Education Series
The children in these classrooms
Entry to School prepares autistic children for kindergarten, a program too few families know exists.
Registered
91,974Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Funded
20,711Have active funding
Only 22.5% of registered children
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Waiting
71,263Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Verified , MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Still waiting | 71,263 |
Entry to School is an OAP Core Clinical Service funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). It is delivered before your child starts school by a community-based organization contracted through the OAP, not by the school board.
The program runs for approximately 6 months and combines group and individual therapy sessions. Clinicians, including behaviour therapists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists, work with your child on the specific skills they will need to participate successfully in a classroom setting.
At the end of the program, the provider holds a school transition meeting with the school team. Recommendations from the program feed into your child's IEP and help the school prepare appropriate supports before the first day.
There is no cost to families. Entry to School is fully funded through the OAP and is separate from, and does not replace, any supports the school board is required to provide under the Education Act.
If your child is not already registered with the Ontario Autism Program, start at AccessOAP. Registration is required before any OAP services, including Entry to School, can be accessed.
Contact your OAP intake coordinator and explicitly request a referral to the Entry to School program. Do not wait to be offered it, ask directly. The earlier you ask, the better your chances of securing a spot before school entry.
Your assigned community provider will contact your family to begin intake. This includes an assessment of your child's current skills and collaborative goal-setting to tailor the program to your child's specific school readiness needs.
The 6-month program is delivered, group sessions, individual therapy, and family coaching. Before your child's school start date, the provider holds a transition meeting with the school team. Clinical recommendations are documented and fed into the IEP process.
One of the most common misunderstandings families encounter: thinking Entry to School replaces, or conflicts with, school-based supports. It does not. They are funded by different ministries, governed by different legislation, and your child is entitled to both.
Your child is entitled to both systems. They are complementary, not either/or.
If anyone tells you that Entry to School means the school board does not need to provide EA support or IEP accommodations, that is incorrect. The school board's obligations under the Education Act and the Human Rights Code exist independently of any OAP programming your child receives.
Entry to School is time-limited. When the 6 months conclude, families often wonder what comes next. Here is what to expect and what to actively pursue.
Can autistic students get an educational assistant (EA)?
Schools may assign EAs based on IEP needs, but 47% of families report insufficient supports. EA availability varies by board and often fails to match clinical needs, leaving many autistic students without necessary classroom support.
Source: Ontario Education Act & OAC · Verify Link
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
Under the Ontario Education Act, every student with special needs is entitled to an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and access to an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
1 in 50
According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about 1 in 50 children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%) — less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement