No abstract

Few researchers have investigated the relation of children's sleep problems to their parents' sleep problems. Children with autism have been reported to evidence greater sleep problems than do typically developing children (C. D. Hoffman, D. P. Sweeney, J. E. Gilliam, & M. C. Lopez-Wagner, 2006; P. G. William, L. L. Sears, & A. Allard, 2004). In the present study, parents (N = 106) of children independently diagnosed with autism (4-16 years of age; M= 8.20 years, SD = 2.69 years) reported greater sleep problems for themselves than did parents (N = 168) of typically developing children (4-15 years of age; M = 8.62 years, SD = 3.28 years). Children's sleep problems were related to parents' sleep problems for both groups; in the autism group, children's level of symptomatology was not related to their parents' sleep. The authors suggest areas for further research on the sleep problems of children and their parents, the potential interaction of these problems with children's symptomatic behavior, and the relations of these factors to child, parent, and family functioning.

Mothers of children diagnosed with autism (N = 104) reported higher levels of stress than mothers of typically developing children (N = 342) on 13 of 14 subscales of the Parenting Stress Index. The only scores that did not differ were from the Attachment subscale, which indicates lack of emotional closeness and rather cold patterns of parent-child interaction. Mean Child Domain subscale scores for mothers in the autism group were at the 99th percentile; mean scores on the Attachment subscale were at about the 50th percentile for both groups. Despite substantial stress, mothers of children with autism report close relationships with their children. Results substantiate the need to develop interventions to help these mothers reduce their stress.

The present study was carried out to further our understanding of the relationship between children's specific sleep difficulties and the diagnostic criteria for autism and, thereby, to inform the development of sleep treatment approaches tailored for individual children. Parents, participating in research that is part of a center-based intervention program for children with developmental disabilities and their families, reported on their children's (N = 80; ranging from 4 to 15 years old, M = 8.2 years) sleep and autism. Significant correlations between children's sleep problems and the diagnostic domains of autism were obtained. Sleep-disordered breathing predicted children's stereotyped behavior, social interaction problems, and overall level of autism; the Parasomnias subscale was the primary predictor of children's developmental disturbances. Further research is required to examine the relationship of these and other specific sleep problems, as well as comorbid conditions and current medications, to children's sleep duration and increased daytime symptomology.

Although sleep problems are often seen as a clinical feature associated with autism, and children with autism are reported to have more sleep disturbances than typically developing children, there is a paucity of studies in the area and findings are restricted by problematic methodological approaches. The present study addressed these limitations, with parents of children with autism (as defined by two independent indices of the disorder) reporting more difficulties with sleep for their children than did parents of typically developing children on seven of eight sleep problem domains assessed. The methodological advances implemented are seen as supporting the reliability of the findings, and the need for further refinements to advance the understanding of sleep problems in children with autism is discussed.