The children behind the programme
Every number in this timeline is a child waiting through the critical early-intervention window.
Registered
88,175Children registered
Total in the Ontario Autism Program queue
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Funded
20,666Have active funding
Only 23.4% of registered children
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Waiting
67,509Still waiting
Registered. Diagnosed. Un-funded.
CBC FOI Jan 2026
Verified , CBC FOI Jan 2026
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 88,175 |
| Have active funding | 20,666 |
| Still waiting | 67,509 |
The Ontario autism waitlist stands at 88,175 children as of January 2026, the latest FOI data available. Key 2026 developments include continued FAO warnings, the Carroll v. Ontario HRTO case, Ontario Autism Coalition advocacy, and no new government funding announcements as of February 2026.
Spencer Carroll interviewed on CBC Radio One (Ottawa Morning) about his son's wait for autism services. Fourth major media appearance in one week. Aired to Ottawa's political and public service audience the morning after the CBC News investigation.
CBC Toronto's Enterprise Unit obtained 18 months of bi-weekly OAP progress reports via FOI. Key findings: 88,175 registered, only 20,666 funded (23.4%), 21% registration surge since mid-2024. Features End The Wait Ontario founder Spencer Carroll.
The Trillium: Ontario Autism Coalition demands new budget funding go exclusively to core clinical services. Spencer Carroll calls for independent audit authority: "Calling this the largest investment in program history is giving yourself a participation trophy."
The 2026 Ontario Budget added $186M for the Ontario Autism Program, bringing annual funding to $965M. However, the Ontario Autism Coalition warned last year's increase "didn't move the needle on the core wait list."
Freedom of Information request FOI-MCSS-2025-12-10 confirmed 88,175 registered children, 67,509 without funding, and 20,666 with active funding agreements (23.4%).
HRTO File 2025-62264-I continues. Proceedings are ongoing as of February 2026 and no ruling has been issued.
As of the 2025 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Ontario had not included new OAP-specific funding announcements beyond the annual base increase. The March 26, 2026 Ontario Budget may have addressed this, see our budget analysis for details.
Based on current registration rates (FOI data: 850 new registrations/month vs. 448 enrollments/month), the waitlist continues to grow by approximately 402 children per month. The March 26, 2026 Ontario Budget raised OAP funding to $965M for 2026-27 (up from $779M in 2025-26), but the FAO projected $1.35B is needed at 2018-19 service levels, see our budget analysis for details.
The Ontario Autism Coalition has continued advocacy campaigns including MPP outreach, public demonstrations, and media engagement. OAC is supporting individual HRTO filings.
The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) has repeatedly warned that OAP funding is structurally insufficient. Their 2020 analysis estimated an annual shortfall at 2018-19 service levels of $1.35B needed vs. the $779M budgeted in 2025-26, a gap narrowed to $385M with the 2026-27 allocation of $965M, but still significant given that the registered cohort has grown to 88,175 children since FAO modelled ~40,700.
Based on current registration rates (850/month) outpacing enrollment (448/month), the waitlist will not be eliminated in any foreseeable timeframe under pre-2026-budget funding levels. As of March 25, 2026, the government had not publicly responded to the FAO's modelling with a credible reduction plan. The March 26 Ontario Budget may include new commitments, see our budget analysis.
Read our FAO Report Analysis →HRTO File No. 2025-62264-I
Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I) is an active proceeding. No ruling has been issued. Specific pleadings are not summarized while the matter is before the tribunal.
Important distinction between legal proceedings and advocacy content
The HRTO Case: Carroll v. Ontario (HRTO 2025-62264-I) is a specific human rights complaint filed by Spencer Carroll. This case alleges that making disabled children wait years for medically necessary services during their critical developmental window (ages 0-6) may constitute discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
This Website:Contains general advocacy content about Ontario's autism services system, including analysis of government announcements compared to independent data from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO), media coverage, and academic research. The views expressed are those of a parent-led advocacy organization.
Key Distinction:
The HRTO case makes specific legal claims that must be proven in a legal proceeding. The general advocacy content on this website represents analysis and opinions based on publicly available data. Readers should not interpret the website's general advocacy positions as legal advice or as statements about the likely outcome of any legal proceeding.
For information about filing your own HRTO complaint, contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre or consult with a lawyer specializing in human rights law.
The Government of Ontario has pointed to annual OAP budget increases as evidence of commitment to the program. However, as of the 2025 Fall Economic Statement, independent analysis, including the FAO, had consistently found these increases insufficient to reduce the waitlist.
As of March 25, 2026 (pre-budget), the government had not announced: a waitlist elimination plan, a target date for service delivery, additional emergency funding, or a response to the FAO's $570M+ funding gap analysis (2020 estimate at 2018-19 service levels). The waitlist has grown approximately 285% since 2019 (from ~23,000).The March 26, 2026 Ontario Budget may have addressed this, see our budget analysis for details.
Full accountability record →To stay updated, check our live waitlist tracker which is updated as new data becomes available.
For full waitlist statistics and data:
View Ontario Autism Waitlist Data →Find your next step
01 · For new families
Step-by-step guide to OAP registration, interim therapy options, and what to expect during the wait.
02 · Already waiting
Estimate your wait time, find funded interim services near you, and track your OAP status.
03 · Take action
Email your MPP with one click, share verified data, and advocate for system-wide reform.
Commitment to Accuracy: Our data is verified against official government reports (FAO, MCCSS), peer-reviewed scientific literature, and accessible public records. Last updated: March 24, 2026.
Verified Facts
88,175, children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23.4%, Only 20,666 children have active funding agreements () — less than one in four
$965M, Ontario allocated to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
OAP registrations jumped 21% since mid-2024, with the number of funded children dipping in some periods despite hundreds more registering