Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Autism Cue (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you visit https://autismcue.com/ (the “Site”), sign up for our newsletter, or contact us. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here. If you don’t agree, please don’t use the Site.
Who we are
The Site is operated by Autism Cue, located at Mandi (H.P.). You can reach us at info@autismcue.com with any question about this policy or your data.
A note on health information: We are an independent blog and information resource, not a healthcare provider, health plan, or clearinghouse. We are not a “covered entity” under HIPAA (the U.S. health privacy law that applies to doctors, clinics, and insurers), and HIPAA does not govern how we handle information you share with us. We still take any health-related information you share seriously and handle it under the commitments in this policy — see Section 8.
Who this Site is for
There is a large amount of information about autism across news publications, magazines, research, organizations, websites, and other resources. Finding useful information and understanding where it comes from can be difficult. AutismCue was created to make that process simpler by researching, comparing, organizing, and explaining relevant information in clear language.
Information we collect
3.1 Information you give us directly
- Newsletter sign-up: your email address, and optionally your first name if the form asks for it.
- Contact form submissions: your name, email address, the reason for contact, and the content of your message.
- Comments (if enabled): your name, email address, and the content of your comment.
- Any other information you choose to include in a message to us — including, sometimes, details about your child or your own health or diagnosis. You are never required to share this, and we ask you to share only what’s necessary for us to help you.
3.2 Information collected automatically
- Usage data: pages visited, time on page, referring site, approximate device/browser type, and approximate location (typically city/region level, derived from IP address).
- Log data: standard web server logs (IP address, browser type, access times), retained for security and troubleshooting purposes.
- Cookies and similar technologies: see Section 5.
3.3 Information from third parties
If you interact with us through a third-party platform (for example, commenting via a social account, or messaging us on social media), we may receive limited profile information from that platform, governed by that platform’s own privacy policy.
How we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We don’t sell, rent, or trade your data to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
We share information only in these circumstances:
Business transfers — if the Site is acquired or merged, your information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this policy or a successor policy you’re notified about.
Service providers who help us run the Site — for example, our email newsletter platform, web host, and analytics provider — under agreements that limit how they can use your data.
Affiliate & advertising partners — No one. These partners may use cookies or tracking pixels of their own; see Section 5.
Legal reasons — if required by law, subpoena, or to protect the safety of a user or the public.
A note on sensitive information you share with us
Messages you send us through the contact form or comments may sometimes include sensitive details — about your child’s diagnosis, your own health, or your family situation. We ask you to share only what’s necessary, and we commit to:
- Using it only to respond to you or improve our content, never for advertising targeting.
- Not publishing any part of a private message without your explicit permission.
- Deleting message content on request (see Section 11).
Remember: This Site and its contact form are not a secure channel for medical records, and we are not equipped to store protected health information the way a clinic would. Please don’t send us anything you wouldn’t want in a normal, unencrypted email.
Children’s privacy (COPPA)
This Site is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. Our newsletter, contact form, and comments are intended for use by adults — parents, caregivers, educators, and autistic adults.
If we learn that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information without parental consent, we will delete it as soon as reasonably possible. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with information can contact us at info@autismcue.com to request deletion.
Your privacy rights
If you are in the EU/UK (GDPR)
You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or receive a copy (portability) of your personal data, and to object to certain processing. You also have the right to withdraw consent at any time and to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
If you are a California resident (CCPA/CPRA)
You have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, correct inaccurate information, and opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information (as those terms are defined under California law) — we do not sell personal information as described in Section 6, but if you use analytics or ad cookies, you can still opt out via your cookie settings. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
If you are elsewhere
You may have similar rights under your local law. Contact us and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request even where not strictly required.
How to exercise these rights
Email info@autismcue.com with the subject line “Privacy Request,” and let us know what you’d like (access, correction, deletion, etc.). We’ll respond within the time required by applicable law (generally 30 days under GDPR, 45 days under CCPA).
Data retention
Newsletter emails: kept until you unsubscribe, or [insert period] of inactivity, whichever comes first.
Contact form messages: kept for [insert period, e.g., 24 months] to allow follow-up, then deleted or anonymized.
Analytics data: kept in aggregate/anonymized form; raw data is retained per our analytics provider’s default retention period, typically [insert period].
You can request earlier deletion of your data at any time (Section 10).
International data transfers
If you’re visiting from outside the country where our servers or service providers are located, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a different country, which may have different data protection laws than your own. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) for these transfers.
How we protect your information
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data (for example, HTTPS encryption on the Site, and limiting access to personal data to those who need it). However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we can’t guarantee absolute security.
“Do Not Track” signals
Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There’s currently no industry-standard way to respond to DNT signals, so our Site does not currently respond to them differently, but you can still control cookies as described in Section 5.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We’ll update the effective date at the top of this document, and for material changes, we’ll provide a more prominent notice (such as a banner on the Site or an email to newsletter subscribers).
Contact us
Questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your data? Contact us at info@autismcue.com.