Introduction

Have you heard of the waitlists to get on to the Ontario Autism Program Funding? With the current demand for ABA therapy, the waitlists are growing and children are not being serviced fast enough. More children are being put on the waitlist, and access to services is increasingly prolonged.

There is much evidence that early diagnosis can make it easier for you to access appropriate services and reduce stress as a parent. The benefit of early intervention is that targeted interventions can be implemented, better social outcomes can be achieved, and those with Autism can become more independent as adults through early intervention. Key benefits of early
ABA interventions include social-emotional learning, communication and behavioral improvements, reducing challenging behaviors, and promoting independence which enhances adaptability and coping mechanisms for future challenges.

Since 2018, Autism Ontario has noted that the long waitlists have been the biggest barrier to Autism treatment. The stress associated with waiting and not getting treatment and waiting in the dark for services with such big delays are a real challenge, when there is so much evidence that early treatment helps future challenges. What are families to do?

Understanding the ABA Therapy Landscape in Ontario

As ABA (Applied behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is the golden therapy for children and families who require support for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or other developmental challenges, it is important to recognize that children with such exceptionalities, can benefit from ABA therapy in many ways. This includes encouraging positive behaviours, life skills, communication, and social skills.

With the current demand for ABA therapy, the waitlists are growing and children are not being serviced fast enough. According to CBC News (2024), the number of children seeking services (since June 2024) is 73,031, but the number of children receiving that funding is 14,113. The wait time currently is said to be about 5-7 years to be on the waitlist, but this ever-growing recognition of ASD, and diagnoses, is continually growing. The demand and need for ABA services are required to help this gap.

Behavioral, cognitive, educational, and developmental approaches can all be improved through early intervention. As early intervention aids development, communication, and social skills are improved greatly, as are independent skills and determining success in school. The importance of early access to ABA therapy needs to be recognized as early intervention is crucial to a child’s development process with ASD or developmental delays.

There are three key factors contributing to the long waitlists for ABA therapy. This includes:

1. Limited Resources – Although there have been increases to funding government budgets funding allocations do not supersede the demand for services as there are limits to this budget. Along with that services and accessibility to services are not quite there as rural and remote areas do not have the resources to provide these services.
2. Demand for Services Growing – With more awareness of Autism and mental health, the demand for services grows. The demand continues as the evidence shows ABA service is a standard that helps progress and early intervention is seen to be helpful in success in treatment.
3. Shortages in professional services (BCBA’s) – There is a limited and decreasing number of professionals in the ABA field, which does not provide evidence-based treatments for ABA services. The demand for ABA professionals grows with the need for services.

The Impact of Waitlists on Families

With the stress of a new diagnosis, it is hard for families to adapt to challenges of behaviours, transitions, and the child’s needs. This burden and stress can lead to disruption in everyday family time, across various community settings and creates anxiety and confusion for the parent when there are very big challenging behaviours.

The impact and stress put on families due to the extended waitlists and delayed therapy are high as family members do not have training or understanding of their child’s behaviours. The areas of biggest concern according to quality of life research in 2017 include if the child has major health concerns, family needs not being met by services as well as limited self-care or leisure activities for the family and child.

This could lead families to look into private ABA services, which can be a financial burden on the family. The cost of private ABA services is variable but can go upwards to $200 an hour. Children who need 20-40 hours a week can deplete a lot of families, and create more of a financial burden.

Increased Funding and Government Initiatives

There are funding increases for “The Workforce Capacity Fund” which gives grants to public and private service providers to help them expand their capacity to deliver clinical services to more children in the Ontario Autism Program. This includes 2-year grants ranging from $50,000 to $400,000 in value.

According to CBC News, the budget includes a $60-million one-time addition to the program’s funding last year. The funding and budget for Autism service is now at 720 million dollars. Autism Ontario provides funding such as Summer and Winter break funding to support resources and leisure activities to support families under stress during those times. They also provide different funding for Adults with ASD to support that transition, including bursary and government funding for Adults on the spectrum.

In 2019, a more needs-based system was recommended and helped to create core clinical services to service children with ASD, to provide a more needs-based intervention and funding allocation. Some initiatives provided an allowance for those with urgent care support to be provided.

The Urgent Response Services include children and youth who are experiencing a specific, urgent need and can access support to help stabilize the situation, prevent a crisis as well as reduce the risk of the child or youth harming themselves, others, and property. Children and youth can get up to 12 weeks of free support with this service.

Canada’s Autism Strategy looks at helping people with autism have financial stability and security, including tax measures and benefits, employment programming, financial literacy and planning, and housing support.AIDE Canada provides access to online resources for those 18+, including an inventory of services, supports, employment opportunities, and local programming for families across the country.

Telehealth Solutions

Ontario’s autism support landscape is becoming increasingly integrated with virtual ABA services as the waitlists grow longer and some regions remain under-serviced. Telehealth services are more cost-effective, have greater scheduling flexibility by reducing the time of travel, and overall make therapy more convenient for families. As evidence has proven telehealth is a great way to access services and can be just as effective as direct services.The services that telehealth can provide include helping children increase their social communication and developing parent training packages to help parents learn techniques and interventions for generalization in various settings.

Training and Retaining ABA Professionals

There should be job retention and transition strategies implemented to ensure current ABA therapists retain jobs. There is evidence that helps to encourage ABA therapists to obtain high-quality training and take social validity data on the training and interventions implemented. This can include understanding and training for collecting data specific to the goals, procedures, and outcomes of caregiver training and intervention. Therapist characteristics should include warmth, empathy, acceptance, and compassion with a strong emphasis on collaboration to ensure individual and personalized treatment goals and intervention strategies are implemented.

Continuity of care, maintaining treatment integrity, and promoting positive outcomes for clients requires a stable, skilled workforce. ABA organizations can enhance their quality of services and improve outcomes for individuals receiving ABA therapies by addressing factors influencing retention, implementing strategies to support staff, and cultivating a positive organizational culture.

What Can Families Do While Waiting?

While parents wait for therapy, there are some proactive steps to help find support for their child as well as resources within the community.

This includes:

1. Researching ABA Strategies and Interventions: Online websites, books, and articles could help families incorporate strategies and evidence-based practices while waiting for support and putting them into practice at home. Websites for training, resources, and articles include Autism Ontario, The Geneva Centre, and Sonderly. 
2. Join support groups & get resources throughout the community: Autism Ontario, ErinOak Kids, Toronto Central Healthline, and Kerry’s Place are all organizations that provide resources and support for families and children with ASD. Finding support can help you feel less alone in the struggle. 
3. Develop a structured routine: A caregiver’s role is to integrate routine and structure into a child’s life, which can be challenging for children on the spectrum, but can help promote social skills, academic skills, speech skills, working on family relationships, and creating a sense of belonging among family members.
4. Find Supports at School: Supports are provided by schools such as creating an Individual Education Plan or transitions to different structures. Teachers, Principals, and administration can help you find different community supports for your child as some school boards also provide support programs to help integrate social skills and more. 
5. Take time for self-care – Sometimes the stress of caring for family is a lot, and managing the stress of a child on the spectrum can take a toll. Ensure you take some time for yourself. Whether that is getting respite care to take a break or going to therapy to manage your mental health. It is important to ensure you have that help.

Conclusion

It is important to know how ABA therapy and how having an early diagnosis can support the development of your child. The earlier you get on the waitlist the faster you can get ABA interventions. However, with the long waitlists in Ontario, it is important to know the challenges you can face and how to overcome those challenges in the meantime. Ensure you use free resources and have a support system in place. If you are struggling, ensure to take time for self care to help your mental health as well.

Call to Action

At The Insight Clinic, we have many therapists who can help you manage Autism Symptoms as well as provide resources for Autism & ABA therapy. If you are a parent struggling with managing the behaviours of a child with autism, are anxious, or are struggling with finding options, The Insight Clinic can provide you with a therapist to cope with the anxieties and struggles. You can reach out today to book an appointment with our skilled and trained therapists to help you gain understanding and develop healthier coping strategies when you are feeling anxious, or developing these maladaptive thought patterns.

In collaboration with The Insight Clinic, ABA Academy leads with a focus on excellence and focuses on providing ABA Interventions for your child’s growth in social, cognitive, emotional, and physical developmental growth and milestones. ABA Academy provides high-quality, individualized, and effective services to help your child grow and learn. Reach out today to see if ABA Academy is the right fit for your child’s ABA services.