Ontario Autism Coalition

The official Ontario Autism Coalition statement on World Autism Awareness Day 2025 available to read here: https://wawa-news.com/index.php/2025/04/02/ontario-autism-coalition-recognizes-world-autism-awareness-month/

Happy World Autism Awareness Day!

Our message is clear: awareness is important, but action is imperative.

#50KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted #AutismIsLifelong

Ontario kids missing more school due to exclusions: Education Ministry data Advocates believe the data, obtained by The Trillium, showing students were excluded for 11,776 days in 2022-23 is the ‘tip of the iceberg’

Thank you to Sneh Duggal at The Trillium for this important article about school exclusions in Ontario. #onpoli #onted #50KIsNotOK

www.thetrillium.ca/news/educati...

Ontario parents, advocates call for more supports for special needs students The special education system is fundamentally broken, according to the Ontario Autism Coalition.

Thank you to Allison Jones at CP for this piece highlighting the community's concerns about school safety. #onted #onpoli #50KIsNotOK #AutismIsLifelong

www.thestar.com/news/ontario...

Page one of Ontario autism coalition press release - follow this link to read: https://ontarioautismcoalition.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MEDIA-RELEASE-April-1-2025-Student-Danger-Due-to-Lack-of-Resources.pdf

Page 2 of press release- read here https://ontarioautismcoalition.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MEDIA-RELEASE-April-1-2025-Student-Danger-Due-to-Lack-of-Resources.pdf

OAC press conference about school safety this morning at Queen's Park. 10 AM. Tune in here: www.ola.org/en/legislati...

Poster for the event mentioned in the text of this post including the logos of the organizations endorsing this work. Follow the link to register!

The @ontautism.bsky.social is proud to co-host the 2025 Federal Candidate Debate on Disability Issues: April 8th at 7:30 PM. Register here: www.eventbrite.ca/d/canada--to...

The @ontautism.bsky.social found that less than “one-quarter of the children waiting for supports through the province's autism program are receiving funding for core therapies”.

Once again, the Ford government falls short in delivering these necessary services to children and families.

OAC press release: Ontario Autism Program (OAP): Promises Broken-FOI Shows Less Than 1/4 of Eligible Kids Receiving Clinical Core Services. The OAP is a broken promise - one that has left over 61k children abandoned by the system meant to support them. According to data obtained through a FOI request by the OAC only 1:4.5 eligible children/youth have access to core clinical services under the OAP. This indicates that after 6 yrs of waiting for the Ford government to “get it done” the majority of eligible children remain without support. These numbers tell a story of neglect, misplaced government priorities. This is a crisis affecting tens of thousands of lives daily. For yrs families have been forced to fight tooth & nail for services that should have been readily available. Promised reforms have turned into empty rhetoric. Parents are left scrambling to navigate a convoluted, underfunded, unaccountable program while their kids lose precious developmental time they will never regain. Every day a child spends on the waitlist is a day stolen from their potential, independence, opportunity to thrive. Services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA, mental health support have the power to transform lives by teaching communication, socialization, essential life skills. Yet, the majority of children are denied access, caught in a web of bureaucracy & inefficiency. Meanwhile, families are exhausted, financially depleted, left with no answers. The OAP is perpetuating inequality.The OAP was not designed by the community it was imposed upon it by the Ford government. The proof is in its failure to meet the needs of the people it is meant to serve. To the decision-makers: kids can’t wait for your politics as their lives are at stake & futures are being shattered. Immediate action is needed to eliminate the waitlist, cut through red tape, & ensure every child gets the support they need. The OAP isn’t just a failure of governance—it’s a moral failing.

Here is the Ontario Autism Coalition’s repose to these numbers:

Infographic stating the larger statistics from the FOI which include numbers as of Feb 5th, 2025: 79,281 children/youth registered for the Ontario Autism Program, of those 21,672 have been enrolled to core clinical services and of those 17,650 have access to funding. The rate of entry into these programs is flat, indicating little change. At present 61,631 eligible children/youth are not accessing core funding. We know from community chatter that invitations to core are going out to kids who were registered as of Spring 2020. The infographic shows the OAC logo and specifies that the organization is celebrating 20years this year!

According to ministry docs - the Ontario Autism Program is moving at a snail’s pace. This means young children on the autism spectrum are NOT receiving early intervention, services or support.
#50KIsNotOK #60KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted #onlab #solidarity #WeHaveReceipts

The OAC has officially launched their Spec Edu Survey Report - thank you to everyone who contributed, participated, amplified. Stay tuned as this survey will take place annually.
#onted #50KIsNotOK

ontarioautismcoalition.com/wp-content/u...

A dark blue background covered in different sized golden stars, and golden buntings across the top. The text (golden) reads "HAPPY NEW YEAR” then "2025" below that. Under that it reads "WISHING EVERYONE HEALTH & HAPPINESS IN 2025". Beneath that is the Ontario Autism Coalition Logo (with figures of red, gold, violet).

2024 was a yr of struggle for Ontario's autism community, but we’re not giving up. To every OAC member & ally: we see you, we stand with you & we will continue to fight alongside you. Let’s make 2025 a yr of action & solidarity. Together, we are stronger. #50KIsNotOK #AutismIsLifelong #onted

A background of stylized spruce boughs bathed in twinkling and sparkling glow, on top of that is written, in a font that looks like handwriting, "wishing everyone happy holidays". In the bottom right hand corner is the Ontario Autism Coalition Logo (Purple, gold, and red with white lettering).

To all of our members and allies we wish you well in 2025. Thank you for standing with our community. ❤️💛💜

Enjoy your holidays.

'Alarming' drop in school attendance since bus route cuts: board Read the full story and comment on Tbnewswatch.com

Say it with me: “blanket ministry policies don’t work in every region”

This is 1 example of an ON ministry neglecting need, & directly causing harm: decreased attendance, inequity, health/safety concerns, & lowered outcomes.

#onted #onpoli #WeHaveReceipts

www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/a...

Photo of Ontario Premier Doug Ford (at the premiers meeting) in front of a row of Canadian provincial flags, seated at a table. He is speaking, one hand slightly raised, and is flanked by reporters holding microphones. Cameras and phones are held towards him to record what he is saying. On top of this photo are the words in bold typeface: "50K+ Children waitlisted for autism services. Special education is imploding. Every 3 days, a child in care dies. 'Leadership'". At the bottom are the Ontario Autism Coalition logo and hashtags #50KIsNotOK #WeHaveReceipts

Yesterday this photo was lauded by Ontario PCs as proof of leadership.

When we see this photo we know the truth.

@fordnation is dangerous to our communities, to us, to our kids.

PLEASE VOTE

#50KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted #WeHaveReceipts #DontLookAwayOntario #AutismIsLifelong

On it. @alinacameron.bsky.social just filled us in.

Yesterday this photo was lauded by Ontario PCs as proof of leadership.

When we see this photo we know the truth.

@fordnation is dangerous to our communities, to us, to our kids.

PLEASE VOTE

#50KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted #WeHaveReceipts #DontLookAwayOntario #AutismIsLifelong

The # of disability families contacting us (@ontautism.bsky.social) has increased exponentially the last 6 mons & they’re in an ever increasing level of crisis.

The FORD PC govt knows. I’ve told them. They don’t care.

Please, Ontario. In 2025 vote like you give a shit.
#onpoli #50KIsNotOK #onted

Thank you to Kate Swenson of “Finding Cooper’s Voice” for presenting to the Thunder Bay community this evening. Thank you to Autism Northwest, Lakehead Public Schools and community organizations for organizing everything. The @ontautism.bsky.social was a proud sponsor of this wonderful event.

Bullying Impacts: 1. Those who receive it. 2. Those who deliver it. 3. Those who witness it.

Bullying has many impacts.
#Bullying #StopBullying #Onted

This graphic is a take on language used by the PCs about the liberals. It’s a direct copy. We are well aware they don’t care - we were trolling them. Thank you for your passion Patricia.

With a spring ONTARIO prov election on the horizon, here are some facts we’d like to share:

Under the Ford govt (as of June 2024) of the 73,031 kids registered for the ON autism pgm only 14,113 were actually accessing it. That’s after 6+ yrs of waiting for them to “get it right”

#vote #50kIsNotOK

#50KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted #WeHaveReceipts #DontLookAwayOntario

It’s nice here :)

#50KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted #WeHaveReceipts #DontLookAwayOntario

a man wearing glasses is sitting at a desk and asking how do you work this friggin ' thing ? ALT: a man wearing glasses is sitting at a desk and asking how do you work this friggin ' thing ?

Thanks! Excited to be here ❤️💛💜 Now…how do you use this thing?

Hey There Hi GIF ALT: Hey There Hi GIF

Well, hello! ❤️💛💜

Hello everyone!

For our inaugural post here we’d like thank our amazing community for their advocacy and passion. We run on 100% pure volunteered people power.

We wouldn’t be here without you.
❤️💛💜
#50KIsNotOK #onpoli #onted

a man in a white suit and blue tie is dancing on a stage ALT: a man in a white suit and blue tie is dancing on a stage

Let’s go!!!!