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The Ontario autism waitlist stands at 87,692 children as of December 2025 — 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.
Freedom of Information request FOI-MCSS-2025-12-10 confirmed 87,692 registered children, 67,399 without funding, and 20,293 with active funding agreements (23.1%).
HRTO File 2025-62264-I continues, with ongoing documentation of systemic harm caused by the waitlist. No government offer to settle as of February 2026.
The Ford government's 2026 budget process has not included new OAP-specific funding announcements beyond the annual base increase, which the FAO projects is insufficient to reduce the waitlist.
The Financial Accountability Office's model projects that without a $600M+ annual funding increase, the waitlist will continue to grow. No credible reduction trajectory exists under current allocations.
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 independent analysis identifies a gap of over $600 million annually between what the program needs to serve registered children and what the Ford government allocates.
The FAO projections show that under current funding trajectories, the waitlist will not be eliminated in any foreseeable timeframe. The government has not publicly responded to the FAO's modelling with a credible reduction plan.
Read our FAO Report Analysis →HRTO File No. 2025-62264-I
This active HRTO proceeding challenges the OAP waitlist as systemic disability discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code. The case argues that the government's failure to fund timely autism services — allowing 67,399 children to wait without services — violates the rights of children with disabilities. Proceedings continue as of February 2026. No settlement has been offered.
The Ford government has pointed to annual OAP budget increases as evidence of commitment to the program. However, independent analysis — including the FAO — has consistently found these increases insufficient to reduce the waitlist.
As of February 2026, the government has not announced: a waitlist elimination plan, a target date for service delivery, additional emergency funding, or a response to the FAO's $600M+ gap analysis. The waitlist has grown 281% since 2019.
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 →Commitment to Accuracy: Our data is independently verified against official government reports (FAO, MCCSS), peer-reviewed scientific literature, and accessible public records. Last updated: February 1, 2026.