Autisable

Community Guidelines

Last updated: April 2026

Why These Guidelines Exist

Autisable has been a community for autistic individuals, their families, and their allies since 2009. These guidelines exist for one reason: to keep this a space where people feel safe enough to actually show up.

We are not a social media platform optimizing for engagement. We are a community platform optimizing for trust. That means we hold ourselves — and each other — to a different standard.

Who This Community Is For

Autisable is for:

  • Autistic individuals of all ages and support needs
  • Parents, caregivers, and family members of autistic people
  • Educators and professionals who support autistic individuals
  • Researchers and advocates with genuine community interest

If you are here to exploit, extract, or amplify — this is not the right community for you.

Language and Framing

Language matters deeply in the autism community. We ask all members to:

  • Respect both identity-first language (“autistic person”) and person-first language (“person with autism”) — when in doubt, follow the individual's preference
  • Avoid language that frames autism primarily as tragedy, burden, or a disease requiring cure
  • Remember that autistic adults are present in every conversation on this platform — this community is not just about autistic people, it is for autistic people
  • Approach medical and research topics with humility — a single study is not a consensus, and an intervention that helps one person may harm another

What Is Not Allowed

Harmful to Individuals

  • Harassment, threats, or targeted abuse of any community member
  • Sharing private personal information about others without their consent
  • Content that sexualizes, exploits, or endangers minors in any way
  • Sustained bullying campaigns or coordinated pile-ons

Harmful to the Community

  • Promotion of dangerous or unproven treatments — including MMS/bleach protocols, chemical castration, aversive interventions, and similar practices with documented harm potential
  • Content designed to spread medically false or dangerous health information
  • Spam, multi-level marketing solicitations, or unsolicited commercial content
  • Impersonation of other community members, public figures, or organizations

Illegal or Legally Problematic

  • Content that violates copyright or intellectual property law
  • Content that violates the privacy rights of others
  • Content that constitutes illegal discrimination

Our Political Independence

Autisable maintains a deliberately independent editorial stance. This is a platform value, not a passive default. It means:

  • We do not endorse political candidates, parties, or partisan policy positions
  • We cover autism-related policy — education law, healthcare access, disability rights — on the merits
  • Community members are free to hold and express political views; the platform itself does not

This independence is what allows us to serve a community that includes people across the full spectrum of political and cultural backgrounds.

Crisis Support

If you or someone in the community is experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out for support:

  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US)
  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
  • International Association for Suicide Prevention: iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

If you see a post that concerns you, please use the report function so our moderation team can respond. We do not automatically remove crisis-related content — a human moderator reviews every flagged post before any action is taken.

How Moderation Works

Autisable uses human-first moderation. No content is automatically removed by an algorithm. Every moderation action begins with respectful communication and follows a clear escalation path:

  • Notice — We contact you to flag the concern
  • Warning — Formal notice that continued violations may result in suspension
  • Suspension — Temporary restriction of posting privileges
  • Removal — Permanent account termination for serious or repeated violations

All moderation actions are logged. We make mistakes like anyone else — if you believe a decision was made in error, you can contact us to appeal.

No Direct Messaging

Autisable does not offer direct messaging between members. This is an intentional design decision — not a missing feature. It reduces the risk of grooming, harassment, and exploitation within our community. We know this differs from other platforms. We think it's the right call.

Reporting

To report a Community Guidelines violation, use the report function on any piece of content. You can also contact us directly. All reports are reviewed by a human moderator.

Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these guidelines as the community grows and as we learn. Material changes will be announced in the community and reflected in the updated date at the top of this page.