RAYS: Examining the Experiences of Autistic Adolescents & Young Adults

Individuals often begin to drink alcohol during adolescence and early adulthood. But how does this phase of life unfold for autistic teens and young adults compared with their neurotypical peers?

One study at the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri is focused on investigating the coming of age of autistic teens, particularly in terms of substance use, mental health, and socialization.

This study is an outgrowth of the Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment (RI-CART), which was funded by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and led by Dr. Stephen Sheinkopf, prior to his role as executive director of the Thompson Center. The RI-CART Adolescent-Young Adult Study (RAYS) is now a collaborative effort between the Thompson Center and Brown University and is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). RAYS launched in 2021 and is jointly directed by Dr. Sheinkopf, Dr. Christina Jackson from Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, and Dr. Anthony Spirito, an expert in adolescent mental health at Brown University’s Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.

RAYS is following individuals ages 12-24 years using an accelerated longitudinal design. To do so, each participant is studied for a three-year period. Then, advanced research methods are used to compile the data and derive a pattern of what development trends look like across the full age range. RAYS is conducted 100% online using annual surveys that ask questions about the participant’s social environment, mental health, and alcohol and drug use.

The information collected in this study will help researchers begin to understand ways that alcohol use and experiences in autistic young adulthood are similar to or different from that of their typically developing peers, an area that has been the subject of very few studies in the past. Further analysis and data collection could identify additional variables that may be indicators of risk for drug or alcohol abuse or mental health problems, specifically for young adults with autism.

More than 120 autistic teens and young adults have participated in the RAYS project so far, with more than 30% enrolling through the Thompson Center. RAYS will be accepting new study participants through 2024. Eligible adolescents and young adults with a professional autism diagnosis can earn up to $395 for completing the study and their parent or caregiver can earn up to $225. Learn more about getting involved in this study and others at thompsoncenter.missouri.edu/autism-research/join-a-study/.