Disclaimer
Disclaimer
The information published on Raising Brilliance is provided to help families understand the autism services landscape, navigate systems they have to work with, and find resources that may be useful. To do that well, we need to be clear about what this site is — and what it isn't.
Not medical or clinical advice
The content on Raising Brilliance is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, clinical advice, or therapeutic recommendation, and it is not a substitute for evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment by qualified healthcare professionals.
If you have specific questions about your child's development, diagnosis, or care, please consult with qualified professionals — a developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, neurologist, BCBA, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or other licensed clinician familiar with your child.
We are not your healthcare provider. Nothing on this site creates a clinician-patient relationship.
Not legal advice
We write extensively about educational rights (IEPs, 504 plans, IDEA), insurance coverage, Medicaid waivers, disability rights, and other areas where law and policy affect autism families. We do our best to describe these accurately and to link to authoritative sources.
This information is general. It does not constitute legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and regulations vary by state and change over time. Specific situations require specific legal guidance.
If you need legal advice — about an IEP dispute, a denied insurance claim, a discrimination case, or any other matter — consult a licensed attorney in your state. Many states have free or low-cost disability rights organizations that can help, and we link to them on our state pages where we know of them.
We do not recommend specific providers
Our content describes categories of autism services — what ABA therapy involves, what to look for in a speech-language pathologist, how to evaluate a school's special education program. We don't recommend specific therapy providers, schools, or organizations by name as endorsements.
Choosing a specific provider is a decision that depends on factors only you know: your child's specific needs, your family's circumstances, what's available where you live, what your insurance covers. Make that decision with people who know your child, including the professionals already involved in their care.
When we link to authoritative directories (state autism agencies, insurance provider directories, Autism Society chapters), the link is for your reference, not an endorsement of every provider listed.
Local information may change
Our city and state resource pages describe the autism services landscape in specific places — what services exist, where to find them, what to expect from local processes. We work hard to keep this accurate, and every local page shows a "Last verified" date.
Services change. Programs end. Wait times shift. Providers move. Insurance policies update. Before relying on any specific detail from a local page, verify it with the organization or agency directly, using the links we provide.
If you find information on a local page that's out of date, please email us at hello@raisingbrilliance.org so we can update it.
External links
We link to many third-party websites — government agencies, advocacy organizations, research institutions, hospitals, and other resources. Linking to a site doesn't mean we endorse everything that site says, sells, or recommends. We can't control the content of external sites, and their content may change after we've linked to them.
Use external sites with the same critical thinking you'd use anywhere else online.
In emergencies
If your child is in a mental health crisis, having a medical emergency, or in immediate danger, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Do not rely on information from this site or any website for emergency situations.
For mental health crises specifically, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by call or text in the US. For autism-specific crisis support, your state's autism agency or developmental disabilities office may offer local crisis response services.
The disclaimer that appears on our content pages
At the bottom of articles, guides, and resource pages, you'll see this short disclaimer:
The content on Raising Brilliance is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, educational, or therapeutic advice. Always consult with qualified professionals for guidance specific to your child's situation.
Information about local programs, services, and providers may change. Verify current details with each organization directly. Information about laws, regulations, and policies reflects sources at time of publication and may be updated.
City, state, and topic+location pages add one additional line:
Information about services and resources in [City]/[State] was last verified on [date]. Service availability, wait times, and provider information may change. Contact organizations directly to confirm current details.
Questions
If you have questions about anything on this site — what we mean by something, where information came from, how to interpret what we've written for your situation — email us at hello@raisingbrilliance.org.
For our full editorial standards, see our Editorial Guidelines.
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