Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40742672›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2025

Clinical and Demographic Correlates of Insomnia Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Lawrence Scahill, Cynthia R Johnson, Megan L Wenzell, Leah M Barto, Arielle Mulligan, Auscia T Williams, Laura M Johnson, Scott E Gillespie, Luc Lecavalier

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07122388 ("Retrospective Study on the Evaluation of Sleep Habits, Sleep Macrostructure and Microstructure in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07122388 active not recruitingnot on this map

"Retrospective Study on the Evaluation of Sleep Habits, Sleep Macrostructure and Microstructure in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Association With Behavioral Variables and Parental Stress"

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorUniversity of Campania Luigi VanvitelliRan2020 to 2025Enrolled187ConditionsSleep Disorder (Disorder), Autism Spectrum DisorderArmsQuestionnaires about autism spectrum disorders and sleep and PSG., ADOS-2, ADI-R, SRS-2, PSG
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lawrence ScahillEmory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. lawrence.scahill@emory.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5073-1707
Cynthia R JohnsonLerner College of Medicine / Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Megan L WenzellFrances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Nursing Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Leah M BartoCleveland Clinic Center for Autism, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Arielle MulliganNisonger Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Auscia T WilliamsClinical Trials Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Laura M JohnsonPediatric Biostatistics Core, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Scott E GillespiePediatric Biostatistics Core, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Luc LecavalierNisonger Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Funding

Children's Trust 0Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development RO1HD099480Marcus Foundation 0Whitehead Foundation 0
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo examine demographic and clinical characteristics of sleep problems in autistic children.

methodsParents of 1,185 children (mean age 9.8 ± 2.0, range 3–12 years; 80.3% boys) were recruited from the Simons Powering Autism Research (SPARK) database for the online survey. Caregivers completed the 21-item, unidimensional Pediatric Autism Insomnia Rating Scale (PAIRS), the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), a demographic form and a question on chronotype. We set a PAIRS score of ≥ 33 (75th percentile in this sample) to define insomnia as a clinical concern.

resultsThe PAIRS mean was 21.8 ± 15 (range 0 to 63); 304 children were rated ≥ 33. PAIRS mean scores were higher in girls than boys (23.5 ± 14.7 vs. 21.3 ± 15.0, p = 0.044), in children ages 3–7 than those ages 8–12, (23.8 ± 15.4 vs. 21.2 ± 14.8, p = 0.022), in non-verbal children than verbal children (28.5 ± 14.7 vs. 20.5 ± 14.7, p < 0.001), and in children with evening chronotype than those with morning or neither preference (23.3 ± 14.8 vs. 20.8 ± 19.7, p < 0.01). Children with parent-reported below average IQ and children of parents without a college degree also had higher PAIRS scores. Those with ≥ 33 on PAIRS had higher scores on all ABC subscales. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression modeling showed that higher ABC Hyperactivity, ABC Social Withdrawal, and ABC Irritability scores, parent-reported below average IQ, and an evening chronotype significantly increased the odds of being rated ≥ 33 on the PAIRS.

conclusionPAIRS can be used for insomnia screening, as an outcome measure in clinical trials and in clinical care for autistic children.

Indexed as

AutismAutism spectrum disorderInsomniaSleep disturbanceSleep problems

Identifiers

PMID40742672

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.