Parental Acceptance of Treatments for Insomnia in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and their Typically Developing Peers

Abstract

A web-based vignette design was used to examine parental acceptability of treatments for insomnia in school-aged children. Parents (n = 353) of children with typical development (TD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were randomly assigned to a vignette condition that described a boy (TD, ASD, ADHD) who was experiencing insomnia. Parents were more accepting of non-pharmacological than pharmacological interventions, and medication was rated as more acceptable in special needs children, whereas self- help was more acceptable for TD children. In conclusion, clinicians need to be aware of the key factors that may affect acceptance of treatment for children's sleep problems.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank the parents who participated in the study, and Meredith Bessey, Lauren Jenkins, and Kate Gross for their help in editing this manuscript. They also thank the Dalhousie Research Development Fund for supporting this research.