1. Be respectful.

2. Specifically:

   • No abusive speech

   • No hate speech 

   • No targeted harassment

3. This is a private community and we reserve the right to silence, kick, and ban you for any reason we see fit.

4. Members of the Council, Deputy Chamber, Chamber, and Chair are the moderator roles. If you have any questions, issues, or concerns, contact one of us. If we cannot help directly, we can refer you to someone who can. If a member of the Council, Deputy, or Chamber is the issue, please contact the Chair immediately. If the issue is with the Chair, contact the Chamber. 

5. By joining you are giving consent that you will abide by moderator decisions. 

6. You are not entitled to any warning before moderator decisions are put into effect, including but not limited to probation, kicking, or banning. 

   • If you are confused about what you are doing wrong: remain calm, leave the conversation, then come back and speak with a moderator after emotions have subsided.

   • If a moderator decides to outline your infraction-- and they usually do-- the best thing you can do is listen. Making arguments and appealing because "I don't understand" has never once gone well for anyone. Don't try it. Even if it's true. Ask questions, listen, and learn.

   • If you feel you were probated, kicked, or banned without warning the reason is usually that the moderator made a judgment about what would be safest for the community, even if it meant leaving you confused for a moment. 

7. NSFW content is defined as any content you would not be comfortable sharing freely in a public, work, or child-laden environment. This includes but is not limited to-- graphic violence, nudity, and/or loud audio of swearing. When in doubt, spoiler it!

8. The exception to the NSFW rule is #adult-18-nsfw. You must be 18 or over to gain permission to #adult-18-nsfw. In #adult-18-nsfw you are allowed to freely post more vulgar and risque content. You choose to view #adult-18-nsfw at your own risk in a work, school, or public environment. 

9. All parties are responsible for themselves in #adult-18-nsfw. 

   • If you are posting content that is about or contains sensitive topics including but not limited to Rule 34, Rape, Abuse, and Graphic Violence you must post a Warning and Spoiler-Tag your content.  When in-doubt, spoiler it!

   • If you notice extreme content you feel should be tagged/spoilered in #adult-18-nsfw, contact a member of the Chamber immediately. Then please refrain from using said channel while the material is evaluated and properly tagged/spoiled. This is your responsibility to refrain from direct participation during a report. 

10. No pornographic material in #adult-swim. When in doubt, spoiler it!

11.  Avoid politics. "The personal is the political" may be true, but try to keep matters individual rather than factional. "This new law makes it hard for me to get medicine! I need help getting medicine!" is individual. "The conservative/liberal/minecraft media is restricting my ability to say that all guns have the right to an abortion. I want to whine about YouTube!" is factional. We are here to support each other as individuals, not get in slap fights over hot takes. Those who test the moderators will be punished. 

12. Should any member come forward with evidence of harassment in DMs, the offending user will be disciplined. Do not use our server to creep on anyone. You will be banned.

13. We do not encourage selfies. You post any identifying information about yourself at your own risk.

14. Please clear any self-promotion with a moderator. Sharing your hobbies or crafts is one thing, sharing a GoFundMe or asking people to boost your podcast is another. When in doubt, message a moderator. 

15. While we are a support community, users are not entitled to immediate support. Our users are caring and will help out when they can, but if you are in acute distress you should contact a hotline or similar professional. 

16. By joining the community, you accept that we are all responsible to make it worthwhile. "Shitposting," going "dead chat" or simply not participating doesn't help the community. Engage, be interested in others, share yourself, and don't be afraid to participate. If everyone does a little, we get a lot. 

17. We are an LGBTQ+ positive space. A lot of people here are figuring themselves out. Do not question the validity of and/or label someone's sexual or gender identity. This will lead to pain. You don't think someone sounds gay or non-binary? You have issues with trans people existing? Keep that to yourself. Be polite and respectful. DM a moderator if you have an issue you feel needs to be addressed, we're here to help navigate. 

What is ASDirect? 

We're a non-profit group of autistics from around the globe. Here on our Discord channel you can relax, socialize to whatever degree suits you, look at or participate in one of our many projects, or reach out if you need support from people who understand where you're coming from. 

What makes you guys different from any other ASD community?

We are by ASD and for ASD, at every level, and we were tired of online spaces that were too lax, too strict, too childish, and well... too Neurotypical for us. Here we are a mix of adults and teenagers with an eye for mature support. We offer the relaxation and camaraderie of a pub, the trusted counsel of friends, and independent projects to promote our growth and work to do outreach as part of the ASD population. 

So you guys are free?

Yes. We do accept donations through Patreon as a way of allowing our Administrators to devote their time to maintaining/growing this space with accompanying server rewards, but do not require a fee for membership.  

Are you doctors?

No. Some of us have medical experience and psychology degrees, but we are not Doctors. We offer this paragraph as a formal disclaimer that any advice, counsel, and information shared is done between ordinary citizens and not medical professionals. Anything said on the server is not confidential information despite our best good faith efforts, and you assume the general risk of any online space by joining, interacting, and following anything you read. 

Why do you ask about my gender?

ASDirect hosts a special channel for all women, regardless of gender assigned at birth, to discuss issues pertaining to gender that they may not feel comfortable discussing in mixed company 

To clarify a few points:

• • • Trans women are welcome in #themyscira, no arguments.

    • People who were AMAB (assigned male at birth) and identify as female/femme are allowed, no arguments.

    • Non-binary or genderfluid people need to reach out to the female moderators of #themyscira to discuss their participation, should they desire. Their inclusion is allowed, but we go with whatever the user feels more comfortable with and the best way to determine that is to talk.

What kinds of channels are there?

    There are a few too many to list here, but we have six main chat channels; several age and gender-restricted channels, channels for discussing ASD and infodumping, as well as         channels to share art, memes, academics help, voice chat, and participate in group activities

Do I need a formal diagnosis to join?

No, not at all.  

We do encourage formal diagnosis whenever possible, but we understand not everyone can afford or access the proper specialists. 

As long as you are up-front and transparent about your diagnostic status, you are welcome. 

What constitutes a formal diagnosis?

A formal diagnosis is any test that has been performed by an accredited medical professional specifically looking for markers of ASD, which the professional has concluded marks the patient as someone who likely qualifies as on the Autism Spectrum. 

In other words, your therapist or psychiatrist saying "you might have Aspergers" during a talk session is what we would call an informal or soft diagnosis, and a misinformed one as Aspergers is no longer a diagnosis in most psychology, and has not been for nearly a decade.

What specialists are required to formally diagnose someone (e.g: why can't my therapist do it?)

The world of mental health professionals is very specialized. Therapists, social workers, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, and even most psychologists are not necessarily educated nor qualified to give a formal assessment. They may have studied ASD briefly, or know people with ASD, or even treat clients with ASD and have certificates in Applied Behavioral Analysis like a CAS or AC, but they are not qualified to diagnose if it is not the focus of their practice. That said, they can refer you to autism centers or doctors who do practice diagnostics. 

Most diagnostics--for children and adults--are done by the following specialists: 

• • • Developmental Pediatricians

    • Child Neurologists

    • Child Psychologists

Even within those specialists, not all are comfortable assessing adults and prefer to focus on children, although they should be able to refer you to someone who is. 

Current adult diagnostics include: 

• • • An IQ Test 

    • A parent/childhood friend interview if subjects are available (called the ADI) 

    • ADOS Module IV

      • ADOS (Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule) is the autism diagnostic observation schedule, and module four is for high-functioning verbal young adults and adults. 

    • There is a new shorter module called the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview-Adult Version (3Di-Adult) that yields similar results, that may be used instead of the ADOS Module IV.

Well I once got misdiagnosed and I don't trust doctors! I spit on formal diagnosis! It shouldn't matter whether I'm diagnosed or not!

We are sorry that happened. Nearly everyone here has horror stories dealing with Health Professionals-- medical and psychiatric. 

Professionals are still no more than people who profess to be experts, and even genuine experts can get things wrong. Science is always growing and adapting its understanding to new information.

This is all the more reason to participate and allow your data to join with reputable experts, and that is the path ASDirect endorses.

We respect your viewpoint, and will fully admit that our ethos is not perfect and subject to flaw, but we stand by it and ask you have tolerance.

I may not be Autistic, I do not have a diagnosis, and I'm questioning myself. Can I join?

Yes, as long as you are up-front and transparent about your current status. We are not exclusionary. 

We are a minority population with a neurological condition looking to support each other, and if you have read this far down you probably aren't playing at being autistic to feel special or excuse bad behavior. It is regrettable but there is an extreme minority within our population who do so.

As long as your activity promotes support and you are forthright about your status, you are welcome. 

I am Neurotypical (not Autistic), and/or a Parent/Caregiver. Can I join?

At the moment, no. 

This is not to say we will permanently disallow Neurotypical or Caregivers, but at the moment this community is exclusively by ASD people and for ASD people.

So I can lie, and join?

Technically speaking, yes you could. We have no legal right to verify people as who they claim they are.

We serve two masters-- if we hold everyone to strict standards we become insular, limited, and alienating, and if we hold zero accountability we will lose any standards at all. 

This is why we require the Introduction Questionnaire and have a verification process. 

Should we be fortunate enough that we need to amend the process, we will. 

Then what is to keep trolls and jerks from coming here and ruining everything? 

Our logic is that anyone pathetic enough to waste their time jumping through all the hoops necessary to join just to troll isn't worth the time of day. We refuse to waste our time being paranoid.

Should people truly target us, we have contingencies including an active Council of users who manage daily affairs, and if ASDirect somehow ends up compromised the community is adaptable and trolls will gain very little.  

What about Aspergers?

This is a contentious subject, as we are a Global Community and the Global Medical Community is split.

In the United States and Asia, Aspergers is no longer seen as a valid diagnosis. In parts of Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa, Aspergers is still a diagnosis. 

Some of us still believe in the diagnosis, some of us do not. 

We respect both viewpoints and ask that you do the same. 

So I cannot say I have Aspergers here?

You can. That said there are multiple viewpoints on the subject, so be prepared to respect those different from your own as others respect yours.

Why don't you guys use the term "high-functioning?"

"High-functioning" and "Low-functioning" are terms from a different era. It used to be thought that autism was a linear spectrum of functioning. Now it is understood to be more like a radar graph.

Rebecca Burgess of "The Art of Autism" explains why this is not exactly helpful terminology for most ASD people via an excellent comic.

We prefer to say that some people are low/high-support, if we say anything at all.

I don't like that you guys care about me saying the n-word! Censorship! PC Culture! SJWs! Snowflakes!

There is no way to adequately express how little we care. 

I'm interested in becoming involved with the server moderation/administration. How can I do this?

The best way is to ask a member of Chamber to be considered for nomination, ideally with a case for your candidacy. We hold weekly administrative votes and should you be nominated we will ask to confirm that you still wish to proceed. You may not get the votes necessary during said week to become a member, so please be aware of the possibility of rejection. Not all rejection is final, and you may be nominated again in the future after further demonstrating your commitment. 

I was punished and I feel it was unfair because I don't understand what I did wrong!

Ok. This is going to take some explaining. 

If you were punished-- probated, kicked, banned, or anything else-- you are not under obligation to receive an explanation. This may be upsetting. Most ASD folk are familiar with not knowing the "rules" of a place and suffering a confusing rejection and it can hurt to see rejection come from other ASD people. We do understand.  We've been there.

So we usually do give explanation in our #probation channel or via DM. We are skilled at giving explanations, and usually screenshot evidence. We are not guaranteed to do this, but we usually do.

Don't be afraid. The only real reason we ever kick anyone is when they refuse to work with us, even a little. 

Discord grants users various roles and privileges. This section denotes what these roles are and the privileges they have 

everyone

You are new and unverified. You have access to #welcome, through which you can communicate with our moderators and see our Rules page, and Introduction Questionnaire. Until you fill out and are verified by our moderator team, this is all you will be able to see.

Citizen

This is the most common role on the server. This grants access to the main servers and most privileges associated with Discord. You can upload media, gifs, video, music, voice chat, video chat, stream, etc. 

Champion Citizen

A Citizen who has donated to our Patreon and any accompanying perks.

Council

A Council member is an elevated Citizen, trusted by the more active moderators to act as the eyes and ears, and participate in discussions of moderating and improving the server in a special #council channel. Talk to someone in the Chamber if you are interested in joining The Council. 

This is not a clubhouse role or a sign you've "made it." It's a volunteer job than anything else. 

Champion Council

A Council member who has donated to our Patreon and any accompanying perks. 

Deputy Chamber

A Council member who is trusted with higher administrative duties. 

Chamber

A Chamber member acts as a moderator and policing force on the server. Their word is authoritative and they are able to mediate disputes and enforce rules. They have the power to kick and ban users. If you are interested in becoming part of The Chamber, speak to the Council. 

Chair

The administrator of the Server, currently held by TheBlankBadge#9221. Any matter may be brought to him for direction to either the proper person, or direct aid. 

Probation

Users who fail to acquiesce to mod decisions and/or disrupt the peace may be restricted in their ability to speak on the server. They will not be kicked and instead held in limbo until they have calmed down. This role is always temporary, and done at moderator discretion. 

-------------------------------

Adult

For users who are over 18, they are given this role with access to #adult-swim

Teen

For users under 18, they are given this role to access #teen.

Amazon

For users who identify most strongly as women, we grant the Amazon role with access to the female-moderated #themyscira. 

See FAQ for more.

Adventurer

Those who are interested in watching/participating in Dungeons and Dragons (and other RPG) games on the Server are granted this role to access the text and voice channels for said games. If you are interested in spectating, hosting, or joining a game ask someone in the Chamber!

Discussion

Every week we open a channel called "Weekly-Wonderings" which is guided discussion over a question. You can take this optional role to be notified when we use the channel.

Gratitude

We have a channel for gratitude journaling. This role lets you get pinged once a week to remind you to take inventory and maintain the journal. 

Meditation

We have occasional meditation sessions in the voice chat.

Drawpile

We have weekly Drawpile sessions. Drawpile is a free application that lets people draw on the same digital canvas, with a mouse or tablet. Collaborations can be very fun.

Detective

We have occasional games to play-- Wolfia, Skribbl.io, and Jackbox, among others. This role lets you get notified when we play them.

Nitro Booster

Users who use Nitro. 

BOT

These are bots that the server uses for RPG and Project sessions.