Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 19, 2026. Your privacy matters to us—this policy explains how we collect, use, protect, and share your information.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you use Autism Scout, we collect information you voluntarily provide, including:

  • Account Information: Email address, password, and any optional profile details
  • Conversation Data: Messages you send to the AI, including questions, concerns, and personal information you choose to share
  • Payment Information: Billing details processed through Stripe (we do not store full credit card numbers)
  • Feedback: Ratings, reviews, or other feedback you provide about the Service

Child Profiles and Action Plans

Child profiles are optional. You can use a nickname and choose what to share about your child's age, communication needs, supports, and your family's priorities. An exact birth date is not required.

When you choose to use a child's profile in a chat, we send that profile, your message, and recent chat messages to OpenAI to prepare a reply or action plan draft. Suggested profile changes and plan drafts need your approval before they are saved.

We store approved profiles, earlier saved profile versions, saved plans, and progress notes in your account so you can return to them. Please share only information you are comfortable providing.

Therapy Recommendation Reviews

You can describe or paste a therapy recommendation and optionally add a concern or choose a saved child profile. We send that text and any profile you choose to OpenAI to prepare an explanation, questions, or guidance for your next step. A profile is not required.

We temporarily store generated results to let you retry without using another reply for the same completed request. Choose Save review to keep a completed review, its submitted recommendation, and any concern in your account. Reviews do not automatically change child profiles, chats, or action plans.

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you use our Service, we automatically collect certain information:

  • Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent, and interaction patterns
  • Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type, IP address
  • Cookies: Small data files stored on your device to remember preferences and improve experience

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

2.1 Provide and Improve the Service

  • Deliver AI-powered responses to your questions
  • Maintain conversation history for continuity across sessions
  • Personalize your experience based on past interactions
  • Improve AI accuracy and response quality
  • Develop new features and functionality

2.2 Process Payments

  • Process subscription payments through Stripe
  • Send receipts and billing notifications
  • Prevent fraud and unauthorized transactions

2.3 Communicate With You

  • Send service updates and announcements
  • Respond to your questions and support requests
  • Send optional newsletters or tips (with your consent)

2.4 Legal and Safety

  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Protect against fraud, abuse, or security threats
  • Enforce our Terms of Service

3. How We Share Your Information

We do NOT sell your personal information or conversations to third parties.

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party services that help us operate:

  • OpenAI: Processes your messages, recent chat context, therapy review submissions, and any child profile you choose to include to generate replies, drafts, and reviews. OpenAI's data handling is governed by its own policies.
  • Stripe: Payment processing (Stripe does not share your full credit card details with us)
  • Hostinger: Hosts our website, application, and database.
  • Google Analytics: Helps us understand website use. Child profiles, chat messages, plan text, progress notes, and therapy review text are not included in our analytics events.

Service providers process information under their applicable terms and privacy policies.

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, such as:

  • To comply with a subpoena, court order, or legal process
  • To protect the rights, property, or safety of Autism Scout, our users, or the public
  • To prevent fraud or security threats

3.3 Business Transfers

If Autism Scout is acquired, merged, or sold, your information may be transferred to the new owner. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

3.4 With Your Consent

We may share information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

4. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction:

  • Secure Connection: Our website uses HTTPS to protect information sent between your browser and the website.
  • Access Controls: Only authorized personnel have access to user data
  • Secure Payment Processing: Stripe handles all payment data using PCI-compliant security
  • Regular Security Updates: We monitor and update our security practices

Important: No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy:

  • Account Information: Retained while your account is active, plus a reasonable period after deletion to comply with legal obligations
  • Conversation History: Stored so you can return to earlier chats. You can delete individual chats.
  • Child Profiles: Deleting a child profile removes its saved profile versions, action plans, progress notes, and linked therapy reviews and retry receipts from the active database. Past chats and reviews prepared without that profile remain until you delete them separately.
  • Saved Plans: Deleting a chat does not delete a plan you already saved from it. You can delete the plan separately.
  • Saved Therapy Reviews: Kept in your account until you delete them or delete the linked child profile. Deleting a saved review does not delete chats, profiles, or action plans.
  • Temporary Review Results: Unsaved generated results are available to recover or save for 30 minutes. A scheduled cleanup process clears expired result text afterward; expiration alone does not immediately erase it.
  • Review Retry Receipts: Request identifiers, an input fingerprint, optional profile references, and save timestamps remain after result text is cleared or a saved review is deleted. These prevent duplicate reply usage and recreation of deleted reviews. Raw submitted recommendations and concerns are stored in our review database only when you choose Save review.
  • Backups: Deleted information may remain in backup copies until those backups are removed.
  • Payment Records: Retained for 7 years to comply with tax and financial regulations
  • Usage Data: Typically retained for 24 months unless needed for longer for analytics or legal purposes

6. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

  • Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format

6.2 Correction and Updates

  • Update or correct inaccurate information in your account settings
  • Request correction of information we hold about you

6.3 Deletion

  • Request deletion of your account and associated data by emailing support@autismscout.com
  • Delete individual conversations from your history
  • Request deletion of specific information (subject to legal retention requirements)

6.4 Opt-Out

  • Unsubscribe from marketing emails (service emails may still be sent)
  • Disable cookies through your browser settings (may affect functionality)

6.5 Object and Restrict

  • Object to certain data processing activities
  • Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances

For privacy questions or requests, email support@autismscout.com. Please do not include passwords or payment card details.

7. Children's Privacy

Autism Scout is not intended for use by children under 18. Adults may choose to share information about a child through profiles or chats. These features are for adults to use, not for children to create accounts.

While the Service provides information about children with autism, it is designed for use by parents and caregivers who are at least 18 years old.

If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

8. International Data Transfers

Autism Scout is operated in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.

By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside your country of residence, which may have different data protection laws.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Remember your preferences and settings
  • Understand how you use the Service
  • Improve performance and user experience
  • Provide analytics and measure effectiveness

Types of Cookies We Use:

  • Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function (login, session management)
  • Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and choices
  • Analytics Cookies: Help us understand usage patterns (may use Google Analytics)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features.

10. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or resources (such as autism organizations, therapy providers, or educational materials). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by:

  • Posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page
  • Updating the "Last updated" date
  • Sending an email notification (if we have your email)

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

  • Right to Know: Request disclosure of personal information collected, used, or shared
  • Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information
  • Right to Opt-Out: Opt out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights

To make a privacy request, email support@autismscout.com.

13. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  • Legal Basis: We process your data based on consent, contract performance, or legitimate interests
  • Data Protection Officer: Contact information will be provided if required by law
  • Right to Lodge a Complaint: You may file a complaint with your local data protection authority

14. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We understand that as an autism parent, you're sharing sensitive information about your family. We are committed to protecting your privacy and using your information responsibly to provide the best possible support.