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| Sleep Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Research Update and Behavioral Interventions |
| Friday, May 28, 2010 |
| 10:00 AM–1:00 PM |
| Seguin (Grand Hyatt) |
| Area: CBM/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Michelle Turan, M.A. |
| JULIE KNAPP (Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism), ALLISON NEWMAN (Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism) |
| Description: Research indicates that difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep are common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with as many as 70-80% experiencing sleep problems in their youth. Lack of sleep contributes to secondary symptoms such as irritableness, inattention, memory problems, disruptive behaviors, cognitive inflexibility, depression, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and aggression. Lack of sleep also affects physical health, family functioning, and quality of life. In this workshop, updated research will be offered on theories of sleep problems in ASD and common pediatric sleep issues in this population such as parasomnias and primary insomnia. Behavioral assessment, such as sleep diaries and behavioral logs, will be presented for collecting baseline data and ongoing data for measuring treatment effectiveness. Information will be provided on possible medical causes that will help clinicians make more appropriate physician referrals. Finally, behavioral interventions such as environmental modifications, sleep hygiene, restriction of daytime sleep, positive bedtime routines, and graduated extinction procedures will be offered. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to do the following:
1. identify common sleep problems in children with ASD;
2. recognize secondary symptoms associated with poor sleep;
3. learn key components in behavioral assessment of sleep;
4. arrange a child’s sleep environment for promoting sleep success;
5. describe evidence-based behavioral strategies for improving sleep. |
| Activities: Didactic instruction and case studies. |
| Audience: Behavior analysts, psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, and special education teachers. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |