How can you help your autistic child sleep better?

Sleep medications should only be used as a last resort with children. There are a number of lifestyle changes and natural sleep aids that can improve sleep time and quality in kids with autism:
  • Avoid giving your child stimulants such as caffeine and sugar before bed.
  • Establish a nighttime routine: give your child a bath, read a story, and put him or her to bed at the same time every night.
  • Help your child relax before bed by reading a book, giving a gentle back massage, or turning on soft music. 
  • Shut down television, video games, and other stimulating activities at least an hour before bedtime.
  • To prevent sensory distractions during the night, put heavy curtains on your child's windows to block out the light, install thick carpeting, and make sure the door doesn't creak.
  • Ask your pediatrician about giving your child melatonin just before bedtime. This dietary supplement is often used as a sleep aid to help people get over jet lag. It may help normalize sleep-wake cycles in autistic children who have sleeping issues, and research done so far finds that it's safe and effective.
  • Talk to a sleep psychologist about bright-light therapy. Exposing the child to periods of bright light in the morning may help regulate the body's release of melatonin.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is sensory integration therapy?

You may have heard a lot about sensory integration therapy. That’s because some researchers estimate that eight out of 10 children with autism have problems processing sensory input. For example, they can’t filter out background noise. Other signs of processing issues include: Problems with balance Problems with body position in space Oversensitivity to touch and the feel of certain types of clothing, such as socks with seams With autism, social, behavioral, or attention problems can be partly a result of these sensory challenges. Although more research is needed, OT can help with sensory integration and some of the related behavioral problems. Research suggests sensory integration therapy is less helpful in improving academic performance. Examples of sensory integration therapy include: Being brushed or deeply touched and massaged Compressing elbows and knees Swinging Spinning on a scooter Wearing a weighted vest How can someone obtain OT services for autism? Y
Read more

Beyond Autism Pecs Pictures/Icons Pages

These pages are mainly standard size pecs pictures with icons that are most commonly used Pecs Pictures Page Five (answer phone, blow, blow bubbles, don't walk, walk, dot to dot, cut hair, don't pick nose,wait, go potty, wipe bottom) Pecs Pictures Page Six (backpack, school, no school, play dress up - boy, play dress up-girl, lunch time, time out-girl, time out- boy, etch a sketch, dump truck) Pecs Pictures Page Seven (art, paint, crayon, markers, paintbrush, paints, paints, computer, scissors, play doh, line up, write) Pecs Pictures Page Eight (potty, put back, playground, bye, hi, foot, hair, hand, leg, mouth, nose, toes) Pecs Pictures Page Nine (tongue, arm, quiet, play, puzzle, book, sit on floor, hold hands, play game, diaper, pool, sandbox) Pecs Pictures Page Ten (beads, haircut, tickle, cut nails, throw away, go night night, socks, shoes, pants, hat, put on pants, put on shirt) Pecs Pictures Page Eleven (shirt, underpants, bath, letters, shapes, blocks, circle, di
Read more

New Theory Of Autism Suggests Symptoms Or Disorder May Be Reversible

Source: Science Daily ScienceDaily (Apr. 2, 2009) — Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible. The central tenet of the theory, published in the March issue of Brain Research Reviews, is that autism is a developmental disorder caused by impaired regulation of the locus coeruleus, a bundle of neurons in the brain stem that processes sensory signals from all areas of the body. The new theory stems from decades of anecdotal observations that some autistic children seem to improve when they have a fever, only to regress when the fever ebbs. A 2007 study in the journal Pediatrics took a more rigorous look at fever and autism, observing autistic children during and after fever episodes and comparing their behavior with autistic children who didn't have fevers. This s
Read more