Sleep problems in children and young adults with developmental disabilities: home-based functional assessment and treatment.

Sleep problems such as settling problems, frequent night waking, and early waking are prevalent as well as persistent with children and young adults with developmental disabilities who live at home. In this study, results of pretreatment functional assessment suggested that parental attention may have shaped and maintained the sleep problems with four participants. Effectiveness of extinction of parental attention, that is planned ignoring, was assessed on number of minutes of nighttime disruptive behaviors.

Communication profiles of individuals with Down's syndrome, Angelman syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder.

The communication profiles of individuals with Down's syndrome (DS), Angelman syndrome (AS) and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) were investigated and contrasted. Seventy-seven individuals participated in the study. A within-group analysis revealed that those with DS performed better on tacting or labelling and echoing than on manding or requesting.