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Case study: A case-series evaluation of a behavioral sleep intervention for three children with autism and primary

Erin C Moon1, Penny Corkum, Isabel M Smith

  • 1Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4J1, Canada.

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|July 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

This study shows a behavioral sleep intervention effectively reduced insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Improvements in sleep onset latency were maintained at 12-week follow-up.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Behavioral Therapy

Background:

  • Insomnia is a common challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  • Effective behavioral interventions are needed to address sleep difficulties in this population.

Observation:

  • A manualized, multi-component behavioral sleep intervention was applied to three children (aged 8-9 years) with ASD and primary insomnia.
  • The intervention utilized a parent-focused, distance-based approach with weekly therapist contact, incorporating strategies like Faded Bedtime with Response Cost and positive reinforcement.

Findings:

  • All participants demonstrated a reduction in mean sleep onset latency post-intervention.
  • These positive sleep outcomes were sustained at a 12-week follow-up assessment.

Implications:

  • The findings suggest that this manualized behavioral sleep intervention is a potentially effective treatment for insomnia in children with ASD.
  • Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these preliminary results and explore long-term efficacy.
Abstract

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