Autism expert to discuss sleep disorders at UHCL event
August 24, 2017 | UHCL Staff
Children on the autism spectrum face innumerable academic and social challenges each
day. In fact, says Jack Dempsey, Ph.D., a child psychologist who specializes in treating
children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, up to 80 percent of these children also suffer
from a sleep disorder, so that the difficulties encountered during the day often extend
well into the night. Dempsey is the first in a lineup of autism experts to speak each
month at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities’ 2017-18 Autism Speaker
Series at University of Houston-Clear Lake. His presentation, entitled “Autism Spectrum
Disorder and Sleep,” will take place Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m. in the Garden Room of the
Bayou Building.
“Insufficient sleep exacerbates many of the most common problems affecting children
with autism: inattention, inappropriate social interactions, and hyperactivity, making
the school day even more stressful and in turn, increasing the tension at home,” Dempsey
said. “Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder seem to be more susceptible to sleep
disorders than their peers, and that seems to be the case for a wide variety of reasons.
There are a lot of theories as to why these children have more trouble sleeping. Certainly,
there are multiple pathways to a sleep disorder. The causes and the interventions
are as diverse as the children themselves.”
Still, exhausted parents shouldn’t give up hope for restful nights and better days.
More than anything, Dempsey said, the message he hopes to convey is that there are
very successful interventions that have a very high rate of success for these children
and their often-sleep deprived families.
“The first thing we tell parents is to figure out whether their child has a problem
with sleep onset — meaning, delayed sleep, or sleep maintenance — meaning, they go
to sleep but don’t stay asleep,” Dempsey said. “We look at the kinds of daytime behavior
problems we’re seeing in the child, and we consider the age of the child. A tired
child does not have the same tools for self-control as adults.”
Then, said Dempsey, it’s crucial to begin charting the bedtime routine. Because each
child on the spectrum presents sleep problems differently, the path toward a solution
must be individualized. “When we start charting, we find issues with sleep hygiene,”
he said. “If a child is watching TV before bedtime, or eating sugary foods, or struggling
against having to take a bath he doesn’t want to take, we can start to evaluate what’s
going on and take the time to think about why the problems are occurring. Then we
think about what variables we can manipulate to achieve a better outcome.”
Charting, he continued, is much like a food diary for people trying to lose weight.
“You look at the data and try to find patterns. Fine-tuning this is a child-by-child
issue.”
Everything is better with a good night’s sleep. “Better sleep decreases the incidence
of behavior problems children with Autism Spectrum Disorder often exhibit, and sleeping
also a core behavior for life, just like eating,” Dempsey said.
“Dysfunction in those areas, especially with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder,
creates major life difficulties. That’s why charting is so helpful — it gives you
the tools to understand where the problems lie. It takes time, but in the long run,
it’s going to save you.”
Dempsey said that he hopes he’s able to help parents feel optimistic about the potential
to turn things around for the better every night around their child’s bedtime. “We’ve
got a very deep bag of tricks to help this situation, so it’s important not to give
up,” he said. “We have a great success rate with these methods, so there’s every reason
to believe things will get better.”
The Autism Speaker Series is a free, monthly lecture provided by third-year graduate
students in UH-Clear Lake’s behavior analysis program and invited speakers from the
community. Lectures are open to the public. Please register in advance. For more information
about CADD or the Autism Speaker Series, visit www.uhcl.edu/autism-center/speaker-series.
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