Autistic children can have particular sleep and settling problems, including: irregular sleeping and waking patterns – for example, lying awake until very late or waking very early in the morning. sleeping much less than expected for their age, or being awake for more than an hour during the night.
In a report published in 1999, psychologist Amanda Richdale estimated that 44-83% of children on the autism spectrum experience sleep challenges, the most common of which are difficulty falling asleep, frequent wakings during the night, and early morning waking. Other difficulties include: Insomnia.
Some people with autism might have terrible 'sleep hygiene' — bad bedtime habits — or apnea. Others might have gene variations that disrupt other regulators of the circadian rhythm or that change how the body metabolizes melatonin.
Studies have shown that some children with autism don't release melatonin at the correct times of day. Instead, they have high levels of melatonin during the daytime and lower levels at night.
For children on the autism spectrum, sleep problems typically begin to occur from around 30 months of age. Their most common problems are less total time asleep and increased time to settle to sleep. These are similar problems reported by parents of typically developing children.
They are likely to be non-verbal and unable to use spoken language when interacting with other people, and may even be unaware there are people around them. Many children with level 3 autism have sensory dysfunction, meaning they are either sensitive or non-sensitive to light, sound, touch, smell, and taste.
Research suggests: Melatonin supplements help some autistic children fall asleep faster. Prolonged-release melatonin can help children sleep for longer and/or wake up fewer times in the night. Melatonin in certain forms is safe and helpful in the long term.
In the case of vocal stimming (or verbal stimming), the child might make noises such as groaning, grunting, high- pitched screeching, squealing, humming, or repeating random words, words to a familiar song, phrases, or lines from a movie.
The most commonly prescribed to people with autism are Clonidine or Guanfacine, to help a child initiate sleep and get them on a more consistent schedule. This is often used as an option to help with daytime behaviors as well.
Autism is not an illness
It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
Many have problems with the meaning and rhythm of words and sentences. They also may be unable to understand body language and the meanings of different vocal tones. Taken together, these difficulties affect the ability of children with ASD to interact with others, especially people their own age.
The study brings hope to those parents who worry that children who are not talking by age 4 or 5 are unlikely to develop speech at all. Some children with ASD develop meaningful language after age 5. "There is a burst of kids in the 6- to 7- age range who do get language," Dr. Wodka said.
Research suggests that reduced or absent communication, including lack of response to their name, lack of gesturing, and language delays, are strong indicators of autism. For example: At 4 months of age , a baby should begin to make sounds, babble, or coo. At 6 months , babies often begin to respond to their name.
Autism affects how people process sensory information (such as sight and sound), which can make everyday tasks more difficult. In a noisy environment, many autistic people say it is difficult to hear what's being said. Background noises can create overwhelming listening difficulties.
Children with autism spectrum disorder have good vocabularies but unusual ways of expressing themselves. They may talk in a monotone voice and do not recognize the need to control the volume of their voice, speaking loudly in libraries or movie theaters, for example.
People with autism tend to have insomnia: It takes them an average of 11 minutes longer than typical people to fall asleep, and many wake up frequently during the night. Some people with the condition have sleep apnea, a condition that causes them to stop breathing several times during the night.
It's important to note that just because a toddler may exhibit some signs of autism, it does not necessarily mean they have autism. Some toddlers may show delays in communication or socialization due to other factors such as hearing loss, language barriers, or even simply being introverted.
Developing a healthy bedtime routine or children with autism starts by creating healthy habits during the day. Your child should wake up at the same time every day, all seven days a week. If your child is 5 years or older, avoid naps. Plan activities throughout the day to help them stay awake.
A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation. Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.
Some may develop language and communication skills at later ages than their peers, and some may develop their language in a different order. Some autistic children will develop spoken language in a typical way, but they may need support in other areas of communication, such as social communication or fluency.
These children are often notably awkward, and they find nonverbal interaction especially complicated, specifically in situations involving eye contact, sensory sensitivity, spatial awareness, and interpersonal communications.