The issue focused on whether people with autism have higher rates of substance use. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry in November, looked at data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCSSR) of the National Health and Behavioral Health System and other sources.

"We've found that, when we look at data, people with autism are at higher risk of substance use compared with the general population," said the study's lead author and assistant professor of psychology, Daniel J. Bue