‘Sleep well on the autism spectrum’ by Kenneth J. Aitken. Publisher JKP
Written on 28th Apr 2014 by Sylvia Lowery
I was excited to review this book because sleep problems are very common for individuals who are on the spectrum. Alex has always struggled with sleep and I was keen to see if there were any tips that could help.
The author Kenneth Aitken is a Clinical Psychologist who is based near St. Andrews in Scotland (UK). His approach to sleep problems is pragmatic. He is not selling a ‘miracle cure’ rather his approach is likened to a ‘recipe book’ of possible solutions that seem to work best with each type of problem.
Kenneth Aitken supports all his advice with evidence and research that is comforting for parents and individuals with autism who get tired of the latest promise of a miracle cure. Furthermore he suggests that individuals who suffer from poor sleep are more likely to under perform at school, will have more behavioural problems like self injury, non compliance and aggression. Their health will also suffer as they will develop a poor immune system and are more prone to infection.
Adults who have poor sleep may develop worsened mental health issues like anxiety, depression, meltdowns and self injury.
With such adverse reactions within the general population it would seem that a lack of sleep among those on the spectrum would have even worse consequences. It is wise to seek to address this and this book sets out to present a number of options that can be tried to alleviate these difficulties.
Aitken discusses the types of sleep problems and what is most likely to work. He talks about the need to gather evidence about the problem. This provides a baseline. Once you have a baseline it is important to carry out a plan and recored the changes. This is always important when a new treatment or therapy is being implemented because it enables you to measure its success. You are provided with helpful checklists and are guided through the process.
This book is very comprehensive and provides the reader with an explanation of a number of sleep problems from narcolepsy to sleep apnea. This book is a helpful guide to anyone who is struggling with sleep problems which provides sensible advice and support.
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I will pass on the author of this book to family’s that I knew have a child with sleep problems. Thanks for the review. Helpful.