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Online Community Help and Instructions

Here you will find instructions to help you use our Online Community. 

If you need further assistance, contact the Online Community Moderation team at communitymanager@nas.org.uk, and we will respond as soon as possible. 

How do I set up an account?  
  1. By joining the Online Community, you agree to be bound by the Online Community rules which apply to public posts, profile information, private messages and your communication with the moderation team. 
  2. Open https://community.autism.org.uk/ and select the head icon in the top right-hand corner. 
  3. This will open the Sign in page. Select ‘Not yet a member’. This will open the Register page.
  4. Input your Sign in name - this must not contain any identifying information such as your real name or your email address. 
  5. Input your Email Address and a Password. 
  6. A verification code will be sent to your email. Copy and paste the code into the verification box, then select 'Create account'. You will be redirected to the 'Welcome' page. 
 
How do I upload or change a profile picture?  
  1. Select your profile icon in the top right-hand corner. 
  2. Select 'Profile'. 
  3. Select 'Edit Profile'. 
  4. Go to your profile picture and select 'Change'. 
  5. Choose ‘Select’ to use an avatar from the Online Community or ‘Upload’ to add your own picture, provided it follows our community rules. 
  6. Select 'Save'. 
 
How do I edit my profile?  
  1. Select your profile icon in the top right-hand corner. 
  2. Select 'Profile' 
  3. Select 'Edit Profile' 
  4. You can update the ‘Biography’ information. You may use the formatting options at the top. 
  5. When you are finished, select ‘Save Profile’ on the right-hand side of the page.  

How do I change my sign in name?  
Your sign in name is the name you input when you register an account with the Online Community. Members cannot change their sign in name directly from the Online Community platform. However, the Community Manager can change your sign in name for you.  
  1. To change your sign in name, email CommunityManager@nas.org.uk from the email your account is registered to.
  2. Tell us what your current sign in name is, and what you would like to change your sign in name to.  

How do I change my username?
Your username is the name which appears on your profile biography or when you post on the online community. For members registering after 1st November 2024, the sign in name you used when you first join the Online Community is your default username. While you need to email CommunityManager@nas.org.uk to change your sign in name, you can change your username directly from the Online Community platform.
  1. To change your username, select your profile icon in the top right-hand corner.  
  2. Select 'Profile'.  
  3. Select 'Edit Profile'. 
  4. Edit the username in the box at the top left-hand corner. 
  5. Select ‘Save Profile’.  

 
How do I manage my notifications? 
  1. Select the lightning bolt at the top right-hand corner. 
  2. Select ‘View all’. 
  3. The Your Notifications page will open. 
  4. Use the ‘All notifications’ and ‘With any read status’ tabs to select which notifications you want to receive. 
 
How do I turn on notifications for a thread?  
  1. Go to the discussion you would like to receive notifications about. 
  2. Select ‘Turn Reply notifications on’ at the right-hand side. 

How do I change my notification settings?  
  1. Select your profile picture icon in the top right-hand corner.  
  2. Select ‘Settings’. 
  3. Select the ‘Notifications’ tab. 
  4. Tick boxes to select which type of notifications you want to receive via Live Alert and/or Email. 
 
How do I bookmark a thread? 
  1. Go to the thread you would like to bookmark. 
  2. Select the bookmark icon at the top right-hand corner (next to your profile picture). 
  3. Select ‘Bookmark this forum thread’.  
  4. To manage your bookmarked threads, select ‘View all’. 
  5. This will direct you to all the content you have bookmarked. 
 
How do I change my account email address or password? 
  1. Select your profile picture icon in the top right-hand corner.  
  2. Select ‘Settings’. 
  3. Select the ‘Options’ tab. Input the new email you wish to use in the ‘Email address’ field. You may use the formatting options at the top. 
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select ‘Save’.  
 
How do I change my account password? 
  1. Select your profile picture icon in the top right-hand corner.  
  2. Select ‘Settings’. 
  3. Select the ‘Options’ tab. Scroll down to Password.  
  4. Select Reset password. A link will then be sent to your email address which will enable you to reset your password.
  5. When you receive the email, select the link that says reset your password. 
  6. You will be asked to enter your current password, your new password and to re enter your new password. 
  7. Select Change Password. 
 
How do I delete my account? 
  1. Email communitymanager@nas.org.uk and tell us you would like to close your account.  
  2. You will need to send the email from the email address linked to your account.  
 
What can I do if I’ve forgotten my password?  
  1. Select ‘Join or sign in' to open the Sign in page. After ‘Forgot your password or username?’ you have an option to select 'Reset here’. 
  2. Enter the email address linked to your account, then select ‘Recover Password’. 
  3. You will receive an email allowing you to reset your Online Community password.   

Discussions 
How do I browse different topics? 
  1. We have seven topics that you can browse or join discussions. The topics are listed on the right-hand side of the home page. 
  2. These topics are: Autistic adults, Health and lifestyle, introduce yourself, Mental health and wellbeing, Miscellaneous and chat, Parents and carers, Women and girls.  
 
How do I start a thread?  
  1. To start a thread, log in to your account, choose a topic and select ‘+ New’ in the top right-hand corner.  
  2. Write the title of your thread in the ‘Subject’ field, then write your post in the ‘Description’ field. 
  3. Select ‘Post’ to publish your thread.  
  
How do I reply to a thread?  
  1. Go to the thread you would like to reply to in the list of ‘Recent forum posts’ on the home page, or via one of the seven topics. 
  2. Select ‘Reply’, type your response in the text box, and select ‘Post Reply’ to publish it. 
  
How do I edit my post? 
  1. Go to the post you would like to edit. 
  2. Select ‘More’ underneath your post. 
  3. Select ‘Edit’.  
  4. You'll be taken back into the editing mode 
  5. Edit your post 
  6. Select ‘Reply’ to publish your updated post.  
  7. Select ‘Cancel’ if you opt not to make or save any edits to your post.  
 
How can I delete a thread or reply? 
  1. You can only delete a thread if there are no replies from other members. 
  2. Select ‘More’ underneath your post. 
  3. Select ‘Delete’. A pop-up will ask, 'Are you sure you want to delete this post?' Select ‘OK’ to confirm, and the post will be deleted, or select ‘Cancel’ to keep the post. 
  4. If you wish to delete a reply to another member or if other members have replied to your post, contact communitymanager@nas.org.uk with a link to the thread and tell us what you want to delete.   
  5. Alternatively, you can edit your post instead of deleting it.   
 
How do I block another member?  
  1. The Online Community does not have a feature for blocking other members. 
 
How do I report a post or another member?  
If someone posts something inappropriate, offensive or which you feel is against the Online Community rules: 
  1. Select ‘More’ under the post, then select ‘Flag to Moderator’ to notify the moderation team. Then ignore the post. 
  2. Alternatively, contact communitymanager@nas.org.uk to report a member. Please provide a link to the post or a screenshot of any private message you find inappropriate or offensive. 
 
What can I do if someone posts something worrying?  
If you are worried about anything an Online Community member has written: 
  1. Select ‘More’ under the post, then select ‘Flag to Moderator’ to notify the moderation team. Please note, the ‘Flag to Moderator’ option flags potentially abusive AND concerning/worrying posts to the moderation team, allowing us to review the content as quickly as possible. 
  2. Alternatively, contact communitymanager@nas.org.uk and share a link to the post or a screenshot of the private message you find concerning. 
  3. The moderation team reviews all reports and will respond as soon as possible. Please note, the Online Community is not moderated 24 hours a day, and it may take a while for us to respond.  
  4. The National Autistic Society does not offer a crisis or emergency service. UK residents can access urgent help or support by contacting the services listed here.  
 
What happens if I report another Online Community member?  
  1. Reported content is placed in a moderation queue for review. Occasionally, the moderation team may contact you for more details about the report. Please reply within 2 working days, or the report may be closed. 
  2. If a post violates Online Community rules, it may be edited or removed, and in some cases, the member may be contacted. 
  3. The moderation team cannot discuss specific actions taken against other members. 
 
Why can’t I see the moderation team’s response to a report? 
  1. If a moderator hasn’t replied to a post, it does not mean they are unaware of the situation or have taken no action.  
  2. In some cases, moderators may need to contact members directly and follow our safeguarding policy, which may not be publicly visible. We handle all reports while maintaining members’ privacy. 
  3. Please continue to use the ‘Flag to Moderator’ feature to notify the moderation team of any inappropriate or worrying posts you notice.   
 
Private Messages and Friends 
How do I send a friend request? 
  1. Search for or select the username of the person you want to add as a friend to view their profile. 
  2. Select ‘+ Connect’ on the right-hand side of this page, then select ‘Request friendship’. 
  3. Alternatively, hover on their username to open a profile tab. Select the three dots in the bottom right-hand corner of the tab, then select ‘Request friendship’.  
  4. A box will open where you may write a message to the person.  
  5. Select ‘Send Request’ and the person will be notified of your request. 
 
How do I remove someone as a friend? 
  1. Select your profile icon in the top right-hand corner. 
  2. Select 'Profile' 
  3. Select the 'friends’ tab. 
  4. This will open your Friends page. Select ‘Edit’ on the right-hand side and click on the tick box next to the member you wish to unfriend.  
  5. Select ‘Unfriend all’. 
  6. Alternatively, hover on the username of a person you wish to unfriend to open a profile tab. Select the three dots in the bottom right-hand corner of the tab, then select ‘Unfriend’.  
  7. A pop-up will ask, 'Are you sure you want to unfriend this person?’ Select ‘OK’ to unfriend or ‘Cancel’. 
 
How do I view my friend requests? 
  1. Select the lightning bolt at the top right-hand corner. 
  2. Select the friend request and to open a page where you can manage your friend requests.  
  3. Next to the person's profile will be an option to ‘Accept/ reject’ the friend request.  
  4. When you select ‘Accept/ reject’ you will be given a number of options to choose from: ‘Send a private message, follow, accept friend request, reject friend request’.  
 
How do I send a personal message?  
  1. Either hover over their username and select ‘Send a private message’ from their profile tab, or open their profile page and select ‘+ Connect’ on the top right-hand side.  
  2. If you receive a private message that is concerning or breaks the Online Community rules, please send a screenshot to communitymanager@nas.org.uk.  
 
How do I change my private messaging settings?  
  1. Select your profile picture icon in the top right-hand corner.  
  2. Select ‘Settings’. 
  3. Select the ‘Options’ tab. Scroll down to ‘Allow private messages from’ and choose ‘No one’ to disable private messages, ‘Friends only’ to allow messages from friends, or ‘Everyone’ to receive messages from all community members."  
  4. We recommended only allowing private messages from friends. 
 
Safety and Security 
Staying anonymous 
The Online Community is public, meaning that anyone—not just members who have logged in—can read posts. Only your private messages are fully private. For your safety, please avoid sharing personal or identifying details, including real names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles, or photos in public posts or profiles. Additionally, avoid sharing images of your home or any identifiable locations. Publicly shared personal information will be edited or removed in accordance with our rules. 
You can read our privacy and data protection notice here: 
 
Meeting other members or connecting on social media  
Sometimes Online Community members become friends and may like to meet one another in person or connect with them on a different social media platform.  
If arranging to meet or contact others, take care and ensure others are aware of your plans. The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team have a useful guide to meeting up with someone you met online safely. While this guide is aimed at young people, it contains useful advice for everyone.  
If another member is pressuring you to meet or connect and you are uncomfortable about this, please contact communitymanager@nas.or.uk for help.  
 
Age restrictions 
Only people aged 18 or over can join and participate in the Online Community.  
This helps ensure we comply with the child protection requirements of the Online Safety Act 2023. Discussions in the Online Community may include adult themes, so we have introduced this age restriction to create a safer space for everyone. 
If you notice someone posting who appear to be under 18, please let us know.  
People aged under 18 may choose to use other services such as the following: 
  • The Ambitious Youth Network: A space for autistic young people aged 13-25. You can attend online peer support sessions, join groups, and stay updated on autism-related news and events. 
You can also search for more services in our Autism Services Directory. 

Security messages   

When using our Online Community, you may be asked to confirm that you are human by ticking a box. This feature is an automatic system check to help protect the forum from spam and inappropriate activity. 

Online Community Moderation Team 
Who are the Online Community moderation team?  
Our moderation team is made up of staff and volunteer moderators. Everyone in the moderation team has the NAS logo as their profile avatar and the word ‘Mod’ in their username.  
Please remember that the moderators are real people, most of whom are volunteers. The moderators are here to maintain a safe and respectful environment and to ensure that the Online Community rules are followed. Occasionally, moderators may step in to offer guidance, especially if there are safety concerns. The National Autistic Society does not offer a crisis or emergency service. UK residents can access urgent help or support by contacting the services listed here.    
If a moderator has not responded to a post, it does not mean that the team are unaware of the situation. Often, the Online Community’s responses from members address the situation already, or there may be reasons why the moderation team cannot comment publicly.  
In certain situations, moderators may contact members directly to discuss matters confidentially to ensure members’ privacy and protect their personal information.  
If you need help or have any issues, you can contact us at communitymanager@nas.org.uk.  
We aim to respond to all emails and alerts within 10 working days. 
 
How can I provide feedback about the Online Community?  
We value your feedback as it helps us improve. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please contact the Community Manager. You can also contact the National Autistic Society here to share your comments and compliments.   
For full legal information, please review our terms and conditions. To find out how we look after your data, please read our Privacy Statement. Thank you for adhering to our rules, and we hope you find our Online Community supportive and friendly.  
 
How to Appeal Moderation Decisions 
Right to Appeal 
All Online Community users have the right to appeal any decision made by the moderation team. This includes when we: 
  1. remove or edit a post, comment or profile information, 
  2. place an account under pre-moderation which means all your posts or comments will be reviewed by a moderator before they are published, 
  3. suspend an account temporarily, 
  4. ban an account permanently. 
 
Appeal Submission Timeline 
Online Community users must submit their appeal within 7 days of receiving the notification that the moderation team has taken action on their account. After this period, appeals will no longer be accepted. 
 
How to Submit an Appeal 
  1. To appeal a decision by the moderation team, click on the notification you received about the moderation action. This will redirect you to the appeals submission page, where you can explain why you believe the decision was incorrect or unfair. 
  2. To help us respond quickly and accurately, be clear and concise in explaining why you feel the content should be reinstated or why the moderation team’s action should be reversed. Aim to write no more than a short paragraph focusing on the main points of your request. This makes it easier for us to understand and assist you.  
 
Valid Grounds for Appeal 
Valid reasons to submit an appeal are: 
  1. Rule misunderstanding: You believe the rule wasn’t applied correctly, or you didn’t understand it. Example: You posted a comment thinking it followed the rules, but it was removed because the moderation team said it was in breach of the rules. 
  2. Missing context: Important information was not considered. Example: Your comment was flagged as rude, but you were responding to a question in a way you thought was helpful. 
  3. New information: You have new details that could change the decision. Example: You found proof that your comment was within the forum rules. 
  4. Unfair treatment: You feel the decision was unfair compared to how others were treated. Example: Your post was removed for something that others are allowed to do. 
 
Invalid Grounds for Appeal 
We will not consider appeals based on disagreement with the Online Community’s rules or moderation process