Purpose: The prevalence of sleep difficulties among children with rare genetic neurodevelopmental conditions (RGNC) is high. Behavioral interventions are commonly used in the treatment of sleep difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, however, research is scarce in children with RGNC. The range of co-occurring…

Background: Children with neurodisabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), autism and other complex needs, frequently experience sleep disturbances, impacting their health, behaviour and caregiver well-being. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Cubby Beds, sensory safety beds designed to improve…

In this systematic review, we aimed to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children/adolescents with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The protocol was registered on PROSPERO CRD42021255848. Articles were selected from PubMed, Embase, and LILACS according to these characteristics: patients from zero to 18 years old,…

Toward the development of a new parent-rating for insomnia, this multi-site qualitative study explored sleep problems and related impacts in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. To ensure content validity of the measure, we conducted six focus groups with caregivers (N = 25) of 24 children (age 3 to 18 years) with ASD.…

The interactions between sleep problems, autism symptoms and emotional and behavioural difficulties were explored using network analysis in 240 autistic children (mean age: 8.8 years, range 5-13 years) with moderate to severe sleep problems. Findings revealed a highly connected and interpretable network, with three separate clusters identified of…

Introduction: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at heightened risk of behavioral problems. Methods: This study investigated differences in the severity of challenging behaviors (CBs) among individuals with IDs at varying life stages. Data were collected from parents' retrospective interviews. Surveys were completed by 47 parents…

There has been concern about the potential sequelae of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children. This study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development[superscript SM] (ABCD) study to investigate associations between mTBI and behavior and sleep in school-aged children. Generalized additive mixed models were run to examine the…

Previous studies have examined the relationship between sleep problems and challenging behaviors in school-aged children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, literature has not examined this relationship in the context of toddlers or, more specifically, toddlers with aggression. The present study was conducted to examine…

This research evaluated the feasibility of actigraphy to measure sleep and physical activity in children (ages 2-8 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also explored associations between sleep and physical activity. Validated screening measures established eligibility. Questionnaires, diaries, and 5 days and 5 nights of actigraphy…

Sleep problems are prevalent among autistic children and children with Rare Genetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders (RGND). Behavioral interventions are commonly used to treat sleep problems, with most involving extinction. While effective, the occurrence of a response burst (i.e., temporary worsening of the behavior) can result in a temporary…

This was an exploratory cross-sectional study comparing 45 children with ASD to 24 typically developing drug-naïve controls, group-matched on age, sex, and body mass index. Objective data was obtained using the following: an ambulatory circadian monitoring device; saliva samples to determine dim light melatonin onset (DLMO): and three…

This empirical cross-sectional study explored the effect of chronotypes on classroom behaviour. One hundred and forty young Portuguese children, from 1st to 4th grades, were examined regarding their chronotype and disruptive behaviours occurring in the classroom. Three groups of chronotypes (i.e., morning, intermediate and evening) were…

Objective: This study investigated whether sleep reactivity (i.e., a propensity to experience sleep disturbances when stressed) relates to eating disorder behavioral symptoms indirectly through dysphoric mood in a sample of college students. Participants: One hundred and ninety-eight college students (51.5% female). Methods: Participants completed…

Up to 80% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience sleep problems, which have been associated with more severe presentations of ASD symptoms. We examined the bidirectional link between sleep problems and specific ASD symptoms at two time points within 5 years in a well-characterized sample (659 children with ASD). Using…

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by variable neurobehavioral abnormalities, which leads to difficulties in developing and evaluating treatments and in determining accurate prognosis. We employed a pediatric cross-sectional sample (1,072 males, 338 females) from FORWARD, a clinic-based natural history study, to identify behavioral subtypes…