National Autistic Society Standardizes on Verint Community to Support Autistic People and Their Families
Results
- 24/7 Support
Community enables people to share experiences around the clock.
- >95%
Member satisfaction within the community.
- 50%
Of members visit the community daily.
About the National Autistic Society Online Community
The National Autistic Society Online Community – powered by Verint Community – is available 24/7 to assist autistic people in the UK and their families. It is a place to share experiences, help each other, and receive support. One of the many standout comments is: “This site is my only form of communication with others, other than my family. I feel accepted here as well, like I belong – something I don’t get anywhere else.”
Opportunity
The National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for autistic people. For more than 60 years, the nonprofit has fought alongside autistic people and their families. It works to change attitudes and transform lives by providing services, empowering professionals to provide better support and leading on advocacy for the rights of autistic people.
The online community gives autistic people and their loved ones a safe space to interact, seek support, and share experiences. It has 42,000 active users and 400 new discussion threads every month.
Originally launched 10 years ago, the community needed modernization. “Our goal was to provide a safe, stable, accessible and well-run online platform,” says Sharon McDaid, Specialist Lead (Autism Support), National Autistic Society. “We wanted the improved platform to provide a space for essential 24/7 peer support and engagement opportunities to its users who are mostly autistic people. Our community has a searchable library of questions on a wide range of topics that matter to autistic people and their families, with thoughtful answers from people with lived experience.”
Accessibility was also key. McDaid and her team wanted to create a community where personalized information could be accessed simply, support could be identified and maintained easily, and reassurance could be found quickly. “It’s about improving the quality of life for all those that use it,” says David Raven, Senior Development & Integrations Officer, National Autistic Society.
Solution
The re-imagined online community – powered by Verint Community – is a place for autistic people and their families to meet like-minded people and confidently share their experiences. Most recent figures show that 818,000 people engage with the community, and there are 400 average new threads per month.
The community is available 24/7. There is also a link to an “Urgent Help” page where users can find a list of UK services providing urgent support. The community also complies with the UK Online Safety Act.
“Our moderation team comprises staff and volunteer moderators. Each moderator has the National Autistic Society logo as their profile avatar and the word “Mod” in their username. For example, the team monitors content for signs that users may be under 18 and to ensure personal or identifying details are not disclosed,” says Raven.
“We use Verint Community to ensure all statutory obligations are fulfilled. For example, we implemented a robust moderation workflow where all new accounts are reviewed by staff before approval, significantly reducing the risk of harmful or inappropriate content. We’re also using Verint Community’s moderation, role-based access, and reporting functionalities to maintain a safe and inclusive environment.”
“Setting up an account is easy. People choose a username and password then receive a verification email,” says McDaid. “Users can also personalize their profile, manage notifications, and quickly start or bookmark threads.”
Among many successes, the community’s “3 good things” thread was created by users to share three good things that have happened to them each day. Created four months ago, it already has 28,100 views and 560 replies.
Benefits
The results are less about post counts and follower numbers: they’re about transforming lives and changing attitudes.
A community poll found that 50 percent of participants visit the community daily and more than 95 percent said they enjoyed using it, identifying it as a useful resource that they would recommend to others.
However, the most powerful results are to be found in the anecdotal feedback from users.
One user contacted the National Autistic Society recently to personally thank the volunteer moderators for their support three years ago. They had joined the community for emotional support as they were struggling with their mental health and having suicidal thoughts. A volunteer directed them to mental health support and shared resources to help the user through a difficult time. They said the volunteer’s assistance had a huge impact on them and had taken them from “dark times to a better place.”
One user who was on their diagnosis journey said, “It’s a good way to understand more about autism and engage/relate to people who share similar experiences/stories.” Other users describe it as a “safe space” and a place where they “belong.”
“Autism influences how people experience and interact with the world. It is a lifelong neurodivergence and disability. Our community – powered by Verint – is there to help people share experiences and receive support from others who get it,” says McDaid.
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