How can I help my child with autism settle down and get ready for bed? Many children with autism and other developmental conditions have difficulty calming down and preparing for sleep. The first goal is to help them understand the elements of the bedtime routine. A visual schedule and consistent [...]
What are some examples of how a routine might be changed for my child with autism or other developmental needs? In general, we recommend a similar approach for children who are typically developing and those with special needs: a regular bedtime and a consistent, calming, short (20-30 minutes) [...]
My child has autism. Who can help me with his sleep? Many children with autism have a team of people including occupational therapists, behavior therapists, and speech therapists. All of the people on a child’s team can play a role in helping with sleep. Most families have a person who [...]
My child has autism. Who is the best person in my community to help me with his sleep? This in part depends on where you live. For example, in the UK where I live, the first port of call is usually your general practitioner (GP), who can then refer you onto a specialist service. It can be useful [...]
My child has autism. What can I expect about her sleep? Children with autism and autism spectrum disorders often experience sleep difficulties. These can include difficulties falling asleep, maintaining sleep and experiencing short sleep duration. As with other disorders, the reasons for the [...]
I don’t see my child’s health condition on this website – where else can I look? I’m so sorry you didn’t find exactly what you were looking for at first glance on the website. We are continuing to build the Special Populations section. In the meantime, here are a few [...]
My child has special needs. Can I use the information on the rest of this website? Of course. Regardless of your child’s specific strengths and needs, be they related to physical/medical, social-behavioral, developmental, intellectual, or adaptive functioning, the majority of information in [...]
My child has autism. How will he sleep? Sleep problems are common for children with autism. However, these problems are treatable with many common strategies such as consistency and a calming routine. Techniques may need to be individualized to represent what your child really enjoys, what helps [...]