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Comparison Guide
Two major GTA autism diagnostic centres serve different regional catchments. This guide compares Surrey Place (Toronto) and ErinoakKids (Peel/Halton) to help families choose the right centre for their area.
In brief
| Category | Surrey Place (Toronto) | ErinoakKids (Peel/Halton) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Toronto (2 Surrey Place) | Multiple locations in Peel and Halton |
| Region served | Toronto (City of Toronto catchment) | Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills |
| Assessment model | Team-based DSM-5 ASD assessment | Team-based DSM-5 ASD assessment |
| OHIP coverage | Yes, no cost to family | Yes, no cost to family |
| Referral required | Yes, GP or paediatrician | Yes, GP or paediatrician |
| Reported wait time | Publicly reported as 12–24 months | Publicly reported as 12–24 months |
| OAP-accepted diagnosis | Yes, AccessOAP accepts | Yes, AccessOAP accepts |
| Adult ASD diagnostics | Yes, rare in Ontario (one of few) | Limited to pediatric |
| Intellectual disability services | Yes, full lifespan DD services | Pediatric focus |
| School board integration | Toronto DSB connections | Strong integration with Peel DSB and Halton DSB |
| Therapy services | Assessment + some therapy | Assessment + therapy services offered alongside diagnostics |
Wait times change frequently, confirm directly with surreyplace.ca and erinoakkids.ca.
Surrey Place Centre (2 Surrey Place, Toronto) is a non-profit assessment and support centre specializing in developmental disabilities and autism. Its ASD diagnostic team includes psychology, psychiatry, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy. Surrey Place serves the City of Toronto catchment.
Notably, Surrey Place is one of the few Ontario centres offering adult ASD diagnostic services, a significant gap in the province where most diagnostic programs are pediatric-only. Surrey Place also offers intellectual disability services across the lifespan, making it a resource for families navigating co-occurring diagnoses.
ErinoakKids is a children's treatment centre serving Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon) and Halton Region (Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills) through multiple locations. Its ASD diagnostic program follows DSM-5 criteria and produces reports accepted by AccessOAP.
ErinoakKids has strong integration with the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and Halton District School Board (HDSB), and offers therapy services alongside diagnostics, which can reduce the gap between diagnosis and initial therapeutic support for families in the region. ErinoakKids focuses on pediatric services; families with adult children should explore other providers. Visit erinoakkids.ca to confirm current services.
Which centre to apply to
Families in Toronto: apply to Surrey Place. Families in Peel or Halton: apply to ErinoakKids. Both centres deliver equivalent OHIP-covered ASD assessments. If the wait exceeds 12 months at either centre, consider a parallel private assessment to start the OAP waitlist clock sooner.
Choose based on where you live. Surrey Place serves the City of Toronto catchment. ErinoakKids serves Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon) and Halton Region (Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills). Families should apply to the centre that serves their municipality. Travelling across regional boundaries for a diagnostic service that has an equivalent centre nearby is generally unnecessary.
Surrey Place Centre (2 Surrey Place, Toronto) is for Toronto residents. ErinoakKids has multiple locations in Peel and Halton regions. If you are unsure which centre covers your address, contact each centre directly, both have intake teams that can confirm catchment area eligibility.
Families publicly report wait times of approximately 12–24 months at both centres. Wait times fluctuate and are not officially published in real time. Confirm current wait times directly at surreyplace.ca and erinoakkids.ca before making decisions. If waits exceed 12 months, pursuing a private psychologist assessment ($2,500–$4,000, 4–8 weeks) in parallel allows families to register with AccessOAP sooner.
Yes. Both Surrey Place and ErinoakKids produce DSM-5 ASD assessments accepted by AccessOAP for Ontario Autism Program (OAP) registration. With 71,263 children currently waiting for Core Clinical Services, families are advised to register with AccessOAP immediately upon receiving a diagnosis. The OAP waitlist clock starts at registration, not at diagnosis.
Surrey Place additionally offers adult ASD diagnostic services (rare in Ontario), intellectual disability services across the lifespan, and a range of developmental disability supports. ErinoakKids has strong integration with Peel and Halton school boards and offers therapy services alongside diagnostics, which can reduce the gap between diagnosis and initial treatment. Both organizations have their own internal waitlists for post-diagnostic services.
Next Steps
The OAP waitlist clock starts at registration. With 71,263 children already waiting, starting the clock sooner matters.
How long does autism diagnosis take in Ontario?
VerifiedBefore joining the OAP waitlist, Ontario diagnostic waitlists average 12–24 months at public hospitals. This pre-waitlist delay means total time from first concern to therapy often exceeds 5–7 years, an invisible bottleneck in official statistics.
Source: Ontario Autism Program [OAP] · Open source record
Is private autism assessment faster in Ontario?
VerifiedPrivate autism assessments cost $2,500–$4,000 but reduce wait times from years to weeks. Many families face the choice of paying out-of-pocket to access the OAP sooner or waiting while their child misses the critical early intervention window.
Source: Ontario Autism Program [OAP] · Open source record
Directly paired with official government filings, FOI releases, and audited datasets.
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
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
Founder & Autism Advocate