Sleepwise: A Resource e-Manual

Sleepwise: A Resource Manual – positive sleep practices for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities

By Annie O’Connell MAppSc (OT)

Adequate sleep is essential for all children and adolescent’s health and development. Parents or carers may experience emotional and physical stress as a result of sleep disturbed nights.

While sleep disturbance is common in typically developing children and adolescents,there is an increased prevalence of sleep disturbance in children and adolescents with developmental disabilities.

The revised Sleepwise e-manual is intended for allied health and educational practitioners working with individual families in their homes or local community. Research & clinical practice in addressing sleep disturbance is growing and there is now a body of evidence to support intervention.

Sleepwise e-manual is a comprehensive resource supporting children and adolescents with developmental disabilities’s sleep including:

• parental and carer sleep education,
• assessment of a child or adolescent’s sleep,
• individual sleep plans using communication, sensory and behavioural strategies
• family monitoring and support.