Familial sleep and autism spectrum disorder: a pilot actigraphy study of sleep quality, quality of life and psychological distress.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep problems are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can have a negative impact on the child's behaviour and daytime functioning. The current pilot study examined objective measurements of child and parent sleep as factors associated with the stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, social support and quality of life of parents of children with ASD. METHODS: Participants were nine children with ASD and their parents (nine mothers and three fathers). Participants wore an actigraph for 7 consecutive days and nights. Measures of sleep habits and quality were used to ascertain child and parent sleep. Measures of parenting stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, quality of life and social support were collated. RESULTS: Results indicated the emergence of high parental stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Significant correlations were observed between parent depressive symptoms, and both subjective sleep quality and child sleep disruptions. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that parental well-being is affected by child sleep problems.

Enhancing social inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review of original empirical studies.

BACKGROUND: Social inclusion is regarded as an important determinant of health, particularly for young adults with intellectual disabilities. However, only a limited number of reviews report on the findings of original empirical studies on social inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities. This review provides a succinct synopsis of original empirical studies on social inclusion among young adults with intellectual disabilities for the period between January 2013 and January 2019. METHODS: Studies were drawn from three electronic databases: ScienceDirect, PubMed and PsycINFO. In addition, hand searches were carried out in several international journals focusing on intellectual disability research. The review included both qualitative and quantitative studies. In all, 24 key studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. The Methodological Quality Checklist developed by Downs and Black (Journal of Epidemiology Community Health, 1998, 52, 377) was used to independently assess study quality, and the Cochrane Collaboration Intervention Clinical Appraisal Form was used to extract data and outcome measures for each study. RESULTS: Among the key findings, structured and organized social inclusion interventions were reported to create better opportunities to engage in social interactions and improve social skills. Moreover, evaluating outcomes on the two core quality-of-life domains, that of interpersonal relationships and community participation, were reported to facilitate positive outcomes for social inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSION: There is a need to do an in-depth exploration of the potential impact of facilitators that promote social inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities, by conducting rigorous empirical investigations.

Qualitative study on parents' perspectives of the familial impact of living with a child with autism spectrum disorder who experiences insomnia.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is an essential aspect of life and it is estimated that 40-80% of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present with insomnia. Insomnia relates to difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep which can be distressing for the child with ASD and their family. Despite the high prevalence of insomnia in children with ASD there is little qualitative data on parents' perspective on the impact it has on the family unit. METHODS: This study presents findings from a series of three focus groups representing 15 families of children with ASD who experience insomnia. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed intelligent verbatim. NVivo 9 software was used to enable a content analysis. Text was coded and according to its content emerging themes were identified. Six main themes to include anxiety, dietary implications, bedtime routines, social exclusion, familial implications, and educational consequences emerged. RESULTS: The findings are discussed in relation to future considerations that may contribute to the development of best practice for sleep interventions for children with ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative data which considers parents' perceptions of familial impact of insomnia may provide in-depth information for sleep clinicians working with families which could inform clinical decisions.

Efficacy of parent training incorporated in behavioral sleep interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disabilities: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral sleep interventions are regularly used to improve sleep problems experienced by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID). Recent developments have seen the introduction of parent sleep education and healthy sleep practice training to sleep interventions. This article aims to systematically review the evidence on the efficacy of parent training that is incorporated within recent sleep interventions for children with ASD and/or ID. METHOD: Electronic databases and manual searches of reference lists identified 11 studies (n = 416 children) that met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The evidence presented in this systematic review would suggest that the inclusion of parent training within behavioral sleep interventions for children with ASD and/or ID is generally effective and valued by parents. Nine of the 11 studies reviewed reported a reduction in sleep problems. CONCLUSION: The literature conveys an emerging evidence-based practice that could contribute to future behavioral sleep research and guide best-practice decisions to support effective parent training to improve sleep outcomes for children with ASD and/or ID.