91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
ON THE PUBLIC RECORD · VERIFIED 2026-08-10
History of the Ontario Autism Program
Direct answer
The current needs-based OAP launched in 2022, but 71,263 children are still waiting for a funding agreement. 22.5% of registered children have an active Core Funding Agreement; an agreement does not confirm therapy receipt.
Ontario Autism Coalition FOI · Ontario Budget · Verified 2026-08-10
Quick Summary
- Ontario launched its first dedicated autism funding in 2000 under Premier Mike Harris.
- The Ontario Budget allocates $965 million for 2026-27. Historical spending figures appear only for years with published data in the chart below.
- The 2019 registration baseline is approximate. This page does not include an unsupported historical waitlist series.
- The current needs-based OAP (Ontario Autism Program) launched in 2022, but 71,263 children are still waiting for a funding agreement.
- 22.5% of registered children have an active Core Funding Agreement; an agreement does not confirm therapy receipt.
The policy behind the numbers
71,263 children are caught in a structural funding gap that spans two decades of OAP policy changes.
Ontario's figures, as of May 2026 (MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026).
Registered
91,974Children registered
Total registered in the Ontario Autism Program
Funded
20,711Have active funding
22.5% of registered children
Without active agreement
71,263Without an active funding agreement
An administrative status; it does not confirm current service delivery.
Show as table
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered | 91,974 |
| Have active funding | 20,711 |
| Without an active funding agreement | 71,263 |
Ontario Autism Coalition FOI; source details are listed below. · Updated
OAP Evolution Timeline
- 2000-2003Early Years
Autism Intervention Program (Harris Government)
Ontario launches its first autism-specific funding in 2000 under Premier Mike Harris. The Autism Intervention Program pays for IBI (Intensive Behavioural Intervention) therapy for children under 6, but there are too few spots and waits begin immediately.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Unknown
- 2003-2007Program Expansion
AIP Continues Under McGuinty
The McGuinty government keeps and grows the autism program. IBI (Intensive Behavioural Intervention) funding for children under 6 continues with a few more spots, but waits keep growing.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Not published
- 2007-2011Expansion
ABA Expansion
Program expanded to include older children and more ABA providers. First significant waitlist crisis emerges as demand outpaces capacity.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Not published
- 2011-2014Age Cap Controversy
Age 5 Cutoff Eliminated
Government removes age 5 cutoff for IBI following intense advocacy and legal challenges. All eligible children can access services regardless of age.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Not published
- 2014-2016Transition
Direct Funding Option
Introduction of a direct funding option allowing families to choose providers. Regional consolidation created regional service providers.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Not published
- 2016-2018Crisis Begins
OAP Transformation Cancelled
The Ontario government announces a needs-based OAP to replace the age-based program. Initial rollout cancelled after public outcry over income testing. Program paused while a new framework was developed.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Not published
- 2019-2021Confusion
Interim Programs
Childhood Budgets (annual funding by age group) and one-time payments were introduced as temporary programs while a new framework was developed.
- Funding:
- Not published
- Waitlist:
- Not published
- 2022-2026New Framework
Needs-Based OAP
The needs-based OAP framework launched. As of May 2026, 71,263 children were without an active Core Funding Agreement.
- Funding:
- $965 million total OAP budget (2026-27 Ontario Budget)
- Waitlist:
- 71,263
Funding Growth vs Waitlist
Published FAO spending amounts. Scroll horizontally to review all columns.
| Financial year | FAO-reported OAP spending | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | $608M | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario |
| 2020-21 | $600M | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario |
| 2021-22 | $600M | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario |
| 2022-23 | $628M | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario |
| 2023-24 | $691M | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario |
| 2024-25 | $723M | Financial Accountability Office of Ontario |
Spending values appear only for years with published FAO data. Current registration is 91,974 as of May 2026.
Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, MCCSS Spending Plan Review; MCCSS FOI documents published by The Trillium. · Updated
Questions About OAP History
Ontario's first dedicated autism funding began in 2000 under Premier Mike Harris with the Autism Intervention Program (AIP), providing IBI for children under 6. The McGuinty Liberal government (2003–2010) inherited and expanded the AIP. The OAP as it exists today evolved from successive reforms to that original 2000 program.
From 2000-2011, Ontario only funded IBI therapy for children under 5. When children turned 5, they were cut off from funding regardless of progress or need. In 2011, following intense advocacy and a legal challenge, the government eliminated the age cap. This decision acknowledged that older children still benefit from ABA therapy and that arbitrary age limits raised concerns about children's rights to education and equal treatment.
The Ontario government announced a redesign of the autism program in 2019. This page does not reproduce an unsourced historical waitlist series.
Childhood Budgets and interim one-time payments were temporary programs. For current support, see the Ontario Autism Program’s Core Clinical Services information.
The FAO published OAP spending figures for 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25. The amounts for those years appear in the sourced chart on this page. The FAO and Ontario budget documents use different reporting periods and measures, so this page does not compare them as a single continuous series.
The needs-based OAP includes Core Clinical Services and Foundational Family Services. Current Core Clinical funding ranges from $6,600–$65,000/year.
Key milestones: 2000 - First dedicated autism funding, 2011 - Age 5 cutoff eliminated, 2014 - Direct funding option introduced, 2016 - OAP transformation cancelled (crisis begins), 2019 - Childhood budgets and interim funding, 2021 - Human rights concerns raised about autism wait times, 2022 - Needs-based framework announced, 2024 - Waitlist reaches 91,974 despite all reforms.
The 2016 transformation failed because: (1) It introduced income testing that families perceived as unfair, (2) It imposed age-based funding caps that cut off services at critical ages, (3) Rollout was poorly communicated with minimal stakeholder consultation, (4) It threatened to cut services to children already receiving therapy, (5) It didn't address the fundamental problem - insufficient service provider capacity. The government cancelled the plan after months of protests and media coverage.
The Ford government took office in June 2018 and announced a major OAP overhaul in February 2019. The pre-2019 model funded direct therapy hours through providers; the post-2019 model gives families a Childhood Budget to manage services themselves. Funding caps were introduced based on age and family income (income testing was later removed after public backlash). Registration grew from about 23,000 children in 2019 (approximate) to 91,974 as of May 2026.
Before 2019, the OAP funded direct intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) hours delivered by registered providers; families did not manage budgets themselves. The post-2019 model converted to family-managed Childhood Budgets, then to needs-based funding (announced 2022). Parents who experienced both models commonly report that the pre-2019 system delivered more therapy hours per family but was harder to access; the post-2019 system gives more families some funding but rarely enough to fund evidence-based therapy intensity.
The approximate 2019 registration baseline was 23,000. As of May 2026, 91,974 children are registered, of whom 71,263 (77.5%) are without an active Core Funding Agreement.
See the current OAP information
- MCCSS Ontario Autism Program figures, May 13, 2026, obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition under Freedom of Information. Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario), obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition (May 13, 2026)
- Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services: Spending Plan Review (2024). Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (2024)
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Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
Facts4
Sources3
The FAO estimated $1.35 billion in annual OAP need at 2018-19 service levels for approximately 40,700 children in its 2020 report
$965M
Ontario allocated $965M to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four
Last system verification: 2026-08-10. Next scheduled update: 2026-11-05.
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