Beehive Learning

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disabilities, and developmental delays, experience sleep problems at disproportionately high rates compared to the neurotypical population. Sleep disturbances are associated with increased problem behavior, reduced skill acquisition, caregiver stress and burnout, and diminished family quality of life. By assessing the factors contributing to sleep difficulties and working collaboratively with caregivers to implement evidence-based strategies, BCBAs can play a meaningful role in improving sleep outcomes for the individuals they serve. This bundle brings together eight peer-reviewed articles spanning more than three decades of research on sleep. Upon completing this bundle, BCBAs can expect to develop a foundational understanding of how sleep problems can be conceptualized within a behavioral framework, gain knowledge of measurement tools and approaches used to support sleep assessment, differentiate between multiple evidence-based behavioral sleep interventions and use function-based reasoning to guide individualized treatment selection. The bundle also touches on caregiver training and the role of telehealth and technology in contemporary sleep assessment and intervention. Together, these articles offer BCBAs a foundational introduction to the conceptual and practical knowledge that may serve as an important starting point for those seeking to develop competency in addressing sleep problems across diverse clients, settings, and service delivery contexts.