Advocacy group calls for new autism program funding to go 'exclusively' to core therapies

As reported by Sneh Duggal in The Trillium on March 27, 2026, the 2026 Ontario Budget added $186 million for the Ontario Autism Program. That brings total planned spending to $965 million, up from $779 million the year before. The budget said the goal is to help more children and youth get core clinical services.

But the Ontario Autism Coalition immediately pushed back, calling on the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to direct this funding exclusively to Core Clinical Services, not to foundational services, workshops, or administrative overhead.

The OAC's Position

We are grateful to see the government move away from the cycle of temporary funding patches.

Kate Dudley-Logue, the OAC's vice-president of community outreach, told The Trillium that foundational services and one-time workshops have their place but are no substitute for intensive, evidence-based therapy like ABA, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy. In her view, the budget increase will only be a success if it translates directly into more core clinical services invitation letters landing in parents' mailboxes.

End The Wait Ontario in the Story

Spencer Carroll echoed the OAC's demand for core-only funding, and went further, calling for independent audit authority over how program funds are spent.

Every new dollar should be directed to core clinical services with independent audit authority over how public funds are spent across the program. Without that, families have no way to verify whether this investment reaches a therapist's office or stops somewhere upstream.

Calling this the largest investment in program history is giving yourself a participation trophy. The waitlist is also the largest in program history.

Academic Perspective

Janet McLaughlin, an associate professor of health studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, told The Trillium that any funding increase is welcome news for families who have waited far too long. But she noted the backlog for core services is so large that most families will likely still face long delays.

McLaughlin also called for additional funding for the education system, housing, and long-term supports for youth and adults with autism, areas the budget did not address.

This page summarizes the article in End The Wait Ontario's own words, with brief quoted excerpts. Originally published in The Trillium, March 27, 2026, by Sneh Duggal. Read the full article on thetrillium.ca