The ABA & OT Podcast #6: Childhood Sleep Struggles - The Bedtime Pass

Bedtime resistance and frequent night wakings are a source of frustration for many parents. This episode talks about the biggest mistakes parents make in establishing sleep patterns, as well as the Bedtime Pass, an effective intervention designed to address bedtime resistance.

They also discuss the case of Liv and her mum and how they used the Bedtime Pass to modify sleep behaviors. This case was particularly difficult because of the deteriorated relationship between mother and daughter. However, the Bedtime Pass was an effective tool in creating a positive outcome for better sleep and more compliance.

HIGHLIGHTS

01:56 Shoutout to the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT)

06:21 Mistakes with establishing sleep habits with children  

12:47 Technology, blue light, and its impact on sleep

18:07 The ABC model of behavior 

28:04 The bedtime pass: Explaining the study that established it

32:30 Discussing the case study of Liv

GLOSSARY

Reinforcement - Anything that happens after a behavior that strengthens that behavior or makes it more likely to occur again

Extinction - Removing pleasant consequences that have occurred previously

Extinction burst - The reaction to a stimulus that once produced positive reinforcements, but now ceases to exist

Bedtime Pass - An intervention to address bedtime resistance using a card with the child's name on it that can be redeemed for one thing like a glass of water, hug, or toilet visit.

RESOURCES

Join our The ABA and OT Podcast Facebook Group to get access to the following resources:

Facebook group link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/397478901376425

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT)

QUOTES

11:11 "If we don't teach kids to fall asleep on their own, they become dependent on some crutch, either parents or something else to assist them to go to sleep. And breaking that habit is extremely difficult."

14:12 "Blue wavelengths, specifically, which are brilliantly beneficial for daylights hours because they keep us alert. They boost our attention, reaction times, mood, etc., they have an equal and opposite effect at night."

22:22 "What all of our hundred years of science reinforces is it's what happens after a behavior or the consequence that determines whether it occurs again."

30:59 "In general, we know that behavior that has been intermittently reinforced is more resistant to extinction."

38:21 "Behavior rehearsal of any intervention that I do is to make sure that the child is practiced and rehearsed and it can be done in a really fun way. And you can do it as a game."