Addictions, Substance Use Category

Understanding the Substance Use of Autistic Adolescents and Adults

a Mixed-methods Approach

1.5 CE Hour
422 members have taken this course
Skip to Course Registration Info
Enroll In This Course

About the Course

Autistic individuals might be more likely to misuse substances than non-autistic individuals. Better understanding of these patterns can help clinicians identify strategies to reduce substance use, protecting physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to compare the experiences of substance use between autistic and non-autistic adolescents and adults.

This course is based on the reading-based online article, Understanding the Substance Use of Autistic Adolescents and Adults: a Mixed-methods Approach created by Elizabeth Weir, PhD. et al. in 2021.

Publication Details

Publication Date: Lancet Psychiatry 2021; 8: 673–85 Jul 2021

Course Material Authors

Course Material Authors authored the material only, and were not involved in creating this CE course. They are identified here for your own evaluation of the relevancy of the material this course is based on.

Elizabeth Weir, PhD.

Dr. Elizabeth Weir earned her PhD from the University of Cambridge's Autism Research Centre. She is currently employed as a PDRA Rokos Fellow at the Autism Research Centre at Queens' University. Her research focus is on experiences of autistic individuals in the areas of health, healthcare, education, and employment. She has published multiple works in peer reviewed journals.

Carrie Allison, PhD.

Dr. Carrie Allison has a degree in Psychology from Durham University and completed her PhD and post-doc at the Autism Research Centre in collaboration with the Institute of Public Health. Dr. Allison developed ‘Red Flags’ to improve autism identification, based around the adult, adolescent, and child versions of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), as well as the Q-CHAT. She has published multiple works in peer reviewed journals

Course Creator

Danny Wamsley, LCASA

Danny Wamsley is a licensed addiction specialist with a clinical certification with the National Association of Dual Diagnosis (NADD). Danny currently works in manage care as a DSS liaison. His primary goal is to provide consultation to social workers who are involved with child-protective services and In-Home Services. Danny also has 10+ years of experience working with individuals diagnosed with intellectual disability and substance use. Danny’s professional interests include addictions/recovery, intellectual disability, foster care, military, trauma, and domestic violence.

Target Audience

Addiction professionals, counselors, marriage and family therapists,nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for beginners.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Compare and contrast the substance use experiences of autistic and non-autistic adolescents and adults.
  2. 2 Describe autistic adolescents and adults’ substance usage.
  3. 3 Identify strategies to reduce substance use, protecting physical and mental health

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Material Authors

Any relevant financial disclosures for course material authors can be found in the article.

Course Creator

Danny Wamsley, LCASA – No relevant financial relationships.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

New Jersey Board of Psychological Examiners

1.5 CE credit hour
Eligible until Feb 1st, 2028
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
More Info

Joint Accreditation (JA)

1.5 Psychologist CE credit hour
1.5 Social Worker CE credit hour General
1.5 IPCE CE credit hour
1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CE credit hour
1.5 Nursing CE credit hour
Eligible until Feb 1st, 2028
In support of improving patient care, CE Learning Systems, LLC, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
More Info
Logo: Jointly Accredited Provider (tm) - Interprofessional Continuing Education

American Psychological Association (APA)

1.5 CE credit hour
Eligible until Feb 1st, 2028
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
More Info
Logo: American Psychological Association

Course Material

References begin on page 13.

Access Course Material

Viewing External Material

This course material is hosted by , a web site separate from Impact CE. When you're done, just close the tab/window to return to this course page.

Exam Questions

All exam questions for the course are visible on this page for members of Impact CE.

Membership is free, and you can register today! You'll only pay when you're ready to purchase a course, or if you take advantage of the Unlimited Package.

If you're already a member, please sign in to see the exam questions for this and all other courses.

Enroll In This Course

Discuss this course

You can share your thoughts about this course after you pass the exam.

Sign In or Register to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, most likely. Look Up Your State Board for more detailed information. Logged-in site members will see the relevant approval information displayed in the Approvals tab for every course.

If you are having trouble using Impact CE, please contact us! We would be happy to accommodate your needs right away, and your input will help us make Impact CE more accessible for future users too.

Use the Enroll In This Course button and just follow the instructions! You don't pay anything until you're ready to take an exam.

To complete the course, review the course objectives, then review the material, and then pass the exam with a score of 75% or greater and lastly complete an evaluation.

Most of our self-paced courses are based on online articles available for free to the public. Some courses, such as those based on books, require that you purchase the material. Use the Materials tab for more info. Live courses simply require that you attend.

Your certificate(s) will be available to download or email immediately when you pass the course exam and complete the evaluation.

Yes! Use the Help widget at the bottom-right of the screen anywhere on Impact CE to search our help docs, or to ask our support team for help. Unlike most of our competitors, Impact CE has live US-based support reps to help you by email, chat, or phone.

Start your CE Journey now - complete your first course today, on us.

Try for free - no commitment required.

Start a Free Trial Course

Continuing Education

Copyright © 2026 CE Learning Systems LLC

Please Confirm