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Published on: July 31, 2017
A pilot randomised controlled trial of a telehealth-delivered brief 'Sleeping Sound Autism' intervention for autistic
Samantha Lewis1, Nicole Rinehart2, Ana Mantilla3
1School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash University, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
Insights
A brief telehealth behavioral sleep intervention improved sleep, emotion, and behavior in autistic children. Telehealth delivery was feasible and acceptable for families, though not all children engaged effectively.
Area of Science:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Telehealth Interventions
Background:
- Access to behavioral sleep interventions for autistic children is limited by location and time.
- Preliminary evidence supports telehealth for sleep intervention, but brief interventions via telehealth remain unevaluated.
- This study addresses the gap by evaluating a brief telehealth behavioral sleep intervention for autistic children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a brief telehealth behavioral sleep intervention for autistic children.
- To assess caregiver and child outcomes following the intervention.
- To explore caregiver experiences with telehealth delivery.
Main Methods:
- A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 61 families of autistic children with sleep problems.
- Participants were randomized to a brief telehealth intervention or treatment as usual.
- Data collected via surveys at baseline, 3, and 6 months, with qualitative interviews.
Main Results:
- Telehealth delivery was highly acceptable and feasible, with 95.8% of caregivers recommending the program.
- Significant improvements were observed in child sleep, emotion, and behavior, favoring the intervention group.
- Caregiver mental health also showed small to moderate improvements; no significant changes in quality of life were noted.
Conclusions:
- Brief telehealth behavioral sleep intervention is a feasible, acceptable, and potentially efficacious approach for improving sleep in autistic children.
- Telehealth offers a convenient delivery method, though individual child engagement may vary.
- Future research should consider flexible delivery modes and the person-environment fit of telehealth for autistic children.
Background:
Access to behavioural sleep intervention is beneficial for autistic children, yet many families face barriers to access associated with location and time. Preliminary evidence supports telehealth-delivered sleep intervention. However, no studies have evaluated brief telehealth sleep intervention. To address this, we evaluated telehealth delivery of the brief behavioural Sleeping Sound Autism intervention, using a two-armed, parallel-group, non-blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) design (trial registration: ANZCTR12620001276943).
Method:
Sixty-one families of autistic children without intellectual disability (5-12 years, 46% female) with caregiver-reported moderate-severe behavioural sleep problems participated Australia-wide, randomised to an intervention (n = 30) or treatment as usual control group (n = 31). Intervention group participants were invited to attend two video-conference telehealth sessions and one follow-up phone call with a trained clinician. Survey data was collected from caregivers at baseline and three- and six-months post-randomisation, to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. Ten intervention group caregivers participated in end-of-study semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences.
Results:
Forty-nine caregivers completed surveys. At baseline, 87% felt positive and 84% felt confident about participating via telehealth, and 75% believed the program would improve child sleep. At three-months, intervention group caregivers (n = 24) reported the usefulness (100%) of and preference for (71%) telehealth, and 95.8% would recommend this sleep program to other families. A significant group by time difference was observed in child sleep (Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire) with large effect sizes (d = 0.87-1.05), emotion and behaviour (Developmental Behavior Checklist 2) with moderate effect sizes (d = 0.40-0.57), and caregiver mental health (Kessler 10) with small to moderate effect sizes (d = 0.60-0.28), favouring the intervention group (n = 23). There were no significant group differences in child (Child Health Utility instrument) or caregiver (Assessment of Quality of Life) quality of life. However, there were individual differences in the clinical significance of improved child sleep. Qualitative data showed that whilst telehealth was convenient for caregivers, without attenuating the benefits of most key intervention features, not all children were able to engage effectively with the clinician via telehealth.
Conclusions:
This first pilot RCT of a brief telehealth behavioural sleep intervention for primary-school-aged autistic children suggests that telehealth delivery is acceptable, feasible and likely efficacious in improving sleep in the short-term. Providing families with ongoing choice of mode of delivery (telehealth/in-person) and examining the person-environment fit of telehealth for autistic children is important.
