Special Services at Home (SSAH): A Complete Guide for Ontario Parents

Special Services at Home (SSAH) is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). It provides funding directly to families to help cover the cost of services for a child under 18 who has a developmental disability, a physical disability, or both.

Unlike OAP, SSAH is not autism-specific. It covers a much broader range of disabilities and conditions, which makes it a critical funding source for families whose child does not meet OAP eligibility criteria. SSAH funds can be used to purchase services that help the child develop new skills, participate in their community, or to provide respite to the family.

To be eligible, the child must be:

• Under 18 years of age
• A resident of Ontario
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have refugee status
• Have a written diagnosis of a developmental or physical disability that significantly impacts daily life
• Living at home with their family (not in CAS care or a residential program)

SSAH is needs-based but not strictly income-tested. Families across a broad range of incomes receive SSAH funding. The amount you receive depends on your child's assessed support needs, not your household income.

SSAH funding amounts vary widely. Allocations are based on the child's assessed support requirements across four domains: personal development, supervision, personal care, and behavioural support. Be specific in your application: the more clearly you describe your child's daily needs, the more accurately your allocation will reflect them.

The Ministry does not publish a fixed amount or formula. In practice, families receive anywhere from a few hundred dollars per quarter to several thousand dollars per year, depending on the assessed need.

The SSAH application process runs through MCCSS regional offices.

Step 1: Request an application. Apply online at ontario.ca/page/special-services-at-home or contact your local MCCSS regional office. Your child's pediatrician, developmental clinic, or school SERT can also point you to the right office.

Step 2: Submit the application package. The application asks about your child's diagnosis, daily routines, current supports, family situation, and what services you need funded. You will need supporting documentation including the diagnostic confirmation, recent assessments (medical, psychological, occupational), and any school IEP or behaviour support plan.

Step 3: Application review. An SSAH coordinator reviews your application and may schedule a phone or in-person meeting to better understand your situation. Families have shared that this meeting is a chance to walk through a typical day in detail, which often results in a more accurate allocation.

Step 4: Funding decision. If approved, you receive a notification with the annual amount and instructions for how to access the funds. SSAH allocations typically run on the Ontario fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).

Wait times vary regionally. Initial applications typically take longer than renewals.

Vague applications get small allocations. Strong applications are specific. A few things that help:

• Describe a typical day in detail. What does your child need help with from morning to bedtime? Don't just say "needs supervision", describe what supervision actually looks like.
• Be specific about frequency. "Needs hand-over-hand help with brushing teeth twice a day", not "needs help with personal care".
• Include letters from professionals. A note from the pediatrician, OT, SLP, school SERT, or developmental clinic carries weight.
• Include behavioural incidents. If your child has had any significant behavioural escalations, describe them. Behaviour is a major factor in funding allocation.
• Be honest about caregiver burden. If a parent has had to reduce work hours, if you have other children whose needs are being affected, if you are running on no sleep, say so.

SSAH is flexible. Common uses include:

• Respite care (in-home or community-based) so caregivers can take a break
• 1:1 support workers for community participation, recreation, and skill building
• Specialized programs (recreational, social, or skill-building)
• Tutoring or specialized educational support
• Therapy services not covered by other funding sources
• Specialized equipment or assistive technology

SSAH does not fund: ongoing medical care covered by OHIP, services that should be funded through OAP for autistic children (clinical autism services), or expenses unrelated to the child's disability needs.

SSAH reimbursement is handled in one of two ways:

Self-administered. You receive your annual allocation in installments (typically quarterly), pay providers like Dasdey, and submit your receipts and invoices for verification to your MCCSS regional office or via the MyDirectPlan online platform.

Agency-administered. An approved agency manages the funds and pays providers directly on your behalf. Less common, but available in some regions.

Dasdey provides invoices that include all the information SSAH requires: detailed service descriptions, dates and hours, hourly rates, our HST registration number, and our address. We can also walk you through your first MyDirectPlan submission if you are using that platform for the first time.

SSAH is one of the most useful funding sources because it stacks well with others. Common patterns:

• SSAH + OAP: OAP Childhood Budget covers clinical behavioural therapy; SSAH covers community-based respite and skill-building. You cannot use both for the same hour, but you can allocate different services to different sources.
• SSAH + private pay: Use SSAH for the planned weekly support and private pay for occasional extra hours.
• SSAH + insurance: Some extended health plans cover behavioural support. Check with your insurer.

SSAH ends when a child turns 18. At that point, families and individuals typically transition to:

• Passport funding (if the individual has a developmental disability and is eligible through DSO) replaces SSAH for community participation and respite.
• ODSP may provide income support and benefits.
• OAP funding ends at age 18, though some adults transition into adult clinical or community services.

Plan the transition early. We recommend beginning the DSO eligibility process by age 16 or 17 to avoid gaps in support.

Dasdey provides credentialed behavioural support, respite, and community participation services that are eligible SSAH expenses. Our coordination team will:

• Match your child with a credentialed associate experienced with their specific needs
• Provide SSAH-formatted invoices that meet MCCSS reimbursement requirements
• Walk you through your first MyDirectPlan submission if needed
• Coordinate scheduling around your child's school, therapy, and family routine

Contact us at 647-887-0031 for a free 20-minute consultation.