What is the purpose of the study?
I am carrying out this Master’s dissertation for the MA Inclusion (Autistic Children) programme. I also work full time as a Senior Sleep Advice Consultant for Cerebra and have been supporting families for 20 years.
This research aims to explore the school factors that might influence sleep to increase understanding in this area, and I am looking for willing families who would like to share their experiences and hopefully help develop support for families.
Who can take part?
You and your child are invited if:
- Your child is autistic
- Your child is in the UK, in Year 5 to Year 11 (in England/ Wales, or equivalent year groups in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
- Your child is currently on roll at a school (mainstream or specialist)
- Your child experiences sleep difficulties
What will it involve?
If you take part, you will be asked to complete:
- Parent/Carer Questionnaire
A questionnaire about your child’s sleep and school experiences (multiple-choice and open questions). - Child/Young Person Contribution
Your child will be invited to complete a short questionnaire about their experiences (independently or with support). - Optional Sleep Diary (2 weeks)
You may record brief information about your child’s sleep patterns for two weeks. This is helpful for me to see how the sleep needs very daily, depending on what sort of day you child has had. The more information we can gather, the more this might be able to help families.
Interested or have questions?
Please either get in touch with me if you have questions, or please complete the following:
- Parental consent and questionnaire: Parent/ Carer Questionnaire – Fill in form
- Child/ Young Person consent and questionnaire: Child/ Young Person – Short Questionnaire – Fill in form
- Optional 2 week diary (to be completed daily for 2 weeks): 2 Week Sleep Diary (Optional) – Fill in form. However, if you would like an emailed version of the diary please contact me. This will mean that you will not be anonymous.
Researcher:
Pattie Everitt
[email protected]
Supervisor:
Prithvi Perepa
Associate Professor in Autism Studies
University of Birmingham
[email protected]
