Kioko Center

  We’ve all felt the implications of poor sleep before. For example, you may have felt irritable, less focused, or even a little sick as a result. However, while this is an occasional issue for most of us, children (and adults) with autism and related disorders often find it harder than most to get enough sleep. How Much Sleep Do We Need? The National Sleep Foundation states that children should sleep for 9–11 hours a day, depending on their age. As adults, we should aim for around 7–8 hours of sleep to thrive. Do Children with Autism Find It Harder to Fall Asleep? Various studies have determined that “children with ASD have a higher prevalence of sleep issues than their typically developing peers.” For example, they are more likely to develop insomnia and similar conditions. In fact, “ children with autism tend to sleep 32.8 minutes less per night than their peers”. While this may not seem to be a significant difference, an extra thirty minutes of deep sleep can work wonders for t...

You can follow many steps to help your child reach their full potential. For example, therapeutic interventions such as Speech Therapy, ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis), and Occupational Therapy can help your child develop new skills in a supportive and comfortable environment. However, you can also do plenty of things at home too! For example, many individuals with autism and related disorders have found that music can be an incredibly vital resource for development and enrichment. Why do we enjoy listening to music? According to various studies, we like listening to music as it “triggers the release of a chemical called dopamine in a part of the brain called the striatum.” This is why we often feel happier when listening or singing along to our favorite songs. As a result, listening to music can be instrumental in improving our mental health while reducing stress and anxiety. As such, it’s hardly surprising that listening to music is beneficial for children with autism and related ...