The AAGW email group exists to support respectful connection and shared experience among autistic adults. These guidelines help keep the space usable, safe, and predictable for everyone. They apply equally to members and moderators.
1. Tone and Respect
Please communicate with care.
- Speak from your own experience rather than making assumptions about others.
- Avoid insults, name-calling, or hostile language.
- Strong feelings are understandable; personal attacks are not.
- If you wouldn’t say it calmly in a mixed group meeting, it likely doesn’t belong here.
2. Confidentiality
What’s shared in the group stays in the group. AAGW’s confidentiality policy applies to all email group messages and discussions.
- Do not forward messages or screenshots outside AAGW.
- Do not quote or repost content elsewhere, including in other online or in-person conversations.
- Respect that some members share very personal information and do not disclose it to others.
- Avoid sharing any personally identifying information about yourself or others. This includes, but is not limited to, a full name, date or place of birth, address or ZIP code, ID numbers (such as Social Security, driver’s license, or passport), banking or financial information, workplace, race, gender, religion, online usernames or identifiers, and biometric or genealogical information.
- Do not disclose or speculate about anyone’s immigration or citizenship status, including your own or that of others.
3. Political and Religious Content
AAGW is apolitical and areligious. These are foundational boundaries.
The email group is not a space for political or religious advocacy, persuasion, blame, or debate, even when framed as personal belief or personal impact.
Not allowed:
- Supporting or opposing political parties, candidates, administrations, legislation, or religious belief systems
- Assigning intent, malice, or blame to political or religious groups or leaders
- Claims that a political or religious group is “coming after” autistic people or any other group
- Religious teaching, preaching, prayer requests, or attempts to persuade others of beliefs
- Framing political or religious viewpoints as moral obligations for others
- Repeated or emotionally charged posts that lead to argument or escalation
Limited and carefully framed discussion may be allowed only when:
- The focus is on a specific, concrete personal experience (for example, difficulty accessing a service)
- The message avoids naming, promoting, or condemning political parties, politicians, religions, or belief systems
- The tone remains descriptive rather than persuasive or accusatory
When discussion moves from personal impact to belief, blame, or persuasion, moderators will pause or decline it.
4. Romantic, Dating, and Sexual Topics
Discussion of relationships, dating, and sexuality can come up naturally and is not prohibited, but it must be handled with care and clear boundaries.
Allowed:
- General discussion of relationships, dating experiences, or social challenges
- Talking about feelings of loneliness, rejection, or confusion around relationships
- High-level discussion of identity (for example, orientation or relationship preferences) when shared respectfully
- Seeking peer perspectives on communication, boundaries, or social understanding
Not allowed:
- Sexually explicit descriptions or graphic detail
- Requests for sexual content, advice on sexual techniques, or fetish-related discussion
- Soliciting romantic or sexual contact through the email group
- Repeated or targeted messages toward specific individuals
- Content that could reasonably make others uncomfortable, pressured, or unsafe
Important notes:
- The email group is not a dating service and not a place to seek partners.
- Moderators may hold or decline content that shifts from discussion to solicitation.
- When in doubt, keep descriptions non-graphic and focus on emotions or experiences rather than explicit detail.
Moderation in this area is about maintaining safety, consent, and comfort for all members, not judgment of anyone’s identity or experiences.
5. Medical, Legal, and Clinical Topics
Sharing experiences is welcome. Giving instructions is not.
In general, you should not portray yourself as a medical, legal, or clinical authority if you do not have that qualification. If you are in an attorney–client or doctor–patient relationship, either with a group member or with someone outside the group, you should not waive that privilege by discussing particular details of your case in the group.
Allowed:
- “This was my experience.”
- “Here’s what worked for me.”
- “I’m not a professional, but this is what I learned.”
Not allowed:
- Telling others what they should do medically or legally, or representing your words as qualified advice
- Diagnosing others with any specific condition or disorder
- Recommending specific treatments, dosages, or legal actions
The group is not a substitute for professional care.
6. Trauma, Crisis, and Safety
The email group is not a crisis support space.
- Do not post detailed descriptions of trauma, abuse, or suicidal thoughts.
- If someone appears to be in crisis, moderators may respond privately with resources.
- This is about safety and care, not judgment.
Members are encouraged to seek appropriate professional or emergency support when needed. If you or someone near you is having an immediate, life-threatening emergency, dial 911.
7. Commercial Content and Self-Promotion
This is a peer-support community, not a marketplace.
Not allowed:
- Advertising products or services
- Promoting specific businesses, paid platforms, or professional practices
- Posting links to for-profit sites without clear personal context
Members are welcome to share personal experiences or peer support. If suggesting an off-list conversation, clearly state that it is personal advice or peer support, not a sales pitch or solicitation. Moderators may check in when needed to ensure the community remains supportive, transparent, and not used for promotion.
Why this matters:
- Even well-intended links or offers can look like endorsements or solicitation.
- Vulnerable members should not feel pressured to click, buy, sign up, or engage privately.
If you share a resource:
- Explain why you’re sharing it.
- Make clear whether you personally used it.
- Avoid links or requests whose primary purpose is selling, recruiting, or directing people into private intake conversations.
8. Links and Resources
Links are welcome when shared thoughtfully.
- Add a sentence explaining what the link is and why it may be helpful to the autism community.
- Avoid posting links with no explanation.
- Be mindful of paywalls, sign-ups, or data collection. Consider removing tracking information from links before posting.
9. Volume and Flow
To avoid inbox overload:
- Moderators may space out similar responses.
- Threads may be slowed or paused if they become overwhelming.
- This is about managing volume, not silencing voices.
Members can mute a conversation thread using the “Mute This Topic” link at the bottom of any email in that thread.
Members do not need to re-send messages that have not been approved right away and may assume the moderation team is holding them for review.
10. Moderation and Boundaries
Moderation is not censorship.
- Moderators do not edit messages; they approve or hold them.
- Decisions are based on scope, tone, and impact.
- If a message isn’t posted, it’s about context or fit, not the person.
Moderators are volunteers caring for a complex space.
11. When You’re Unsure
If you’re not sure whether something belongs in the group:
- Pause before sending.
- Add context.
- Ask a moderator privately: moderators@aagw.net.
It’s always okay to check.
Closing Thought
These guidelines exist so AAGW can remain a place where people with many different experiences, beliefs, identities, and sensitivities can coexist without feeling pressured, preached to, blamed, or overwhelmed.