OAP Therapy Budget Planner

To calculate therapy hours from OAP funding, divide your annual funding amount by the hourly rate of therapy, then divide by 52 weeks.

Example: With $12,000 in OAP funding and ABA therapy at $95/hour:

• $12,000 / $95 = 126 annual hours
• 126 hours / 52 weeks = 2.4 hours per week

The Therapy Budget Planner calculator above automates this calculation for multiple therapy types simultaneously.

Typical hourly rates for autism therapy in Ontario (2024-2025):

• ABA Therapy: $65-$125/hour (Instructor/Therapist level)
• Speech-Language Pathology: $140-$200/hour
• Occupational Therapy: $120-$180/hour
• Behaviour Consultation: $55-$95/hour
• BCBA Supervision: $150-$250/hour

Rates vary by provider qualifications, location (Toronto/GTA vs. other regions), and whether services are clinic-based or in-home. OAP funding typically covers only 5-15% of intensive therapy costs at these rates.

With average OAP funding of $8,000-$12,000 annually and ABA therapy rates of $65-$125/hour, most families can afford:

• $8,000 funding: 1.2-2.4 hours per week
• $12,000 funding: 1.8-3.5 hours per week
• $25,000 funding: 3.8-7.3 hours per week
• $65,000 funding (max): 10-17 hours per week

This is far below the 20-40 hours per week recommended for intensive early intervention. Even maximum OAP funding covers only half of recommended intensity at best.

Yes, OAP Childhood Budget funding can be used for:

• Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)
• Occupational Therapy (OT)
• ABA Therapy / Behavioural services
• Family training and supports
• Other clinical services recommended by your OAP clinical team

However, because SLP rates ($140-$200/hour) and OT rates ($120-$180/hour) are typically higher than ABA rates, OAP funding covers fewer hours of these services. Most families must make difficult trade-offs between therapy types due to limited funding.

Evidence-based practice and clinical guidelines recommend:

• 20-40 hours per week of intensive ABA therapy for young children
• Particularly important during early intervention years (under age 6)
• Based on research demonstrating better outcomes with intensive early intervention

The Ontario Autism Program previously funded up to 36 hours weekly for intensive intervention. Current OAP funding levels cover only 1.5-17 hours weekly depending on funding amount and therapy rates.

This therapy intensity gap (recommended vs. funded) is why 88,175 children remain on the OAP waitlist without adequate services.