Ottawa families wait 2-3 years for autism therapy with only 45 BCBAs serving 12,000+ waiting children. CHEO faces 18-24 month diagnostic backlogs. French services have 3-4 year waits. Rural families drive 3+ hours for care. Private therapy costs $70,000 annually. Eastern Ontario desperately needs more providers.
Eastern Ontario children waiting
Total BCBAs in region
Children per provider ratio
401 Smyth Road, Ottawa
Wait time: 18-24 months for diagnosis
1 Stafford Road, Ottawa
Wait time: 12-16 months
395 Smyth Road, Ottawa
Wait time: 10-14 months for services
Multiple Ottawa locations
Wait time: 6-9 months
300 des Pères-Blancs, Ottawa
150 chemin Montréal, Ottawa
French Service Crisis: Only 8 francophone BCBAs serve 150,000+ French speakers in the region. Many families must accept English services or pay $80,000+ for private French therapy.
363 Parkdale Avenue
235 Donald Street, Suite 212
Early intervention focus
Central referral system
Hidden Costs: Rural families spend $5,000-10,000 annually on gas, hotels, and missed work for Ottawa appointments. Many cannot afford this, leading to complete service abandonment.
Contact: 613-596-8211 | learningsupport@ocdsb.ca
Contact: 613-224-4455 | info@ocsb.ca
| Service | Public Wait | Private Cost | Annual Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis at CHEO | 18-24 months | $3,000-4,500 | One-time |
| ABA Therapy (Intensive) | 2-3 years | $55-100/hour | $55,000-100,000 |
| Speech (Bilingual) | 12-18 months | $160-185/hour | $8,000-18,500 |
| OT Services | 10-14 months | $165-190/hour | $8,250-19,000 |
| Psychology | 6-12 months | $200-250/hour | $10,000-25,000 |
| Rural Travel Costs | N/A | Gas, hotels, meals | $5,000-10,000 |
| Total Annual Cost (Private, Full Services) | $86,250-177,500 | ||
Funding Reality: OAP provides average $8,000/year after 2-3 year wait. This covers 4-9% of actual therapy costs. Extended health insurance typically covers $3,000-5,000 for all therapies combined.
Central intake for all Eastern Ontario children's services - they manage waitlists
Free parent coaching while waiting - evidence-based strategies you can use now
Request Special Education assessment even without diagnosis - don't wait
Contact Developmental Services Ontario: 1-855-376-3737
3,000+ local families sharing resources, provider reviews, and support
Ottawa families wait 2-3 years for publicly funded autism therapy. CHEO has 18-24 month diagnostic wait times. Eastern Ontario has only 45 Board Certified Behavior Analysts serving 12,000+ children on waitlists.
French autism services are available at CHEO, Centre de services Vanier, and Centre psychosocial. However, French-language providers have even longer wait times (3-4 years) due to severe shortages of francophone specialists.
CHEO autism diagnosis involves: 1) Referral from family doctor, 2) 18-24 month wait, 3) Multi-disciplinary assessment team evaluation, 4) ADOS-2 testing, 5) Feedback appointment. Private diagnosis available for $3,000-4,500 with 2-3 month wait.
Rural Eastern Ontario has limited services. Families in Cornwall, Pembroke, and Smiths Falls must travel to Ottawa for most services. Some telehealth available through CHEO and private providers, but hands-on therapy requires 1-3 hour drives.
Ottawa has only 45 BCBAs vs Toronto's 200+ due to: No local BCBA training programs, providers leaving for higher Toronto/US salaries, bilingual service requirements, and larger geographic area to cover with smaller population density.
CHEO Emergency Department handles autism crises 24/7. Mobile Crisis Team (613-260-2360) responds to mental health emergencies. Crossroads offers crisis intervention. Respite services available through Developmental Services Ontario for qualifying families.
12,000+ Eastern Ontario children are waiting while only 45 providers try to serve 1.8 million residents. French-speaking families face even longer waits. Contact your MP and MPP today.
Ottawa Centre MPP
Joel Harden (NDP)
613-722-6414
Minister of Children
Michael Parsa
416-212-7432
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