Terms of Service

Effective April 16, 2026 · Last updated April 16, 2026

What ThreadLight Is

ThreadLight is an SMS-based platform that connects neurodivergent people and their families with peer support, curated resources, and vetted service providers. The platform is powered by an AI assistant called Elia, which communicates with you via text message.

ThreadLight is designed to help you feel less alone, find others who understand your experience, and discover resources and providers that might help. It is a community tool, not a clinical one.

What ThreadLight Is Not

ThreadLight is not any of the following, and should never be treated as a substitute for any of them:

• Therapy or counseling. Elia is an AI assistant. It listens, remembers, and connects — but it does not diagnose, treat, or provide clinical mental health care.
• Medical advice. Nothing Elia says should be interpreted as medical guidance. If you need medical advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
• A crisis line. When Elia detects that you may be in distress, it will surface contact information for human crisis services such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line. Elia itself does not provide crisis intervention. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• A substitute for professional care. Peer connections, resources, and provider referrals are meant to complement — not replace — professional support.

Eligibility

You must be 18 years of age or older to use ThreadLight. We verify your age when you first text us. If you cannot confirm that you are 18 or older, you will not be able to use the platform.

Parents and caregivers who are 18 or older may use the platform to seek support for themselves in their caregiving role. The user is the adult holding the phone, not the child or family member they may be seeking support for.

AI Disclosure

Elia is an artificial intelligence. When you text ThreadLight, you are communicating with an AI system, not a human. Elia is powered by Anthropic's Claude API. Elia identifies itself as an AI at the beginning of each session.

Elia's responses are generated by a machine learning model. While we work to make Elia helpful, accurate, and safe, AI-generated content may occasionally be incorrect, incomplete, or inappropriate. You are responsible for evaluating the information Elia provides and making your own decisions.

Peer Connections

ThreadLight may suggest peer connections — introductions to other community members who share relevant experiences. These connections are made only with your explicit consent. Both people must agree before any introduction is made.

Peer connections are between community members, not between you and a professional. The people you are connected with are not therapists, counselors, or trained support workers. They are people in similar situations who have volunteered to be part of the community.

ThreadLight does not moderate, monitor, or supervise conversations between connected peers. We facilitate the introduction; what follows is between you and the person you're connected with.

Provider Referrals

ThreadLight may connect you with vetted service providers — therapists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and others. Provider matching is based on structured criteria: provider type, geographic location, insurance compatibility, availability, and community quality ratings.

When you consent to a specific provider connection, the provider pays ThreadLight a referral fee and receives the minimum information needed to reach you. This is how the platform is funded. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy under How ThreadLight Is Funded.

A provider referral from ThreadLight is an introduction, not an endorsement of clinical quality. ThreadLight does not guarantee the quality, suitability, or outcomes of any provider's services. You are responsible for evaluating any provider before engaging their services.

ThreadLight does not facilitate communication between you and a provider after the initial referral. We deliver the provider's contact information; scheduling, treatment, and payment are between you and the provider directly.

Community Conduct

If you are connected with another community member, we expect you to treat them with respect. The following behaviors may result in removal from the peer matching system:

• Harassment, insults, or demeaning language
• Unsolicited personal contact outside the platform
• Pressure to share personal information such as real names, addresses, or social media
• Romantic or sexual advances
• Attempts to sell products or services
• Sharing another person's information with third parties
• Any behavior that makes another community member feel unsafe

If someone you've been connected with behaves in a way that makes you uncomfortable, you can report it to Elia at any time. Reports are taken seriously, reviewed by the ThreadLight team, and may result in the reported person being removed from the matching system.

ThreadLight reserves the right to suspend or permanently remove any user from the peer matching system or from the platform entirely based on reported behavior or pattern of behavior.

Your Data

Your use of ThreadLight is subject to our Privacy Policy, which describes what data we collect, how we use it, how long we keep it, and how you can request deletion. Key points:

• Your phone number is never stored in plain text — it is hashed and encrypted.
• Raw message content is retained for 77 days, then permanently redacted.
• You can request full deletion of your data at any time by texting DELETE.
• We never sell your data to data brokers, ad networks, or marketing companies.
• When you consent to a provider connection, the provider pays us a referral fee and receives only the minimum information needed to reach you.
• Your conversations are not used to train AI models.

SMS Communication

By texting the ThreadLight number and confirming your age, you consent to receive SMS messages from ThreadLight, including conversational messages from Elia, peer connection consent requests, check-in messages, and occasional platform updates.

You can stop all messages at any time by texting STOP. You can resume at any time by texting START. Standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply. ThreadLight does not charge for the service itself.

Donations

ThreadLight may occasionally ask whether you'd like to support the platform with a donation. Donations are entirely voluntary. Your experience on the platform is exactly the same whether you donate or not — donations unlock nothing and declining changes nothing. We will never ask during a difficult conversation or during onboarding.

Limitation of Liability

ThreadLight is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• ThreadLight is not liable for any actions, advice, or behavior of peer connections made through the platform.
• ThreadLight is not liable for the quality, suitability, or outcomes of any service provider referral.
• ThreadLight is not liable for any AI-generated content that is inaccurate, incomplete, or inappropriate.
• ThreadLight is not liable for any harm arising from your use of crisis resources surfaced by the platform.
• In no event shall ThreadLight's total liability exceed the amount you have paid to ThreadLight in the 12 months preceding the claim, if any.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ThreadLight AI, its officers, and its agents from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the platform, your interactions with other community members, or your violation of these terms.

Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the platform shall be resolved in the courts of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms as the platform evolves. When we make material changes, we will notify active users via SMS and update the effective date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the platform after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

Termination

You can stop using ThreadLight at any time by texting STOP. You can request deletion of all your data by texting DELETE.

ThreadLight reserves the right to suspend or terminate your access to the platform if you violate these terms, engage in behavior that harms other community members, or use the platform in a way that is illegal or abusive.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these terms, contact us at:

ThreadLight AI
Email: hello@threadlight.org
Philadelphia, PA