By Yasamin Yousefi, Founder & CEO, SenseBloom Therapy. Last reviewed September 30, 2026
Short answer: Most Ontario families combine several sources. The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) sends funding to the family once a child is invited to core clinical services. Insurance, tax credits and private payment cover the rest, or bridge the wait. Register with OAP as soon as you have a written diagnosis, because invitations follow the order of registration.
- OAP core funding runs from $6,600 to $65,000 a year, depending on your child’s age range and assessed support needs.
- Some costs are not eligible, including cancellation fees and diagnostic assessments.
- While you wait, registered families can use free OAP streams and other provincial programs.
The figures below come from Ontario.ca pages updated in 2026. The ministry can change amounts and rules, so check the linked pages before you build a budget.
Start by registering with OAP
To register, your child must be under 18, live in Ontario, and have a written autism diagnosis from a qualified professional. The report has to include your child’s full name and date of birth, the assessment date, a statement that your child meets the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder, and the professional’s name and credentials. Check your report against that list before you upload it.
You register through AccessOAP, the program’s intake organization. Invitations to core clinical services go out in registration order, and not every registered child has been invited yet. Treat the date you register as your place in line, and don’t plan around a start date.
What the funding pays for
Core clinical services include ABA, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and mental health services such as counselling or psychotherapy. Families can also buy technology, program materials or equipment, but only when a regulated professional recommends them in writing.
One rule matters when you choose a provider: ABA paid for with OAP funding must be delivered or supervised by a behaviour analyst, psychologist or psychological associate who is registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO).
Eligible costs include time with your child and family (assessment and treatment), consultation, collaboration with your child’s other professionals, report writing, session preparation, staff training tied to your child’s services, and travel to sessions at $0.40 per km for trips under 100 km.
Not eligible (this list catches families off guard):
- Cancellation fees for missed or cancelled sessions
- Diagnostic and psychoeducational assessments
- Services delivered or supervised by a parent or other primary caregiver
- Fees to a third party for managing your OAP funds
- Website advertising costs for finding professionals
- Anything bought outside your funding period
The ministry can update this list, so confirm anything unusual with your care coordinator before spending.
How much funding to expect
The Determination of Needs process places your child at a support level. Your yearly allocation depends on that level and on your child’s age range, which is set by their age on January 1 of the year of the interview. A child who turns 10 in February, with an interview in March, is still funded in the 4–9 range for that year.
| Age range | Limited | Moderate | Moderate+ | Extensive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3 | $10,900 | $10,900 | n/a | $65,000 |
| 4 to 9 | $8,900 | $24,500 | $36,800 | $65,000 |
| 10 to 14 | $7,600 | $18,800 | n/a | $41,400 |
| 15 to 17 | $6,600 | $18,300 | n/a | $31,900 |
Source: Ontario.ca, guidelines for core clinical services and supports. For children up to 3, Ontario lists “limited/moderate” as a single level.
How payment and reporting work
A care coordinator repeats the Determination of Needs process at least once every two years. If your child stays in the same age range, the interview can be waived for one year.
Allocations under $25,000 arrive as a single payment. Larger ones come in installments of up to $25,000, and you need to report what you spent before the next installment is released. Keep original receipts and proof of payment, because the ministry asks families to hold them for seven years in case of an audit.
While you wait for an invitation
Registration opens other OAP services at no cost: foundational family services, caregiver-mediated early years programs (for children 12 to 48 months), the entry to school program, and urgent response services. Ontario also points registered families to programs outside OAP, such as the Preschool Speech and Language Program, Special Services at Home, and the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities program.
Some families also start therapy privately so their child isn’t waiting without support. If you go that route, agree on fees in writing first. Ontario’s own guidelines say fees should be established and agreed by family and provider before services begin, and a good clinic will give you a fee schedule that states what the hourly rate includes and what happens when you cancel.
Budget time as well as money. Programs work better when parents are involved, which is covered in what parents do during ABA therapy. For a realistic sense of how many months you may be paying for, see how long ABA therapy takes to show results.
Insurance and tax credits
Extended health plans vary a lot, and your policy wording decides what is covered, so ask your insurer before you rely on it.
On taxes, the Canada Revenue Agency lists behaviour analysts as authorized medical practitioners in Ontario as of July 1, 2024. That means fees paid to a registered behaviour analyst can qualify for the medical expense tax credit, limited to what you paid and weren’t reimbursed for. Ask your receipts to show the provider’s name, designation and registration number, and check the details with an accountant.
If you’d like to talk it through
SenseBloom offers clinic-based ABA therapy programs, including ABA therapy in North York, along with behaviour intervention services. You can request a consultation to go over your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Can OAP funding pay for the assessment that gives my child a diagnosis? No. Diagnostic and psychoeducational assessments are not eligible expenses. You need the written diagnosis before you can register.
Can OAP funds cover cancellation fees? No. Ask any clinic about its cancellation policy before you start, since those fees would come out of your own pocket.
My child turns 10 this year. Which funding range applies? The range is based on your child’s age on January 1 of the year of the Determination of Needs interview. If they are 9 on January 1, the 4–9 range applies for that interview.
Can I be paid from OAP funds to deliver therapy myself? No. Services delivered or supervised by a primary caregiver are not eligible.
Can I claim ABA therapy on my taxes? Possibly. Fees paid to a registered behaviour analyst in Ontario can qualify for the medical expense tax credit, for the amount you paid and weren’t reimbursed. Confirm the details with an accountant.
What if my child hasn’t been invited yet? Registered families can still use the free OAP streams, other provincial programs, insurance, and private therapy while they wait.
Sources
- Ontario.ca, Ontario Autism Program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program
- Ontario.ca, core clinical services: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program-core-clinical-services
- Ontario.ca, guidelines for core clinical services and supports: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program-guidelines-core-clinical-services-and-supports
- CPBAO, ABA regulation FAQs: https://cpbao.ca/resources/faqs/
- CPBAO, CRA medical expense tax credit recognition: https://cpbao.ca/canada-revenue-agency-cra-medical-expense-tax-credit/
- Canada.ca, authorized medical practitioners for the medical expense tax credit
