Sleep difficulties related to learning disabilities
Children and young people with additional support needs including those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (also known as ASD) are far more likely to have sleep problems than other children. We can provide advice and support to families on coping with sleep difficulties.
The Specialist Learning Disability Service provides advice and support to children and young people with learning disabilities, their parents/carer(s) and the healthcare and education professionals they rely on.
Sleep difficulties can include children or young people not settling to sleep or waking early or often throughout the night. They might become noisy or distressed, during the night or when settling. Often parents/carer(s) have to sleep in shifts, sleep deprivation can have a devastating effect on the whole household.
How can we help?
Our Learning Disability team have specialist sleep Practitioners and sleep counsellors available to offer advice and support , when a referral is made to our service, we will identify the level of support required and invite parents/carers to the most appropriate pathway.
This may include attendance to a supportive sleep workshop where we introduce sleep processes and techniques which are known to effectively support sleep issues. In the supportive sleep workshop, families are introduced to various techniques including behavioural modification, sleep history and keeping a sleep diary.
We also offer full sleep assessments and individual sleep programmes if required.
Guidance and helpful information
If you have a child with learning disabilities and need support with their sleep issues please ask a health care professional to request a sleep advice from Children and Family Health Devon.
For more sleep advice and useful information:
Related pages
