OAP funding in 2026: $6,600–$65,000 a year, by age.

What is OAP funding?

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) is the provincial program that funds autism services for children and youth in Ontario. OAP funding is the money paid through that program once a child's Core Clinical Services amount has been set.

Who qualifies

Ontario children and youth under 18 with a written autism diagnosis who are registered with the OAP.

What it covers

Core Clinical Services such as ABA, speech-language, occupational therapy and mental health supports, paid from the annual amount ($6,600–$65,000/year). See which therapies OAP covers.

What it does not

It is not tested against family income. Registering does not mean funding has started: 71,263 of 91,974 (77.5%) were still waiting as of May 13, 2026.

Sources: Ontario Autism Program: guidelines for core clinical services and supports and the Ontario.ca page linked above.

OAP funding amounts in Ontario run from $6,600 to $65,000 a year, set by your child's age band — up to 3, 4 to 9, 10 to 14, or 15 to 17 — and their assessed support-needs level. According to Ontario's published Core Clinical Services matrix, families do not choose or negotiate the figure: after AccessOAP sends a funding invitation, a care coordinator completes the Determination of Needs process, and your child's age and needs category map to one exact published amount. There is nothing between the tiers to interpolate. Getting an invitation takes time. As of May 13, 2026, 91,974 children were registered with the OAP and 71,263 (77.5%) were still waiting for a Core Clinical Services funding agreement. The tables below show every published amount for every age band, followed by exactly how the invitation, determination, and payment process works.

How is an OAP funding amount determined?

What the Determination of Needs process does

Per the OAP Core Clinical Services guidelines, after a family accepts a funding invitation, an AccessOAP care coordinator completes the Determination of Needs process with the family. The child's age band and identified support-needs category then map to one published annual allocation. The age band uses the child's age on January 1 of the calendar year in which the Determination of Needs interview takes place.

Why no amount exists between the published tiers

Because the matrix publishes exact amounts, there is nothing to negotiate from provider quotes, and no amount exists between the published tiers. Families should not interpolate between age bands or support-needs categories: the published figure for the assessed category is the allocation.

What can OAP funding be used for? Eligible and ineligible expenses

Ontario's guidelines say families may use their OAP funding allocation to buy eligible core clinical services and supports. These are applied behaviour analysis (ABA), speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, mental health services such as counselling and psychotherapy, and technology, program materials and therapy equipment recommended by a regulated professional. Source: Ontario, OAP guidelines for core clinical services and supports, page updated September 10, 2026, read October 13, 2026.

Which providers can you pay with OAP funding?

Families choose providers of their choice. The guidelines set a test for the provider, not a list. ABA must be delivered or supervised by a behaviour analyst, psychologist or psychological associate. Speech-language pathology must be delivered or supervised by a speech-language pathologist. Occupational therapy must be delivered or supervised by an occupational therapist. Each must be registered and in good standing with their regulatory college. Mental health services must come from a regulated professional who has psychotherapy in their scope of practice.

The guidelines do not name a provider list as a condition of using funding, so check a provider's college registration. Providers we have checked are listed in our verified provider directory. Being listed there is not a ministry approval.

Eligible expenses

• Time with the child, family or other professionals working with the child. This includes assessing strengths and needs, delivering treatment, consultation, and teamwork with other qualified OAP providers.
• Supports tied to delivering the service: documentation and report writing, session preparation, interpretation and translation, and staff orientation and training.
• Travel to reach eligible services, or for a provider to travel to you. This can include bus or train fare, parking and mileage. The guidelines set the mileage rates.
• Technology, when the child's assessed needs and treatment plan call for it and a regulated professional recommends it. The invoice needs a letter of recommendation.
• Program materials and therapy equipment, under the same tests. These also need a letter of recommendation with the invoice.

Ineligible expenses

The guidelines list these as not eligible:

• Other therapies or specialized services not listed as eligible, for example physiotherapy, psychiatry, nursing, dietitians, personal training, massage therapy and neurology
• Respite services and supports
• Rent, furniture, home renovations or modifications, household items and electronics
• Holiday travel, and travel that is not for directly accessing eligible services
• Phone, internet and mobile phone services
• Groceries, food and restaurant meals
• Clothing and personal goods and services
• Dental care
• Vitamins, medical supplies, orthotics, supplements, incontinence supplies and special diets
• Private school tuition, tutoring, college or university tuition, and day care fees
• Vehicle purchases, leases and rentals
• Investments, including RRSP, RDSP and RESP contributions
• Any core clinical service delivered or supervised by a primary caregiver, or by a child under 18
• Cancellation fees for missed or cancelled sessions
• Diagnostic and psychoeducational assessments
• Fees for a provider or third party to manage your budget and payments
• Anything bought before the funding start date or after the funding end date

The guidelines list a few more items, and the ministry can amend the eligible and ineligible lists at any time. Read the current official list before you spend. If you are not sure about an item, ask your care coordinator.

Respite is a different program's expense. Ontario's Special Services at Home page lists respite services and supports as something SSAH funding can pay for (page updated April 1, 2026, read October 13, 2026). OAP core clinical guidelines list respite as not eligible. See Ontario, Special Services at Home.

Invoices, receipts and reporting

Ontario's core clinical services page (updated March 10, 2026, read October 13, 2026) sets these rules. Where you report depends on who sent your funding. If AccessOAP sent it, you report expenses through your AccessOAP account. If the ministry sent it under the 2021-22 launch, you send the ministry an expense form and the documents it needs.

• You must report your expenses before you can receive your next payment. This applies to a single payment and to instalments.
• Invoices for technology, program materials and therapy equipment must come with a letter of recommendation from a regulated professional delivering or overseeing your child's services.
• Keep all original receipts and invoices, plus proof of payment such as debit, credit card or PayPal statements, for seven years from the date on the invoice or receipt. The ministry may ask for them if it audits you.

Ontario does not list required invoice fields on these pages, so ask your care coordinator what your provider's invoice must show. Source: Ontario, OAP core clinical services. Our reconciliation answer covers what is and is not published.

Before you buy technology, materials or equipment

Ontario recommends that families do these four things first:

1. Talk with all the professionals involved with your child.
2. Work with a qualified professional on a plan to put the item to use and to monitor and review your child's progress.
3. Check whether the item can come from another funding program or on loan.
4. Review the list of eligible and ineligible expenses.

For more on this, see the eligible expenses summary, what you can spend OAP funding on, and which therapies OAP covers. Camps and group programs are covered in our summer camps guide.

Is OAP funding paid retroactively?

No. OAP does not repay therapy you bought before registration or during the wait. Funding starts on the date of your funding invitation. It does not start at diagnosis or registration. Ontario has not created a repayment route for private therapy, even after 5+ years for families registered in August 2021 (community-reported, Ontario Autism Coalition, July 2026).

What you can use while you wait

Foundational Family Services are free and open right after AccessOAP registration. They include caregiver coaching and family-directed supports. They are not Core Clinical Services, but they cost nothing. Private therapy receipts may also qualify for the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit. That credit gives partial tax relief, not a full refund. Our retroactive OAP funding answer covers every option in detail.

Frequently asked questions about OAP funding amounts

OAP funding wait times

As of May 13, 2026, 71,263 of 91,974 registered children (77.5%) were still waiting for a Core Clinical Services funding agreement. 5+ years for families registered in August 2021 (community-reported, Ontario Autism Coalition, July 2026) Use the OAP wait estimator to estimate your OAP service start date.