Investigating a Behavioral Sleep Intervention for Youth with Autism: The Role of Parenting Stress

Sleep concerns are highly prevalent in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are associated with negative child and family outcomes. Behavioral sleep interventions have strong empirical support, yet few studies have examined the efficacy of these interventions for youth with ASD. Limited existing studies have use small samples, lacked a control group, and employed primarily white samples of moderate socioeconomic status. The current proposal will conduct a rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of Malow’s Sleep Education Manual (SEM) intervention for youth with ASD involving an active comparison condition, multi-method longitudinal assessment, and inclusion of a racially and ethnically diverse and underserved sample. We will also investigate critical mediating and moderating variables. The proposed study will occur over 24-months. Phase 1 will focus on the refinement of SEM based on stakeholder feedback and Phase 2 will include the testing of SEM compared to an active control group. Participants will consist of 40 youth, ages 3- to 10-years-old, and their primary caregiver drawn from Southern California. This study will improve the lives of individuals with ASD and their families by adapting an existing intervention and testing its efficacy in improving youth sleep on a diverse sample. This study will also substantially increase the knowledge base around sleep interventions for youth with ASD and provide critical pilot data for future extramural funding.