British Columbia has the shortest wait time — families typically wait weeks to months after diagnosis. Alberta (through FSCD) takes 3-6 months. Ontario has the longest wait at 5+ years for OAP core clinical services, affecting 77% of 87,692 registered children.

The critical developmental window (ages 2-6) argues strongly for early intervention. Waiting 5+ years for OAP core services means missing this window. However, private ABA costs $30,000-$80,000/year — unaffordable for most families. The best strategy is to use OAP interim funding ($22K under-6, $5.5K 6+) for partial services while on the waitlist.

Ontario has one of the largest autism program budgets ($778M in 2025-26), but most families never access core services due to the 5+ year waitlist. BC and Alberta provide faster access with lower theoretical maximums. For practical purposes — services families can actually access — BC and Alberta perform better despite lower budgets.

ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) has the strongest research evidence and is OAP-categorized as a core clinical service. Speech therapy and occupational therapy address specific communication and daily living skills at lower costs ($5,000-$10,000/year). Most children benefit from a combination rather than ABA alone.

British Columbia has the shortest wait time — families typically wait weeks to months after diagnosis. Alberta (through FSCD) takes 3-6 months. Ontario has the longest wait at 5+ years for OAP core clinical services, affecting 77% of 87,692 registered children.

The critical developmental window (ages 2-6) argues strongly for early intervention. Waiting 5+ years for OAP core services means missing this window. However, private ABA costs $30,000-$80,000/year — unaffordable for most families. The best strategy is to use OAP interim funding ($22K under-6, $5.5K 6+) for partial services while on the waitlist.

Ontario has one of the largest autism program budgets ($778M in 2025-26), but most families never access core services due to the 5+ year waitlist. BC and Alberta provide faster access with lower theoretical maximums. For practical purposes — services families can actually access — BC and Alberta perform better despite lower budgets.

ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) has the strongest research evidence and is OAP-categorized as a core clinical service. Speech therapy and occupational therapy address specific communication and daily living skills at lower costs ($5,000-$10,000/year). Most children benefit from a combination rather than ABA alone.