Ontario Invests in more Autism Services
July 4, 2025
Ontario Investing almost $800,000 in Autism Services to Better Serve Children and Families in Burlington
Funding will help more children access clinical services through the Ontario Autism Program
Burlington —The Ontario government is investing $399,800 to Burlington’s Spokes Autism Services and $399,629 to Burlington’s Missing Links Autism over the next two years though our Workforce Capacity Fund of the Ontario Autism Program.
This funding will help support more kids with autism access to core clinical services and is part of our government’s province-wide announcement committing over than $37 million over the next two years to 100 public and private autism service providers to help more children and families access clinical services through the Ontario Autism Program.
Funding for local service providers through the workforce capacity fund is part of the province’s total investment in the Ontario Autism Program. Since 2019, Ontario has more than doubled the program’s annual budget, bringing it to a total of $779 million with the addition of a $175 million investment through Budget 2025. This new investment will continue to support the enrolment of children and youth in core clinical services.
Service providers are receiving funding through the Ontario Autism Program’s workforce capacity fund. This fund provides two-year grants ranging from $50,000 to $400,000 in value to help providers to hire new staff, increase staff hours, train employees, invest in technology, and reach rural and remote communities.
The workforce capacity fund is one initiative under the OAP capacity action plan. The province prioritizes applications that support families and service providers in northern, rural and remote communities, as well as francophone and Indigenous families recognizing the unique challenges these groups face.
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“Children with autism and their families deserve real support, so I’m proud to say that our government is listening and taking action,” said MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP (Oakville North-Burlington) and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming. “Our investments here in Burlington and throughout Ontario will help autism service providers build and retain a stable, skilled teams that will allow more families to access the services they need close to home.”
“At Spokes Autism Services, we are incredibly grateful for the Ontario Autism Program Workforce Capacity Fund Grant. This Grant allows us to provide stable employment for dedicated ABA therapists and deliver high-quality training that directly enhances the service children receive. With this funding, we can double our service capacity and extend consistent, evidence-based services to more families—especially those in rural and Francophone communities. Every child with autism deserves compassionate, effective and reliable services, and this grant makes that possible.” – Ramona Mathew, M.ADS, BCBA, RBA (Ont.), Clinical Director & Founder, Missing Links
“I am honored to receive funding through the Workforce Capacity Fund of the Ontario Autism Program. This support will help Missing Links build a stronger workforce and expand access to meaningful Autism services. We look forward to working with Minister Parsa and his team to bring this vision to life and create lasting change for families and professionals across Ontario”. – Am Badwall, Ph.D., BCBA, RBA (ONT), Clinical Director & Founder, Missing Links.
“Protecting Ontario starts by safeguarding the province’s most vulnerable and ensuring that all children are provided with opportunities to achieve lifelong success,” said Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “Autism service providers do an incredible job of helping children and youth reach their full potential. Our government is proud to work with them to make it easier for more families to access timely, local supports tailored to their needs.”
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Katie Robinette
Executive Assistant
Office of Effie J. Triantafilopoulos, MPP (Oakville North-Burlington) &
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming
Katie.robinette@pc.ola.org