Effectiveness and costs of behavioural approaches to the management of sleep and behaviour problems among disabled children

SPRU research team

• Bryony Beresford (Principal Investigator)
• Tricia Sloper
• Susan Clarke
• Lucy Stuttard

External collaborators

• Jennifer Beecham, Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU), University of Kent

Project summary

Background

This project investigated the effectiveness and costs of behavioural approaches to the management of sleep and behaviour problems among disabled children. The study was funded by the government funded Centre for Excellence in Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services (C4EO). SPRU collaborated with the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent on this project.

The project consisted of two linked and concurrent streams of work on sleep and behaviour problems, it investigated the effectiveness and costs of:

• early identification and intervention for sleep problems among disabled children
• different modes of delivering behaviour management interventions to parents of disabled children.

The project was divided into five overlapping phases:

Phase 1 - Rapid reviews of evidence

Rapid reviews of evidence were carried out on:

tools to detect and assess sleep problems, and the effectiveness of sleep interventions

the effectiveness of behavioural approaches to behaviour management interventions.

Phase 2 - Mapping of existing models/services delivering effective sleep and behaviour problem interventions

This phase mapped services/teams delivering sleep and/or behaviour problem interventions which were based on what were understood and accepted to be effective ways of treating or managing sleep or behaviour problems. The mapping exercise was used to draw up a long shortlist of possible teams/services for inclusion in the primary research phases (Phases 3 & 4) of the project.

Phase 3 & 4 - Investigating the effectiveness of sleep and behaviour interventions currently being delivered to disabled children

Eight services were selected for the primary research phase. Evidence on the effectiveness of sleep and behaviour interventions were obtained from the following sources:

• Standard measures of sleep and/or behaviour (primary outcome measures), parental stress and parenting confidence (secondary outcome measures) administered at baseline, immediately and three months post-intervention (Phase 3).
• Collection of costs data from services (Phase 3) and families (Phase 4).
• Interviews with practitioners, parents and children (Phase 4).

Phase 5 - Data analysis, writing and dissemination

The rapid reviews were completed and published first, with the main report and appendices published in 2012. Journal articles and presentations to conferences and professional bodies continues.

Read a blog post reviewing this research from http://bit.ly/2ndtQlc. The blog is by Rachel Allen, a practice leader working for The Royal Mencap Society.  

Another blog post about the 'Riding the Rapids' journal article is also available: http://bit.ly/2nbZTkw

Publications and presentations

All publications after October 2015 are available on the York Research Database. 

Additional information