Privacy Policy

The Autistic Psychedelic Community (“APC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information when you visit our website, submit a form, register for a meeting or event, join a community space, contact us, subscribe to updates, or otherwise interact with APC online.

APC is a community and educational organization focused on peer support, education, and community connection for autistic, neurodivergent, and allied adults with interest in psychedelics, altered states, integration, neurodiversity, and related topics. Because our work may involve sensitive personal topics, we aim to collect only the information we reasonably need, use it responsibly, and communicate clearly about our practices.

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the APC website and related APC-controlled forms, event pages, email lists, and community intake or participation processes. It does not govern third-party platforms we do not control, such as Squarespace, Google, Zoom, Discord, Eventbrite, payment processors, social media platforms, or other external services. Those platforms may have their own privacy policies and data practices.

APC is not a healthcare provider

APC does not provide medical care, psychotherapy, legal advice, crisis services, or emergency services. Information you provide to APC is not part of a medical record, therapy record, or legally privileged clinical relationship unless a separate written agreement explicitly states otherwise.

APC is not a psychedelic service provider

APC does not provide, facilitate, sell, distribute, administer, or supervise psychedelic substances. We may provide education, peer support, harm reduction-oriented discussion, community spaces, and integration-related resources, but we do not provide medical treatment or psychedelic-assisted therapy.

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

A. Information you provide directly

You may choose to provide information such as:

• Name or preferred name
• Email address
• Phone number, if voluntarily provided
• Location or time zone
• Organization or professional affiliation, if relevant
• Accessibility needs or participation preferences
• Questions, comments, or messages submitted through contact forms
• Event registration details
• Newsletter or mailing list subscription information
• Responses to intake, interest, feedback, or volunteer forms
• Information related to your interest in APC programming
• Information you choose to share about neurodivergence, autism, disability, psychedelic experiences, integration needs, community experiences, or other personal topics

You should only share information you are comfortable providing. Please avoid submitting highly sensitive information unless it is necessary for the purpose of your communication.

B. Information collected through forms

APC may use custom forms, embedded forms, Google Forms, Squarespace forms, or other form tools to collect information. Form responses may be stored in email inboxes, spreadsheets, databases, or third-party service dashboards used by APC. Depending on the form, we may collect:

• Contact information
• Event registration information
• Volunteer interest information
• Community participation preferences
• Accessibility or accommodation requests
• Feedback about APC programming
• Questions you want addressed in future programming
• Consent acknowledgments or participation confirmations

C. Information collected through event registration or participation

If you register for or participate in APC events, meetings, peer support spaces, educational offerings, or community programs, we may collect:

• Registration details
• Attendance information
• Payment or donation confirmation, if applicable
• Event preferences
• Accessibility requests
• Communication preferences
• Basic participation records needed for community administration

APC may use third-party tools such as Zoom, Eventbrite, Google Calendar, payment processors, or similar platforms. Those tools may collect information directly from you according to their own privacy policies.

D. Information collected through email and newsletters

If you subscribe to APC updates or communicate with us by email, we may collect:

• Your email address
• Your name or preferred name
• Your subscription preferences
• Email engagement information, such as whether emails were opened or links were clicked, if our email tool provides that information
• Messages you send to us

You may unsubscribe from marketing or newsletter emails at any time using the unsubscribe link, if available, or by contacting us.

E. Information collected automatically

When you visit the APC website, certain information may be collected automatically by Squarespace, analytics tools, cookies, or similar technologies. This may include:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device type
• Operating system
• Pages visited
• Referring website
• Approximate location derived from IP address
• Date and time of visit
• Site interactions
• Cookie identifiers or similar technical information

This information helps us understand website performance, troubleshoot issues, improve accessibility, and understand general patterns of website use.

F. Community platform information

If APC uses community spaces such as Discord, Facebook groups, Signal, Zoom chat, email groups, or other platforms, those platforms may collect information directly from you. APC may also be able to see your username, profile information, messages, participation activity, or other information you choose to make visible within those spaces.

Please review the privacy settings and policies of any third-party platform before participating.

APC recognizes that some information people share with us may be sensitive. This may include information related to:

• Autism or neurodivergence
• Disability
• Mental health
• Trauma
• Psychedelic experiences
• Spiritual, existential, or altered-state experiences
• Identity, relationships, or community belonging
• Accessibility needs
• Medical or therapeutic history, if voluntarily disclosed

We do not require you to disclose sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for a specific purpose, such as requesting an accommodation, completing an intake process, or helping us determine whether a space is appropriate for your needs.

We ask that you avoid submitting unnecessary sensitive information through website forms, email, or third-party platforms. APC will use sensitive information only for the purpose for which it was provided, unless you give us permission to use it for another purpose or we are legally required to disclose it.

APC may use collected information to:

• Respond to inquiries
• Send requested information
• Manage event registrations
• Provide meeting links or participation instructions
• Administer community spaces
• Communicate with participants, volunteers, facilitators, donors, collaborators, or interested community members
• Send newsletters or updates
• Improve the website and user experience
• Understand community needs
• Develop future programming, resources, events, or educational materials
• Process donations, payments, or event fees, if applicable
• Maintain safety, boundaries, and community agreements
• Review feedback or incident reports
• Prevent spam, abuse, fraud, or misuse of APC spaces
• Comply with legal, tax, accounting, or organizational obligations
• Protect APC, its participants, facilitators, volunteers, and community members

We do not use personal information to make automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.

Depending on your location and applicable law, APC may process your information based on one or more of the following reasons:

• You gave consent, such as subscribing to updates or submitting a form
• Processing is necessary to provide information, access, programming, or services you requested
• Processing supports APC’s legitimate organizational interests, such as operating the website, managing events, improving programming, and maintaining community safety
• Processing is necessary to comply with legal obligations
• Processing is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or integrity of APC or others

Where consent is required, you may withdraw consent, though this may limit our ability to provide certain communications, access, or support.

APC does not sell personal information. APC may share information in limited circumstances, including with:

A. Service providers

We may use third-party providers to help operate our website, forms, email lists, event registrations, payments, analytics, scheduling, documents, community spaces, or communications. These providers may process information on our behalf or according to their own terms. Examples may include:

• Squarespace
• Google Workspace, Google Forms, Google Sheets, or Gmail
• Zoom
• Discord
• Eventbrite
• Mailchimp, Substack, or other email/newsletter tools
• Payment processors
• Donation platforms
• Scheduling tools
• Website analytics or security tools

B. APC team members and authorized helpers

Information may be accessible to APC founders, directors, facilitators, volunteers, contractors, administrators, or collaborators who need access for legitimate APC purposes.

C. Legal, safety, or compliance reasons

We may disclose information if we believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law, regulation, subpoena, court order, or legal process
• Respond to lawful requests by public authorities
• Protect the safety, rights, or well-being of APC, participants, facilitators, volunteers, or others
• Investigate potential violations of APC policies or community agreements
• Prevent fraud, abuse, harassment, or misuse
• Address security or technical issues

D. Organizational transitions

If APC undergoes a structural transition, such as transferring website administration, changing fiscal sponsorship, forming a new entity, merging with another organization, or transferring operational responsibilities, relevant information may be transferred as part of that transition, subject to reasonable confidentiality and privacy safeguards.

APC may host peer support spaces, educational discussions, forums, or community meetings. We may ask participants to respect confidentiality, privacy, and community agreements. However, APC cannot guarantee that other participants will keep information confidential.

Please use care when sharing personal information in group settings, chat platforms, forums, social media, or other community spaces. Information shared with other participants may be repeated, saved, screenshotted, copied, or disclosed by others despite APC’s expectations or community norms.

APC may remove participants, restrict access, or take other action when we believe community agreements, safety expectations, or privacy norms have been violated.

APC does not record peer support meetings unless we clearly notify participants and obtain any consent required by applicable law or APC policy.

Educational events, presentations, webinars, or workshops may be recorded if the event description or facilitator states that recording will occur. When an event is recorded, we may capture:

• Audio
• Video
• Chat messages
• Participant names or display names
• Questions or comments shared during the event

Participants who do not want to appear in a recording should keep their camera off, use a preferred display name, avoid sharing identifying information, or contact APC before the event to ask about options.

APC may prohibit participants from recording, screenshotting, or distributing meeting content without permission.

The APC website may use cookies and similar technologies. Cookies are small files placed on your device that help websites function, remember preferences, analyze traffic, and improve performance. We may use:

A. Essential cookies

These help the website function properly and may be necessary for security, navigation, or core website features.

B. Analytics and performance cookies

These help us understand how visitors use the website, which pages are visited, how people find the site, and whether the site is functioning well.

C. Third-party cookies

Third-party tools embedded on the website, such as videos, forms, event tools, donation tools, maps, or social media features, may place their own cookies or collect information directly from you.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Depending on our Squarespace configuration, you may also see a cookie banner or consent options. Disabling cookies may affect how some parts of the website function.

APC may use analytics tools provided by Squarespace or other platforms to understand aggregate website usage. Analytics information may include traffic sources, page views, device information, approximate location, and user interaction patterns.

We use analytics to improve the website, understand community needs, identify broken pages or confusing navigation, and make APC resources easier to find.

We do not use analytics to identify individual visitors unless necessary for security, troubleshooting, legal compliance, or abuse prevention.

If APC accepts payments, donations, ticket fees, or event registration fees, those transactions may be processed by a third-party payment processor or donation platform. APC may receive transaction details such as:

• Name
• Email address
• Payment confirmation
• Donation or purchase amount
• Event or product purchased
• Billing-related information necessary for records

APC generally does not receive or store full credit card numbers or complete payment credentials. Payment processors handle payment information according to their own privacy and security practices.

APC keeps personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information. For example:

• Contact form submissions may be kept as long as needed to respond and maintain communication records.
• Event registration records may be kept for administrative, accounting, safety, or historical purposes.
• Donation or payment records may be kept as required for tax, accounting, or legal obligations.
• Email subscription information may be kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Community participation records may be kept as needed to manage access, safety, and community continuity.
• Incident reports or boundary-related records may be kept longer if needed to protect community safety or organizational integrity.

When information is no longer needed, we may delete, de-identify, aggregate, or archive it.

APC uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect personal information. These may include limited access, password-protected accounts, role-based access where available, secure third-party platforms, and internal privacy-conscious practices.

However, no website, email system, cloud platform, form tool, or online communication system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. You should use care when deciding what information to share online.

Depending on your relationship with APC and applicable law, you may have choices including:

• Unsubscribing from newsletters or marketing emails
• Asking us to update or correct your information
• Asking us to delete certain information
• Asking us what information we have about you
• Requesting that we stop contacting you
• Choosing not to submit optional form fields
• Adjusting cookie settings in your browser
• Leaving or limiting participation in third-party community platforms
• Contacting APC with privacy questions or concerns

To make a request, contact us at: hello@autisticpsychedelic.com.

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests. We may also decline or limit a request where permitted by law, such as when we need to retain information for legal, safety, accounting, organizational, or community integrity reasons.

California residents may have privacy rights under California law, depending on the nature of APC’s activities and whether particular laws apply to APC. These rights may include the right to know, access, correct, delete, or limit certain uses of personal information, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights.

APC does not sell personal information. APC also does not knowingly share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising in the way covered by certain California privacy laws. If this changes, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide any required opt-out mechanisms.

California residents may contact us at hello@autisticpsychedelic.com to submit a privacy request.

Some browsers allow users to send “Do Not Track” signals. Because there is not a uniform industry standard for responding to these signals, APC may not respond to all “Do Not Track” signals.

Where required by applicable law and supported by the tools we use, APC will make reasonable efforts to honor legally recognized opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, if our website or service providers are configured to receive and process them.

APC may be accessed by visitors outside the United States. If you access APC from outside the United States, you understand that your information may be collected, processed, stored, or transferred in the United States or other countries where APC or its service providers operate.

Privacy laws in the United States may differ from those in your country. By using the APC website or submitting information to APC, you acknowledge that your information may be processed in the United States.

If you are located in a jurisdiction with specific privacy rights, such as the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Canada, you may contact us to make a privacy-related request. We will respond as required by applicable law.

APC is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We also do not knowingly invite minors to participate in adult peer support or psychedelic-related community programming unless a specific program explicitly states otherwise and appropriate safeguards are in place.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to APC, contact us at hello@autisticpsychedelic.com and we will take reasonable steps to delete the information, unless we are legally required or permitted to retain it.

The APC website may link to third-party websites, resources, event pages, social media pages, articles, research materials, payment pages, or community platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of third-party websites.

You should review the privacy policy of any third-party website or platform before providing information.

If you interact with APC on social media, the platform may collect information about you according to its own privacy policy. Public comments, tags, shares, likes, follows, or messages may be visible to others depending on your settings and the platform’s design.

Please avoid sharing sensitive personal information in public social media comments.

APC may occasionally share testimonials, stories, quotes, feedback, educational reflections, or community contributions. We will seek permission before publicly sharing identifying personal stories, testimonials, or participant quotes in APC materials.

If we use de-identified, aggregated, or anonymized feedback, we will make reasonable efforts not to include information that directly identifies the person who provided it.

APC may use aggregated or de-identified information to understand community needs, evaluate programming, improve resources, or communicate about APC’s work. Aggregated or de-identified information does not identify a specific individual.

APC will not treat routine community participation as research participation unless we clearly explain the research purpose, consent process, data use, risks, and any applicable review or oversight.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date above. If changes are material, we may provide additional notice, such as posting a notice on the website or sending an email to subscribers when appropriate.

Your continued use of the APC website or participation in APC spaces after an updated Privacy Policy is posted means you acknowledge the updated policy.