Sleep Well on the Autism Spectrum

A marvellous book…Filled with practical knowledge and comprehensive in coverage, this book addresses an important and little discussed topic and will be of value to parents and practitioners alike. – Fred R Volkmar, M.D., Director, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine and Editor in Chief, Journal of Autism and Developmental DisordersDifficulties in sleeping are a major concern for parents of children on the autism spectrum and significantly affect their behaviour and performance. Strategies for addressing these are very important to enhance the quality of life for both the children and their parents. This book by Ken Aitken fills an important gap in the literature and will enable parents and others to understand why this population experience more problems and help them to find ways to improve their quality and length of sleep. – Dr Glenys Jones, Autism Centre for Education and Research, University of Birmingham, UKThis book is absolutely packed with useful current information that reflects research into sleep disorders. Although it is an excellent resource for professionals, the flow charts are well-designed and represent good practice to keep the focus for parents. The rating system for different interventions is particularly good. This will definitely become a resource frequently employed in Scottish Autism’s sleep counselling services. – Alan Somerville, Chief Executive, Scottish AutismAitken discusses the types of sleep problems and what is most likely to work. He talks about the need to gather evidence about the problem… 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. – Sylvia Lowery * Alex Lowery speaks about autism blog *The author not only identifies that many problems experience but families of children who do not sleep but also gives many different and practical solutions…Sleep Well on the Autism Spectrum is not only a resource for parents with autistic children, by could be applied to any family who has a child with sleeping difficulties… This is a seriously good book, everything you could possibly want to know about common sleep difficulties and assessments of the treatments available for them… All this delivered in an easy, unpretentious style, along with pertinent quotations, illustrative case studies, charts, lists, graphs, pictures and diagrams makes it a pleasure to read. – Amazon - IHC in your community, New Zealand, Parent of an 11 old autistic boy

Kenneth J. Aitken is a practising Clinical Psychologist based just outside St Andrews, Scotland. He is active among many charitable organisations and research initiatives dedicated to building a better understanding of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related conditions, and has published numerous academic and popular articles on ASDs. He is the author of Dietary Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Why They Work When They Do, Why They Don’t When They Don’t, An A-Z of Genetic Factors in Autism: A Handbook for Professionals, An A-Z of Genetic Factors in Autism: A Handbook for Parents and Carers and Sleep Difficulties and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, all published by JKP.