly and transparently.
Report an error →Journalists seeking comment or data: contact us
Key facts about End The Wait Ontario for researchers and journalists.
Common questions about who we are, our standards, and how we operate
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.
Verified Facts
88,175, children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23.4%, Only 20,666 children have active funding agreements () — less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement