For many years, people who had trouble relating to others were simply considered strange or mentally ill and were left to themselves. However in recent years public knowledge of autism has increased greatly, which has allowed many people with autism and parents of children with autism to get the support they need from governments and community organizations. If you have autism or your child has autism, here are a few of the programs you might find when you start looking for autism support in Mississauga.

Autistic children are a major drain on a parent's mental and physical energy, so autism support groups often offer special day cares or parent-child programs that are designed to help parent and child relate to one another better and smooth out the wrinkles in their interactions. Classes may also be offered for autistic children and their siblings and for autistic children who need to learn to socialize. Autistic adults can also get community support for their issues, including marriage counseling for spouses who don't understand their partners' needs and assistance preparing for problematic but necessary social situations like job interviews.

A major danger for people with autism is that their condition may be misinterpreted by officers of the law who are responding to calls of public disturbances. Autism societies in many cities like Mississauga are reaching out to police forces and security companies to offer training in dealing with people who have autism. The goal is to maximize the effectiveness of the police in dealing with autistic people and to help keep autism sufferers from being singled out or harassed by officers who assume they're out to cause trouble. These types of training are also important for officers who are called upon to search for a missing person with autism or assist an autistic person who has been the victim of a crime.