Why are we not more focused on sleep support?
Poor sleep has shown to impact an overwhelming percentage of learners diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Replicated studies have revealed an average of ~40-80% of children diagnosed with ASD exhibiting some level of sleep problems.
Why are we not more focused on sleep support?
In 2022, Levin, et al. published the largest and the longest observational study to-date (7069 children, quarterly, for three years) investigating the effect of sleep problems in 2-to 5-year-old children with ASD. The children were assessed on 5 subscales:
“receptive language, expressive language, sociability, sensory awareness, and health. Moderate and severe sleep problems were reported in 13% of children. Children with no sleep problems developed faster compared to matched children with sleep problems in all subscales. The greatest difference in trajectories was detected in the health subscale. When controlling for the health score (in addition to each subscale score at baseline as well as gender and severity), the effect of sleep problems decreased in all subscales except the combinatorial receptive language subscale (where the effect of sleep problems was increased), suggesting that sleep problems affect combinatorial language acquisition irrespective of the overall health. This study confirms a high prevalence of sleep problems in ASD children and points to the need for more systematic research as an initial step in developing treatment strategies.”
Better Sleep = Better Outcomes
It is easy to see how better sleep benefits our learners and their families, but what happens when your ABA company can’t see past profits and bottom-lines? Here are just a few ways companies benefit directly from having a Certified Behavioral Sleep Specialist (CBSS) on staff to prioritize the sleep-needs of our clients:
Do you have a waiting period between intake and program startup? Most companies do; it is a time when no billing occurs as clients wait. A CBSS would be able to bill during this latency under caregiver collaboration/parent training. They would remediate sleep problems prior to program startup, ensuring the best learning conditions possible (see Levin, et al above).
Does your ABA company exist within a saturated local market? It’s hard to stand out from other providers, as caregivers choose their ABA companies based on aesthetically pleasing websites and Yelp reviews. Offering sleep support as a specialty highlighted on the company website is an excellent way to shine a spotlight on your company.
A single, 3-hour session cancellation costs companies about $150, or as much as $525 if supervision/caregiver collaboration was cancelled for the same session. Anyone ever get cancelled on because the child was “still sleeping?” Or have a 7 year old fall asleep during their 4:00 session? How about, “they didn’t sleep at all last night, session would just be a waste…” It’s unclear how much money ABA companies are losing to poor sleep, but it’s currently under investigation and the results coming in are significant. If even ONE client per month were cancelling ONE session per month due to poor sleep, the cost of a Certified Behavioral Sleep Specialist would be well worth the nominal investment.
With poor sleep plaguing our industry, ABA companies can no longer afford to not train their staff in behavioral sleep management and ethical, humane protocols. Need help speaking with your directors about participating in The Sleep Collective and becoming certified? Schedule a free call to talk it through!
