Editorial policy
The rules we hold ourselves to — how we use evidence, how we write about autism, and what happens when we get something wrong.
Photo: Diana Polekhina on Unsplash
What this policy is for
This page sets out how we decide what to publish and how we treat the facts behind it. It is written to be read — not as a legal wall, but as an honest description of our standards, including the places where our standards meet their limits.
What we publish
We publish educational explainers about autism in adults. Each article is built around a real question — "What is autistic burnout?", "Why do autistic people mask?" — and answers it in plain language, with the evidence for each claim named rather than hidden.
We do not publish opinion dressed up as fact, and we do not publish advice that would be dangerous to follow without professional input. Where a topic touches health, we keep it educational and point readers toward qualified help rather than pretending to provide it.
How we use evidence
We aim to ground each article in the strongest available evidence — systematic reviews and meta-analyses first, then quality primary studies, with major clinical guidance and public-health sources for baseline definitions. Where the evidence is mixed, early, or absent, we say so rather than smoothing it over.
We are also careful not to overclaim. A single small study is not the same as a settled conclusion, and "linked to" is not the same as "caused by." The details of how we select and weigh sources live in our sources and methodology page.
Language and stigma
Language about autism carries weight. We write from a position that autism is a natural difference in how brains work — not a disease to be cured or a tragedy to be mourned. In practice that means:
- Preferring neutral, precise descriptions over deficit-based wording.
- Respecting both "autistic person" and "person with autism" preferences rather than prescribing one.
- Avoiding functioning labels and any framing that ranks people by how "normal" they appear.
- Not sensationalising. We can discuss serious topics — burnout, suicidality, discrimination — without exploiting them.
Independence
We are not funded by any specific treatment, provider, or product, and we do not accept money to say nice things about one. If that changes, we will disclose it plainly on the affected page rather than burying it. We do not currently run advertising or sponsored content.
Review before publication
Every article is reviewed for clarity and for correctness before it is published. That review includes checking that claims are supported, that uncertainty is stated, and that the writing would not be read as medical advice. It does not — and cannot — guarantee that the article is free of error.
Updates and corrections
Knowledge about adult autism changes, and sometimes we are simply wrong. When we find an error — or a reader points one out — we correct it rather than rewriting history. Significant corrections are noted on the article, and the publication date is updated to reflect that the piece has changed.
We apply the same standard to ourselves that we ask of the research we rely on: own the mistake, fix it, and leave a trace.