The True Cost of Waiting: Autism Waitlist Impact Calculator

Between ages 0 and 6, a child's brain is changing faster than at any other time in life. Therapies like ABA have the biggest impact during this period because the brain can still form new connections easily. Research by Landa (2018) and others shows that therapy started after age 6 is much less effective, and some windows for growth close for good. pub

Studies by Jacobson et al. (1998), Ganz (2007), and others show that for every $1 spent on early autism therapy, $7-$13 is saved later. pub Those savings come from less need for special education, long-term care, and supervised housing, plus greater independence and employment. fao

The National Autism Center and other experts recommend 20-40 hours per week of intensive ABA for the best outcomes in young children. Our calculator uses a conservative 25 hours/week. Ontario's OAP supports intensive early intervention, but actual funding often falls short of what clinicians recommend.

Research by Ganz (2007), Leigh & Du (2015), and others puts the lifetime cost of autism support at $2-3 million CAD. pubThat covers education, healthcare, housing, and care. Modeling based on Jacobson, Mulick & Green (1998) projects that starting therapy early could cut those costs by 30-60%, roughly $1 million per person — a projected upper-bound estimate, not a guaranteed or realized saving.

We use conservative estimates backed by published research. Every child is different, results depend on your child's needs, your family's situation, and the quality of the therapy. This tool shows the scale of the problem, not a prediction for any one family. All sources are listed below.