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March 27, 2026
The Ontario Autism Coalition demands the $186M budget increase go directly to core clinical services. Spencer Carroll calls for independent audit authority over how public funds are spent.
In brief
Budget allocations are measured against the children still waiting.
Registered
91,97491,974Children registered
Total registered in the Ontario Autism Program
Funded
20,71120,711Have active funding
Only 22.5% of registered children
Without active agreement
71,26371,263Without an active funding agreement
An administrative status; it does not confirm current service delivery.
Verified , MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Without an active funding agreement | 71,263 |
Attribution: This page summarizes coverage by The Trillium published March 27, 2026, by reporter Sneh Duggal. The Trillium is the press gallery publication at Queen's Park, Ontario's legislature. Read the full article on thetrillium.ca.
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.
OAC: Fund Core Services Exclusively
The Trillium reports the OAC wants every new dollar to go only to core clinical services: ABA, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and therapy equipment. Not workshops. Not admin. Core therapies.
Make It Permanent
The OAC asked the province to make the funding boost permanent, so families and providers get stability instead of one-time top-ups.
Protect From Administrative Bloat
The OAC warned that new money could be absorbed by administration or by secondary programs instead of reaching the children waiting for core therapy.
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.
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.
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.
Government Response (via The Trillium)
The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services did not provide specifics on how the new funding would be allocated. A ministry spokesperson told The Trillium that, in the ministry’s words, every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and thrive.
The ministry said the number of children in core clinical services has tripled under this government. It did not say where the $186 million would be directed, or whether independent audit mechanisms would be implemented.
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
End The Wait Ontario's independent analysis shows that $186M, while significant, may not be enough to clear the backlog of 71,263 children waiting. Our Cost to Clear the Waitlist analysis models what it would actually take.
Also by The Trillium
March 25, 2026, Sneh Duggal
Read coverageCBC News Investigation
March 30, 2026, Brockbank & King
Read coverageHRTO Case Disclaimer
The legal claims in Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I) involve specific individual circumstances and are distinct from the general advocacy positions expressed on this website. This case alleges that wait times during documented critical developmental windows may constitute discrimination under Ontario's Human Rights Code.
Accountability
71,263 children are waiting. The OAC and End The Wait Ontario are demanding every dollar go to core clinical services with independent audit authority.
What did CBC News find about the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
VerifiedCBC News reviewed 18 months of bi-weekly OAP progress reports obtained via FOI (Jun 2024 – Jan 2026). The latest verified figures show 91,974 children registered as of May 2026 with only 20,711 receiving funding — still under 25%. Registrations jumped 21% since mid-2024. In some periods, funded children decreased while hundreds more registered.
Source: CBC News Investigation, Mar 30, 2026 · Open source record
Has End The Wait Ontario been featured in CBC News?
VerifiedYes. CBC News featured End The Wait Ontario and founder Spencer Carroll in a March 30, 2026 investigation into the Ontario autism waitlist. Carroll was quoted calling for greater transparency and accountability: "Only through accountability can we see whether or not these funds are being deployed responsibly." The article highlighted the site as a comprehensive resource for affected parents.
Source: CBC News, Mar 30, 2026 · Open source record
Sources on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
$965M
Ontario allocated $965M to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four
OAP registrations jumped 21% since mid-2024, with the number of funded children dipping in some periods despite hundreds more registering
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Founder & Autism Advocate