Ontario Disability Support Program
Passport Program & Special Services at Home
Most autistic adults in Ontario require all three programs: ODSP for income support, Passport for community participation and day programs, and SSAH for in-home respite. They are complementary, not competing. Apply for all three simultaneously — do not wait for one to be approved before applying for the others. Waitlists for Passport can be as long as OAP itself. Begin the SSAH application while your child is still in the OAP system.
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
US$2.4M, Lifetime support costs for autism with co-occurring intellectual disability can reach US$2.4 million per person (Buescher et al.)
1 in 50, According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement