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Function-Based Interventions for Sleep Problems in Children on the Autism Spectrum

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Clinical Handbook of Behavioral Sleep Treatment in Children on the Autism Spectrum

Abstract

Sleep problems have profound and long-lasting effects on the well-being of children on the autism spectrum and their parents, necessitating timely and effective intervention. Sleep interventions are more likely to be effective if they are informed by an understanding of WHY sleep problems are occurring. Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a process for identifying controlling variables that evoke or maintain the sleep problem and designing interventions that directly target these variables. This chapter describes how information obtained using an FBA can be synthesized to inform the design of behavioral sleep treatments for children on the autism spectrum. We will describe what function-based interventions are, how their selection and design are informed by FBA outcomes, and how to measure their effectiveness. Two case studies are used to illustrate this process.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Te Kaupeka Oranga - Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury/Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Laurie K. McLay

  2. School of Education, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

    Amarie Carnett

  3. College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Mandy Rispoli

Authors
  1. Laurie K. McLay
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  2. Amarie Carnett
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  3. Mandy Rispoli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laurie K. McLay .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health - Te Kaupeka Oranga, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Laurie K McLay

  2. Faculty of Health - Te Kaupeka Oranga, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Karyn G France

  3. School of Psychology, Speech & Hearing - Te Kura Mahi ā-Hirikapo, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Neville M Blampied

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McLay, L.K., Carnett, A., Rispoli, M. (2022). Function-Based Interventions for Sleep Problems in Children on the Autism Spectrum. In: McLay, L.K., France, K.G., Blampied, N.M. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Behavioral Sleep Treatment in Children on the Autism Spectrum. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99134-0_7

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