This policy explains how Alfie responds to common issues raised by neurodiverse teens and parents, and how we escalate concerns to third-party support when needed. It is a companion document to the Spectrum Alpha Privacy Policy.
Spectrum Alpha operates Alfie, an AI thinking partner for neurodiverse teenagers aged 13 to 18 and their parents and caregivers, delivered via WhatsApp.
This policy covers how Alfie responds to issues that affect the safety, wellbeing, and development of neurodiverse users. It explains our approach, our limits, and the escalation pathway to third-party support.
Spectrum Alpha does not provide clinical, medical, legal, or crisis intervention services. Alfie is a thinking partner, not a clinician or an emergency service. Where a situation requires human support, Alfie directs the user to appropriate resources and, where relevant, alerts the Spectrum Alpha team for review.
Alfie is designed to prioritise user safety, clarity, and connection to appropriate human support.
Autistic and neurodiverse teenagers face elevated risks in several areas compared to their neurotypical peers. These include masking-related burnout, mental health difficulties, bullying and social exclusion, online grooming, sensory distress, and challenges around identity and relationships.
Generic AI responses to these issues can misread the user's experience, reinforce unhelpful framings, or fail to direct them to support that fits their specific needs. Alfie is designed to respond through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. This means:
The following summarises Alfie's approach to issues that commonly come up in conversations with neurodiverse teens and their parents. In each case, Alfie holds a neurodiversity-affirming lens and follows the escalation pathway described in Section 4 where needed.
All third-party resources that Alfie signposts to are selected against a neurodiversity-affirming standard. Spectrum Alpha does not signpost to organisations that advocate for curing autism or that frame neurodiversity through a deficit lens.
Alfie recognises that anxiety and overwhelm often run higher in autistic teens because of sensory load, masking cost, and social processing demands. Alfie validates the experience, helps the user notice early signs, and draws on patterns from past conversations the user has shared. Where the user describes persistent low mood or escalating distress, Alfie signposts to appropriate mental health support.
If a user describes thoughts of self-harm or suicide, Alfie responds with calm, direct acknowledgement and signposts immediately to country-specific crisis resources. Alfie does not attempt to assess risk, provide therapy, or suggest specific methods. The escalation pathway activates and the Spectrum Alpha team reviews the interaction within one working day.
Alfie recognises that autistic teens are at elevated risk of bullying and that the experience is often compounded by difficulty reading social cues or masking the distress. Alfie validates the experience, helps the user identify a trusted adult to tell, and supports them in keeping a record. Where bullying is described as severe, ongoing, or accompanied by harm, the escalation pathway activates and the Spectrum Alpha team reviews the interaction within one working day.
Alfie recognises that autistic teens can be at elevated risk from online grooming because of direct communication styles and the strong pull of online communities around specific interests. Alfie responds to online safety concerns with practical guidance framed around specific warning patterns rather than general fear. Where a user describes contact that matches grooming patterns, the escalation pathway activates and the Spectrum Alpha team reviews the interaction within one working day.
Alfie recognises that home environments can be a source of both support and stress for neurodiverse teens, particularly where family understanding of neurodiversity is limited. Alfie validates the experience, helps the user identify what they can and cannot control, and suggests how to communicate needs where appropriate. Where a user describes abuse, neglect, or unsafe conditions at home, the escalation pathway activates and the Spectrum Alpha team reviews the interaction within one working day.
Alfie responds to questions about relationships, dating, and consent with clear, age-appropriate information framed around the user's agency. Alfie does not provide explicit sexual content or detailed guidance on sexual activity. Where a user describes a situation that raises concerns about exploitation, coercion, or sexual harm, the escalation pathway activates and the Spectrum Alpha team reviews the interaction within one working day.
Alfie treats sensory distress, meltdown, and shutdown as valid nervous system responses, not behavioural problems. Alfie helps the user identify early signs, reduce immediate load, and recover without shame. Routine sensory and regulation topics do not trigger escalation. Where a pattern of emerging risk is identified across conversations the user has shared, the Spectrum Alpha team may flag for review.
Alfie distinguishes between sensory-based food selectivity, which is common in autistic teens and is treated as a working preference rather than a problem, and eating patterns that indicate restriction, purging, or body-image distress. For the former, Alfie is supportive and practical. For the latter, Alfie signposts to appropriate eating disorder support and the escalation pathway activates, with review by the Spectrum Alpha team within one working day.
Alfie does not actively monitor user messages in real time. Escalation is triggered automatically by content indicators in a user's message at the point it is sent. The Spectrum Alpha team reviews flagged interactions after the fact, not continuously.
Spectrum Alpha uses an automated escalation pathway built into the n8n workflow that delivers Alfie's responses. The pathway activates when a user's message contains indicators of safeguarding concern.
Keywords, phrases, and patterns in user messages that indicate:
Alfie signposts to resources matched to the user's country of registration across the ten beta countries (United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). The operational resource list, detection signals, and exact response language are maintained in Spectrum Alpha's internal Escalation Triggers document and reviewed regularly by the SA team.
All data handling follows the Spectrum Alpha Privacy Policy. In the context of safeguarding:
Alfie is an AI thinking partner. Alfie is not:
In any situation where a user is in immediate danger, the correct action is to contact local emergency services directly. Alfie signposts to these services when relevant and does not attempt to manage crisis situations alone.
If a parent, teen, partner organisation, or member of the public wishes to report a safeguarding concern relating to Spectrum Alpha or Alfie, they can contact the Spectrum Alpha team directly:
The Spectrum Alpha team aims to respond to all concerns within one working day. Concerns relating to immediate risk will be prioritised.
This policy is reviewed every six months or on material change to the Alfie workflow, the Spectrum Alpha team, or the beta programme. Section 4 (Escalation Pathway) is subject to update as the n8n workflow is finalised and tested.
Material changes will be notified by email to registered families.
Spectrum Alpha Ltd
St John's Innovation Centre
Cowley Road
Cambridge, CB4 0WS, United Kingdom
Email: support@spectrumalpha.org
Telephone: +44 1223 931 172