Terms of Service

Plain-language summary. The authoritative version is served from our backend; the text below is the static fallback shown when the backend is unreachable.

1. What this service is. The Autism Universe is a planning and coordination platform for autism families. It includes an AI-companion experience, a provider directory, and document tools. It is not a substitute for a clinician, attorney, special-education advocate, school district, government agency, or emergency service.

2. Not medical, legal, educational, or emergency advice. Nothing on this platform — including any AI-generated text, summary, suggestion, treatment description, IEP analysis, financial-aid guidance, or directory listing — constitutes professional medical, behavioral, psychological, legal, educational, or emergency advice. Decisions about your child, your IEP, your medical care, your benefits, and your legal rights belong to you and the licensed professionals you trust. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911.

3. Not a HIPAA-covered entity. The Autism Universe is not a HIPAA-covered entity, a business associate, or a clinical record system. We use industry-standard encryption at rest and in transit, but you should not treat the platform as HIPAA-grade infrastructure. Do not upload information that requires HIPAA-grade safeguards.

4. You assume the risk for content you upload. By using the platform you acknowledge that you decide what to upload and that you do so at your own risk. We will store, process, and (where you ask) display the content you upload to help you and your family, but we cannot guarantee that any communication, storage, or AI-generated output is free from error, misinterpretation, or loss. Redact anything you do not want stored.

5. We will not share your personal information with providers without your explicit consent. Providers cannot view your name, contact details, child's information, or uploaded documents until you affirmatively send an inquiry, claim a lead, or share a file. Browsing the directory is anonymous.

6. AI output. Our AI companions (Discover, Support, Navigator, Buddy) synthesize from cited sources and apply a deterministic crisis filter, but they can still be wrong. Treat AI output as a starting point, not a verdict. Do not act on AI guidance without confirming it with a qualified professional where stakes are high.

7. Account responsibility. You must be 18+ to create an account. You are responsible for the credentials, the family members you invite, and the actions taken under your account. We may suspend accounts that violate these terms, attempt to scrape the directory, attempt to extract other families' data, or post content that endangers others.

8. Fees and cancellation. Family plans are free. Paid plans (Pro for families, Verified Badge and Custom for providers) are billed via Stripe. You can cancel any paid plan from your account; cancellations stop future billing but do not retroactively refund the current period unless required by law.

9. Limitation of liability. To the maximum extent permitted by law, The Autism Universe is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

10. Changes. We will notify you before any material change and re-prompt for consent where required.

Contact: support@theautismuniverse.com.