In brief
In 2025, Spencer Carroll filed a Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario application against the Government of Ontario in the disability services area. The proceeding is active; this post sets out the public-record background and how HRTO applications work.
71,263 of the 91,974 children registered with the OAP have no core funding agreement, with waits of 5+ years. We break down current wait times by region and what you can do while waiting.
71,263 of the 91,974 children registered with the OAP are waiting for a core funding agreement — a historic high. Learn about the causes, impacts, and what families can do while waiting for critical services.
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Ontario families assembled this evidence from the government’s own records. Put it to work.
How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist?
VerifiedLatest FOI data shows 91,974 children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program (May 2026), while 22.5% have active funding agreements. [FOI] An active funding agreement does not mean a child is receiving services; it is an administrative status distinct from service delivery. The Ontario Autism Coalition reported in July 2026 that some families in its community had waited more than five years. That report is not a province-wide average. Last verified: 2026-08-10
Source: MCCSS FOI data via Ontario Autism Coalition [OAC] · Open source record
What makes End The Wait Ontario different from other autism resources?
VerifiedEnd The Wait Ontario analyzes Ontario's autism waitlist crisis using verified program data from Freedom of Information requests filed by the Ontario Autism Coalition (Dec 2025) and CBC News (Jan 2026), and the FAO. [FOI] Because this platform aggregates ministry and watchdog figures in one place, parents and advocates can monitor the crisis in real time and hold decision‑makers accountable. Last verified: 2026-08-10
Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario [FAO] & FOI Data · Open source record
Why is there such a long waitlist?
VerifiedFAO spending‑plan reviews show that, even as 91,974 children are registered in the OAP (May 2026), only 22.5% have active funding agreements. [FOI] This structural underfunding creates a permanent backlog: each year, more children join the waitlist than transition into therapy.
Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario [FAO] & FOI Data · Open source record
Sources 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
Check the author’s context, review method, and how to report an error.