The OAP wait is 5+ years, but dozens of services don't require core OAP approval. This guide covers free therapy, community programs, school supports, and government resources available to your child right now.
The OAP wait is 5+ years, but dozens of services don't require core OAP approval. This guide covers free therapy, community programs, school supports, and government resources available to your child right now.
The OAP core services waitlist averages 5+ years. That's 5 years of your child's early development — the most critical window for intervention — passing while you wait for a phone call.
You don't have to do nothing. Here's every service, program, and support available to your child right now, without OAP core services approval.
Every family registered with OAP — even those at the very bottom of the core services waitlist — can access Foundational Family Services (FFS) immediately.
These include:
How to access: Contact your regional service provider after OAP registration. Your regional provider will reach out within weeks of registration.
These are not intensive ABA — but they are real, evidence-based supports you can use right now.
Even while waiting for core services, you can apply for $5,000–$40,000 in interim one-time funding (income-tested). Use it for:
Apply at: ontario.ca/autism after registering
If your child is school-aged (or entering JK), these services are free through the school board:
How to access: Contact your school principal. Request an IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) meeting. An IEP must be developed if your child is identified as exceptional.
Several publicly funded programs serve autistic children before school age, with no OAP core services required:
Free early intervention programs for children 0–6. Services include assessment, family coaching, and group programs. Surrey Place also operates as an OAP service provider.
Provides specialized outpatient services. Also runs research programs that families can participate in at no cost.
Each region has a children's treatment centre that provides early intervention, speech, OT, and physiotherapy. Wait times are shorter than OAP for many specific services:
| Region | Centre |
|---|---|
| Waterloo/Cambridge | KidsAbility |
| London | Thames Valley Children's Centre (TVCC) |
| Mississauga/Halton | ErinoakKids |
| Ottawa | CHEO |
| Peterborough | Five Counties Children's Centre |
| Hamilton | Chedoke-McMaster (HHS) |
Contact your regional centre directly. Many have a universal intake process.
Free programs in every community across Ontario. While not autism-specific, they provide developmental monitoring, parent-child programming, and connections to community resources.
Free membership. Regional chapters offer:
Ontario's largest autism service organization, providing community supports across the province without requiring OAP core services:
Year-round programs, camps, social skills groups, and family support. Some programs are subsidized.
Parent advocacy organization. Provides navigation, support, and community connection.
Autism frequently co-occurs with anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. These services don't require OAP:
Particularly valuable for families in rural or remote Ontario:
While not therapy, these financial supports are available immediately:
| Action | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Register for OAP | 1 hour | Free |
| Apply for Interim OAP Funding | 30 min | Free |
| Apply for DTC | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Contact school for IEP | Phone call | Free |
| Contact regional children's centre | Phone call | Free |
| Get on school board SLP list | Phone call | Free |
| Join Autism Ontario chapter | 15 min | Free |
Don't let the 5-year wait be 5 years of inaction. Every week earlier you start these services matters.
Sources: Ontario Autism Program, Autism Ontario, Kerry's Place Autism Services, Surrey Place, Children's Mental Health Ontario.
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