# AutismCertified Standard v0.1

Full rubric and source notes

Status: Draft for public download  
Version date: 2026-06-11  
Recommended public path: `/downloads/autismcertified-standard-v0.1.md`

## 1. Claim Boundary

AutismCertified is a voluntary business review program focused on autism-aware training, guest information, sensory readiness, communication support, safety planning, and continuous improvement.

This standard does not diagnose, treat, provide legal advice, or certify legal compliance. It does not replace the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Air Carrier Access Act, state or local accessibility laws, life-safety rules, food-safety rules, professional licensing duties, or advice from a qualified attorney or clinician.

Certification does not guarantee a perfect visit or a safe result for every guest. It means the business completed required steps, submitted review evidence, passed the rubric version listed in its decision record, and agreed to keep public claims current.

No advisory board member, clinician, lawyer, or public expert endorsement is claimed in v0.1 unless a named person has approved that use in writing.

## 2. Purpose

The AutismCertified Standard asks a practical question:

Can a family see, before and during a visit, that this business has trained people, reduced avoidable stress, published honest visit information, and created a way to respond when things go wrong?

Autistic people can have differences in communication, sensory processing, learning, movement, attention, behavior, and support needs. Needs vary by person and by setting. Because of that, this standard does not ask every business to offer the same supports. It asks each business to know its own barriers, publish useful information, train staff, and maintain a support plan.

## 3. Readiness Gates

A business is not eligible for public AutismCertified badge use unless all readiness gates pass.

| Gate | Requirement | Evidence examples |
| --- | --- | --- |
| G1. Claim boundary | Public copy avoids legal, clinical, or outcome guarantees. | Approved badge language, public listing copy |
| G2. Training path | Required staff roles have an assigned training path and completion evidence. | Staff role list, completion export, manager attestation |
| G3. Guest information | Families can see practical visit details before arrival. | Public access page, directory listing, screenshots |
| G4. Operational support | Staff have a plan for sensory overload, communication differences, caregiver coordination, and safe exits or breaks. | SOPs, cue cards, manager pathway |
| G5. Accessibility floor | AutismCertified is treated as additive, not a replacement for legal accessibility duties. | Responsibility statement, policy owner |
| G6. Evidence packet | Review evidence is dated and replayable. | Evidence index, reviewer notes, version history |
| G7. Feedback loop | The business can receive access feedback and track fixes. | Feedback channel, corrective-action log |

## 4. Scoring Rubric

The full review uses 100 points. Public certification requires the required gates, enough points for the claimed level, and no hard-fail issue.

| Area | Points | What reviewers look for |
| --- | ---: | --- |
| A. Staff training completion | 35 | Required staff complete assigned modules, pass checks, and understand role expectations. |
| B. Sensory environment readiness | 25 | The business reviews noise, lighting, waiting, crowding, signs, transitions, and break options. |
| C. Communication and family support | 20 | Staff have clear practices for autistic guests, caregivers, non-speaking guests, AAC users, and high-stress moments. |
| D. Safety, de-escalation, and inclusion | 20 | The business has dignity-first procedures for overload, escalation prevention, incident review, and follow-up. |

### Supporting Review Factors

Reviewers should also record whether the business has:

- Public visit information that families can understand before arrival.
- A feedback and corrective-action loop.
- A versioned audit trail for the decision.

These factors should be represented inside the four scored areas or noted as required conditions before badge use.

## 5. Badge Levels

| Level | Score | Public meaning |
| --- | ---: | --- |
| Not ready | 0-59 or any critical hard fail | No public badge. |
| Starter | 60-74 | Early readiness bar met; active improvement plan required. Public use requires claim-policy approval. |
| Certified | 75-89 | Baseline standard met for training, support, family information, and review. |
| Advanced | 90-100 | Stronger evidence above baseline. Public Advanced use requires expert validation of criteria. |

Starter and Advanced public claim rules need additional expert and counsel review before broad public use.

## 6. Hard-Fail Conditions

Any hard-fail issue blocks certification or triggers suspension review.

- No documented staff training pathway.
- Missing required safety or de-escalation protocol.
- Public copy implies guaranteed ADA compliance, clinical endorsement, diagnosis, therapy, or a perfect visit.
- Public copy uses stigmatizing or fear-based descriptions of autistic guests.
- No process for service-animal access in ADA-covered venues.
- No process for effective communication requests in ADA-covered venues.
- Fabricated, unverifiable, or materially stale evidence.
- Retaliation, blame, or exclusion after a disability-related accommodation request or access complaint.
- Unresolved critical safety issue known to AutismCertified reviewers.

## 7. Evidence Packet

Evidence must be specific enough that a later reviewer can understand what was reviewed, when it was true, who owned it, and what decision it supported.

Recommended evidence includes:

- Business profile, location or service scope, public contact, and certification owner.
- Required staff role list, active headcount, training completion count, and completion dates.
- Training curriculum version, module list, quiz or checkpoint rules, and completion export.
- Sensory notes for sound, lighting, waiting, crowding, transitions, signs, and break options.
- Public visit information for families, including limits and how to ask for help.
- Communication support practices for speech, AAC, written communication, caregiver support, and extra processing time.
- Safety plan for overload, separation from caregiver, emergency changes, and incident review.
- Feedback intake, escalation owner, corrective-action log, and renewal calendar.

Reviewer notes must separate observed evidence, business attestation, and open questions.

## 8. Audit Trail

Each certification decision should include:

- Standard version used.
- Business and location or service scope.
- Reviewer name or role label, without implying unearned credentials.
- Evidence ids reviewed.
- Score by area.
- Hard-fail checklist outcome.
- Required corrections before badge use.
- Approved public claim language.
- Issue date, renewal date, and monitoring triggers.
- Conflicts of interest or commercial relationship note.

Internal compliance planning has used a seven-year minimum retention target for certification decision records and supporting evidence. Final retention rules need counsel review and must also consider privacy, contract, and local law duties.