{"title":"Changes in Sleep of Families After the Arrival of an Autism Service Dog.","authors":"Valérie Simard, Marie-Aude Aubry-Guzzi, Isabelle Chapleau, Marina Moënner, Nathe François, Noël Champagne","doi":"10.1007/s10803-024-06546-5","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to investigate the changes in sleep quality and quantity among families following the arrival of an autism service dog. We hypothesized that the sleep of the child or adolescent with autism spectrum disorder (assessed objectively with actigraphy and subjectively with a parent-reported sleep diary), and of both parents (assessed by self-reported diaries) would improve after the dog's arrival. The sleep of 18 youths (15 boys) aged from 5 to 16 years (M = 8.86), and of their parents (14 mothers, 11 fathers) was assessed for a 5- to 7-day period before (pretest) and eight to ten weeks after the dog's arrival (posttest). A designated parent (the same at the pretest and posttest) completed the sleep diary of the child, who wore an actiwatch in the meantime. Significant improvement in most sleep parameters was observed from pretest to posttest for the child and the mother, as reported in the sleep diaries. However, there was no improvement in the child's sleep when assessed objectively. Fathers' sleep duration increased after the dog's arrival, when adjusting for the child's age. All significant effects had medium to large sizes. This study provides the first quantitative evidence of the positive effect of autism service dogs on the sleep of families. These findings suggest that the dog's presence may increase the sense of safety for the child, who would resume sleeping faster or stay in the bedroom after nocturnal awakenings, leading to improved parents' sleep.</p>","PeriodicalId":15148,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06546-5","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the changes in sleep quality and quantity among families following the arrival of an autism service dog. We hypothesized that the sleep of the child or adolescent with autism spectrum disorder (assessed objectively with actigraphy and subjectively with a parent-reported sleep diary), and of both parents (assessed by self-reported diaries) would improve after the dog's arrival. The sleep of 18 youths (15 boys) aged from 5 to 16 years (M = 8.86), and of their parents (14 mothers, 11 fathers) was assessed for a 5- to 7-day period before (pretest) and eight to ten weeks after the dog's arrival (posttest). A designated parent (the same at the pretest and posttest) completed the sleep diary of the child, who wore an actiwatch in the meantime. Significant improvement in most sleep parameters was observed from pretest to posttest for the child and the mother, as reported in the sleep diaries. However, there was no improvement in the child's sleep when assessed objectively. Fathers' sleep duration increased after the dog's arrival, when adjusting for the child's age. All significant effects had medium to large sizes. This study provides the first quantitative evidence of the positive effect of autism service dogs on the sleep of families. These findings suggest that the dog's presence may increase the sense of safety for the child, who would resume sleeping faster or stay in the bedroom after nocturnal awakenings, leading to improved parents' sleep.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders seeks to advance theoretical and applied research as well as examine and evaluate clinical diagnoses and treatments for autism and related disabilities. JADD encourages research submissions on the causes of ASDs and related disorders, including genetic, immunological, and environmental factors; diagnosis and assessment tools (e.g., for early detection as well as behavioral and communications characteristics); and prevention and treatment options. Sample topics include: Social responsiveness in young children with autism Advances in diagnosing and reporting autism Omega-3 fatty acids to treat autism symptoms Parental and child adherence to behavioral and medical treatments for autism Increasing independent task completion by students with autism spectrum disorder Does laughter differ in children with autism? Predicting ASD diagnosis and social impairment in younger siblings of children with autism The effects of psychotropic and nonpsychotropic medication with adolescents and adults with ASD Increasing independence for individuals with ASDs Group interventions to promote social skills in school-aged children with ASDs Standard diagnostic measures for ASDs Substance abuse in adults with autism Differentiating between ADHD and autism symptoms Social competence and social skills training and interventions for children with ASDs Therapeutic horseback riding and social functioning in children with autism Authors and readers of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders include sch olars, researchers, professionals, policy makers, and graduate students from a broad range of cross-disciplines, including developmental, clinical child, and school psychology; pediatrics; psychiatry; education; social work and counseling; speech, communication, and physical therapy; medicine and neuroscience; and public health.