Durham & York Region

Autism Support in Durham & York

Covering the GTA's east and north: Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Oshawa, Whitby, and Ajax.

MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 · Waitlist figures verified November 2026

Direct answer

Grandview Kids is the primary rehabilitation centre for Durham, running diagnosis, OAP Entry to School, SLP, OT, and physiotherapy from its Ajax facility. Kinark Child and Family Services leads complex-needs and respite coordination for York, with a large clinical team delivering direct ABA therapy. Private ABA and speech clinics operate in Vaughan and Woodbridge; confirm intake directly with each provider.

MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 · Verified 2026-11-03

The provincial picture

Regional gaps are visible against this province-wide baseline.

Funded, and not funded

91,974 children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program province-wide. 22.5% have an active core funding agreement.

77.5%

of the 91,974 children registered province-wide have no active core funding agreement

  • 22.5% with an active agreement
  • 77.5% without one

Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026. Counts as of May 13, 2026; verified November 2026.

A place on a list. An active agreement is an administrative status, not a record of delivered therapy.

What the record counts

MCCSS reported two counts as of May 13, 2026, released under an Ontario Autism Coalition freedom-of-information request. The waitlist is the difference between them.

MCCSS reported two counts as of May 13, 2026, released under an Ontario Autism Coalition freedom-of-information request. The waitlist is the difference between them.
MeasureOntario Autism ProgramSource
Registered91,974MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Active funding agreements20,711MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Without an active agreement71,263MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026
Durham or York splitNot publishedMCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026

Registered is not funded. The two figures are released separately; the gap is arithmetic, not an estimate.

The regional agency

Durham Region: Grandview Kids

Durham Region
Grandview Kids (Oshawa/Ajax) is the main rehabilitation centre for Durham.
New Grandview
Its "New Grandview" facility in Ajax houses diagnosis, OAP Entry to School, SLP, OT, and physiotherapy services under one roof.
Visit Grandview Kids  (opens in new tab)
New facility
Ajax site
Consolidates diagnosis, OAP Entry to School, SLP, OT, and physiotherapy under one roof.
Services
Diagnosis and therapy
Diagnosis, OAP Entry to School, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy.

Other critical resources

York Region: Kinark

York Region
Kinark Child and Family Services is a large agency with a strong presence in York (Markham/Vaughan).
Services
Often the lead agency for complex needs and respite coordination, and runs a sizeable clinical team for direct ABA therapy.

Complex needs and respite. Coordination through this agency is separate from a core funding agreement.

Where private capacity sits

Vaughan / Woodbridge
Private ABA and speech clinics
Confirm current intake directly with each provider.
Markham
Culturally specific services
Includes Cantonese- and Mandarin-speaking therapists.
Whitby
Private OT and sensory gyms
Confirm current intake directly with each provider.

Private is private. Paying out of pocket does not change a child’s position on the provincial list.

Where the waitlist stands

Families navigating autism services in Ontario face a documented multi-year wait. Here is the Ontario data — and a two-minute way to push back, when you are ready.

Verified references and sources

Watchdog Reports

  • [2024]
    Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services: Spending Plan Review
    Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) • Watchdog report • 2024-06-05

FOI Records

  • [2026]
    Ontario Autism Program figures as of May 13, 2026 (MCCSS, released under Freedom of Information to the Ontario Autism Coalition; published in the OAC "OAP At A Glance" update, July 2026)
    Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario), obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition • FOI record • 2026-05-13

Questions and answers

How should families use the Durham and York autism guide?

Use the named regional agencies, school-board links, and service contacts to plan your next inquiry. Confirm eligibility and current intake directly; provincial OAP figures do not measure a Durham or York wait.

Guides and tools related to this page.

Claims and sources from this page(2)

Which Ontario hospitals diagnose autism?

Major autism diagnostic centres in Ontario include Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Holland Bloorview, McMaster Children's, CHEO, and Children's Hospital London. [OAP] Ontario does not publish wait times for these publicly funded centres, so ask each one for its current wait. Private clinics also offer assessments for a fee; ask for a written fee quote and the expected wait.

Source: Ontario Autism Program [OAP] · Open source record

What Canadian research exists on autism intervention?

Canadian studies from York University, McGill, and Holland Bloorview have documented effective early autism interventions. [WHO] However, implementation gaps mean research evidence doesn't reach Ontario families-creating a disconnect between what Canadian science shows works and what the system delivers.

Source: World Health Organization [WHO] · Open source record

Sources on this page

The source chain stays visible.

Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.

Facts 3
Sources 2

22.5%

Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four

Primary source MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 Verified 2026-11-03
Open complete source list(2)
Last system verification: 2026-11-03. Next scheduled update: 2027-02-01.

About this page

Check the author’s context, review method, and how to report an error.

Written by Spencer Carroll

Founder & Autism Advocate

Lived experience: Parent of autistic child in the OAP system

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