Online Community Rules

The National Autistic Society Online Community is a space where autistic people and their families come together to connect, support each other and share experiences. 

People use and visit the Online Community for support and information about autism.  

Comments made on the Online Community are those of individual users whose views may not be shared by the National Autistic Society. The content found in links to external websites, the views expressed by users or the products/services they recommend are also not endorsed by our charity.  

Please note: Our team monitor the Online Community regularly, however it is not moderated 24 hours a day.  
 
User agreement 
By joining the Online Community, you agree that the moderation team has the authority to edit or delete content and to suspend or delete accounts that violate the rules.  
Repeated rule violations may result in:  
  • placing your account under pre-moderation – meaning your posts and comments are reviewed by a moderator before they are published  
  • suspension of your account 
  • a permanent ban from the Online Community. 
 
Appeals  
You have the right to appeal a decision by our moderation team to edit or delete your content or to place your account under pre-moderation. We recognise that other users or our moderation team can sometimes misinterpret written content.  
If your post is removed and you believe this was an error or an unfair decision, you will be notified via your account’s Live Alert system when our moderation team has flagged your post. To access your Live Alerts, select the lightning bolt at the top right-hand corner. If you click on the notification you receive, it will direct you to a page where you can submit your appeal. You can find instructions on how to submit an appeal on our Help and Instructions page 

 

The Online Community rules  

By joining the Online Community, you agree to be bound by the following fifteen rules, which apply to public posts, profile information, private messages and your communications with the moderation team.

Rule1: Community users must be over 18. Only people aged 18 or over can join the Online Community. 
When registering, you will need to confirm you are 18 or older, as some discussion threads may include adult themes. 

Moderation action: The moderation team monitors content for signs that users may be under 18. If we identify an underage user, their account will be removed. 

Rule 2: No personal information and identifiable content. The Online Community is public, so please do not share personal or identifying details about yourself or anyone else. This rule protects everyone’s privacy and safety. Do not share full names, addresses, contact details, social media profiles or photos that can identify you or others. You may share links to social media posts or videos if they are relevant, helpful or interesting and comply with these rules. Please ensure the content does not identify its creator unless they are a public figure.

Moderation action: Identifiable content will be removed by the moderation team. Knowingly or maliciously sharing identifiable content will result in an immediate ban without warning. 

Rule 3: No illegal content. Do not post or link to content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity or puts anyone at risk. Illegal content includes, but is not limited to: terrorism, child sexual abuse or exploitation, encouraging or assisting suicide or self-harm, harassment, threats, stalking, or abuse, hate speech or coercive behaviour, drugs, weapons, or trafficking, fraud or financial crimes. 

Moderation action: Illegal content will be removed as soon as possible, and serious violations will result in an immediate ban without notice. 

Rule 4: No harmful or offensive content. Do not post or link to anything that is: graphic or obscene, defamatory or libellous, impersonating someone else, infringing copyright. 

Moderation action: Content viewed to be in breach of this rule will be removed or edited. Two minor breaches will result in a ban. Serious violations will result in an immediate ban without notice. 

Rule 5: Do not discriminate. Do not post or link to anything that is considered offensive to others with regard to the protected characteristics outlined in UK equality legislation: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. We encourage open conversation, but everyone has the right to share ideas without fear of hostility. 

Moderation action: Content viewed to be in breach of this rule will be removed or edited. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. Repeat offenders will be banned. 

Rule 6: No medical or legal advice. Do not offer medical or legal advice. Always seek professional help for these matters. Treat any medical or legal information shared as the opinion of the user who posted it and meant for general discussion purposes only. 

Moderation action: Posts offering medical or legal information will be removed if they attempt to direct another user's actions, influence a user's medical or legal decisions or are not clearly from personal experience. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. Repeat offenders will be banned. 

Rule 7: Be respectful in discussions. Disagreements are fine, but personal attacks and insults are not. Swearing is not allowed. Please respect other viewpoints and avoid taking sides in arguments. Comments can be misinterpreted, and posts may come from users who are anxious or distressed. If something upsets you, take a break before responding. 

Moderation action: Moderators may lock threads if needed. Content in breach of this rule will be removed. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. Repeat offenders will be banned. 

Rule 8: Do not use the National Autistic Society logo or ‘Mod’ title. Only moderation team members can use the National Autistic Society logo or the word “Mod” in their profile username, which helps users identify official National Autistic Society moderators. 

Moderation action: We will ask you to change your profile, or we will reset it if this rule is breached. 

Rule 9: No multiple accounts. Each user can only have one account. If you forget your password, please use the password reset feature. 

Moderation action: Additional accounts registered to the same person will be removed. 

Rule 10: No duplicate posts. Do not post the same message in multiple threads or topics. 

Moderation action: Duplicate posts will be removed. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. Repeat offenders will be banned. 

Rule 11: No spam. Under our rules, spam includes: advertisements, repetitive posts, links to harmful sites that may contain malware, scams or messages generated by software rather than a human user. 

Moderation action: Posting spam will lead to an instant ban without notice. 

Rule 12: No sales or advertisements. Please do not join the forum to sell products or services. You can share recommendations, but you must mention if you are affiliated with the products or services you choose to recommend. The National Autistic Society cannot guarantee the quality of any products or services shared.Organisations and services in the UK that are specifically for or have adapted their services to meet the needs of autistic people and their families may apply to be listed on our Autism Services Directory. 

Moderation action: Accounts focused on selling will have their account placed under pre-moderation, and their posts may be edited. 

Rule 13: No fundraisers. Do not post fundraisers or links to crowdfunding platforms. The National Autistic Society cannot guarantee their legitimacy, which may expose users to scams and fraudulent requests. 

Moderation action: Fundraiser posts will be removed. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. 

Rule 14: No research requests. We do not allow research requests in the Online Community. Direct research requests should be submitted to our Research team at research@nas.org.uk. This rule ensures that privacy and ethical standards are followed. 

Moderation action: Research requests will be removed. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. 

Rule 15: No media requests. We do not allow media requests to contact or interview community users. Direct media requests should be submitted to our Press team at press@nas.org.uk. 

Moderation action: Media requests will be removed. Users breaching this rule may have their account placed under pre-moderation. 

 

How You Can Help 
Please help us keep the Online Community a safe and welcoming place by reporting any posts that you feel are against any of these rules. You can report posts by selecting ‘More’ under the post and then selecting ‘Flag to Moderator’ to notify the moderation team. Please note, the ‘Flag to Moderator’ option can be used to flag posts that are: 
  • potentially in breach of the rules 
  • potentially abusive  
  • concerning or worrying 
This will allow the moderation team to review the content as quickly as possible. 
 
Please note: These rules are subject to change. We will inform the Online Community users following any updates.