Behavioural treatment for sleep problems in children with severe learning disabilities and challenging daytime behaviour: Effect on daytime behaviour

The study aimed to investigate a group of children with severe learning dis abilities, challenging daytime behaviour, and severe sleep problems to see if successful behavioural treatment of the children's sleep problems result ed in reduced daytime challenging behaviour as reported by mothers and teac hers. A randomised controlled trial of behavioural interventions for the children 's sleep problems was conducted (N = 30). The intervention group received a n individually tailored behavioural programme and were supported by telepho ne calls from the therapist. Baseline assessments of the children's behavio ur were made using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and were repeated 1 mont h and 3 months after the start of intervention. There were no behavioural changes that were specific to children in the tre atment group. However, improvements in some behaviours were seen in both th e intervention and the control group at the 1-month and 3-month assessments and there was agreement between mothers' and teachers' reports for many of these changes. The results suggest that nonspecific effects of participating in the study (including an increased sleep duration, which was seen in both groups), rat her than resolution of sleep problem per se, may have a beneficial effect o n child behaviour and these factors need to be identified for therapeutic u se.