How many children are on the Ontario autism waitlist in 2026?
As of May 13, 2026, 91,974 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program. However, only 20,711 (22.5%) have an active Core Funding Agreement. This represents ~300% growth in registrations since 2019, with 71,263 children still waiting for essential funding.
Source: MCCSS FOI via OAC · Mar 2026, FAO Report 2024 · Verify Link
Is the Ontario Autism Program underfunded?
Yes. The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) determined that $1.35 billion annually is needed to serve all registered children at 2018-19 service levels. The 2026-27 Ontario Budget allocated $965 million, leaving an estimated $385M+ annual shortfall. This gap is the primary driver of the perpetual 91,974+ child waitlist.
Source: Financial Accountability Office of Ontario [FAO] · Verify Link
Occupational Therapy is typically considered for autistic children and, in some cases, adults navigating the challenges this service addresses. Providers assess fit on an individual basis — the notes below describe general timing and frequency, not a guarantee of eligibility or outcome.
core clinical
OAP Category
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
Provider-specific
Price
Request an itemized written quote
unavailable
Evidence Level
Claim-level review pending
Varies by program, provider, and region
Availability
Confirm directly
Occupational therapy may support daily living, sensory needs, fine-motor skills, participation, and self-regulation when goals are based on an individual assessment. Suitability, evidence, availability, and expected outcomes depend on the individual service and provider. Confirm each claim before relying on it for a care decision.
Public coverage and private prices vary. Confirm current eligibility with the relevant program and request an itemized written quote from any private provider.
These are general process questions worth asking any ot provider — not claims about a specific provider's answers.
Regions below list at least one service center offering ot.
Browse the full Ontario provider mapRelated Resources
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) delivered to children aged 18–30 months produced significant gains in IQ, adaptive behaviour, and autism severity — some children no longer met diagnostic criteria at follow-up
Cochrane systematic review finds evidence that early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) may produce positive effects on adaptive behaviour and communication for young children with ASD (low certainty of evidence)
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism. Timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
1 in 50
According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about 1 in 50 children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four