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. 2019 May;49(5):2101-2115.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-03894-5.

Course and Predictors of Sleep and Co-occurring Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Micah O Mazurek  1 , Kristen Dovgan  2 , Ann M Neumeyer  3 , Beth A Malow  4
Affiliations

Course and Predictors of Sleep and Co-occurring Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Micah O Mazurek et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 May.

Abstract

The chronicity of sleep disturbance and its relation to co-occurring symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well understood. The current study examined longitudinal relations among sleep and co-occurring symptoms in a large well-characterized sample of 437 children with ASD assessed at baseline and follow-up (M = 3.8 years later). Twenty-three percent experienced worsening sleep problems over time, while 31.5% showed improvement. Path analysis indicated that sleep problems at baseline predicted later development of ADHD symptoms in younger children and somatic complaints in older children. For younger children, sensory over-responsivity predicted future sleep problems. Findings suggest that sensory over-reactivity may contribute to sleep problems in some children with ASD, and that sleep problems may result in poor daytime functioning.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism spectrum disorder; Behavior problems; Sensory problems; Sleep disturbance; Sleep problems.

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