| Summary: | This study examined parental reports of sleep problems in children with
autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) first purpose of this investigation
was to describe, through parent report, the types of sleep symptoms experienced by
children with autism or PDD. Secondly, this study investigated whether specific
types of treatments were tried to treat particular sleep symptoms. In addition, through
parent report, this study examined whether particular sleep symptoms were
successfully treated by specific treatment types.
Parent participants (N=52) who had children aged 3 to 11 with a diagnosis of
autism or PDD completed a questionnaire regarding their child's sleep history,
specific sleep symptoms, assessment and treatment history. Information was also
gathered on parent reports of treatment effectiveness for specific sleep symptoms.
Of the 52 participants, 40 (76.9%) reported their child had experienced a past
or present sleep problem. The six main symptoms for children with a past or present
sleep problem were, 'trouble falling asleep' (62.5%), 'waking to engage in disruptive
or self-stimulatory behavior (60.0%) 'sleeps less than other children their age'
(30.0%), 'gets less than 6 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period' (20.0%), 'sleeps in my
room now' (17.5%) and requires medication to sleep (17.5%).
The symptom, 'waking to engage in disruptive or self-stimulatory behavior'
was revealed from information volunteered by parent participants during data
collection. This symptom was not part of the initial assessment tool used in the
questionnaire. As participants did not have an opportunity to select this symptom
during the assessment of their child's sleep problem as it was volunteered by some
parents, the frequency of this sleep symptom may be underreported.
When treatment effectiveness for specific sleep symptoms was examined, the
hormone melatonin was frequently reported by parents as an effective treatment for
all of the six main sleep symptoms. The behavioral technique, 'extinction' was also
reported by parents as an effective treatment for the symptom, 'waking to engage in
disruptive and self-stimulatory behavior'. The behavioral technique, 'bedtime
fading' was the next most effective treatment reported by parents for both of the
symptoms, 'sleeps less than other children their age', and for, 'gets less than 6 hours
sleep in a 24 hour period'. Results are discussed in relation to the literature on
treatment effectiveness in conjunction with research areas that require future study. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate
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