Rest, emotion, and arousal in autistic children ages 6–10

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Researchers will enroll 60 autistic children aged 6–10 and their caregivers to complete questionnaires, one lab visit measuring sensory responsivity to standardized stimuli, and two weeks of home-based actigraphy and daily diaries. In a subset of 30 children with elevated sensory over-responsivity and bedtime resistance, caregivers will be trained in the Power Down protocol (a gentle pressure massage paired with a mindfulness script) and will deliver it nightly for two weeks while both caregiver and child wear actigraphs and complete daily diaries. The open pilot uses a pre-post design with baseline interviews and exit questionnaires and interviews to measure changes in bedtime arousal, sleep patterns, and daytime emotion dysregulation. The broader cross-sectional component aims to link individual sensory responsivity profiles with sleep disturbance and daytime emotion regulation.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Youth between the ages of 6 and 10 years old
2. Caregiver-reported autism diagnosis and \>11 on Social Communication Questionnaire
3. Caregiver-reported bedtime resistance (\>12 on Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire-Autism; Sleep Initiation subscale - 3-point scale, 6 questions)
4. Caregiver willing to participate in all bedtimes during study
5. Stable medication use (e.g., no changes within 2 weeks)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participants will be excluded if they do not understand English or are unable to travel to the lab (Pittsburgh, PA).
2. Concurrent diagnosis of sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or major psychiatric disorder (e.g., major depression, bipolar).
3. Unstable medication use (dose or timing).
4. Current behavioral treatment for sleep disorder

Where it's running

• University of Pittsburgh
  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Amy G Hartman, PhD — University of Pittsburgh
• Study coordinator: Amy G Hartman, PhD
• Email: agh38@pitt.edu
• Phone: 412-648-7997

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.