Sleep patterns in school-age children with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism: a follow-up study.
Sleep problems in AS/HFA last, yet they grow on pace with typical kids—so keep checking and adjusting bedtime plans.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Allik et al. (2008) tracked sleep in children with Asperger or high-functioning autism.
They used sleep diaries and actigraphy watches for two years.
Kids were 8-14 years old at the start and 10-16 at follow-up.
What they found
The ASD group still took longer to fall asleep and woke more often.
Total sleep time and deep sleep caught up to typical peers.
In short, sleep problems stayed, but growth looked normal.
How this fits with other research
Cummings et al. (2024) pooled many studies and saw the same pattern: autistic kids improve with age at the same speed as neurotypical kids, just on a lower rung.
Gandhi et al. (2021) widened the lens to rare genetic syndromes. They show sleep profiles differ by syndrome, so a one-size ASD sleep plan is not enough.
Barton et al. (2019) add that aggressive youths with ASD have the worst sleep. Hiie’s work says baseline sleep is already shaky; aggression may pile on top.
Why it matters
You can expect sleep issues to linger, but not worsen, as your learner grows.
Screen for long sleep latency and night wakings every year.
Pair bedtime plans with calm-down and aggression supports when needed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The course of sleep patterns over 2-3 years was compared between 16 school-age children with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) and 16 age- and gender-matched typically developing children, using 1-week actigraphy at baseline and follow-up. At baseline (mean age 11.1 years), children with AS/HFA had longer sleep latency and lower sleep efficiency during school days, but earlier sleep start and sleep end during weekends. At follow-up (mean age 13.7 years), children with AS/HFA had longer night wakings and lower sleep efficiency during weekends than the controls. The overall change of sleep patterns, however, is similar in children with AS/HFA and typically developing controls over a 2 to 3-year period.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2008 · doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0543-0