Sleep issues are highly prevalent in children with additional needs with an estimated 86% of children suffering from them. Unfortunately there tends to be very little support available which can lead many families into crisis. The Children’s Sleep Charity is the only charity in England and Wales who offer sleep support to families using a cognitive and behavioural approach. We work in close partnership with the medics at Sheffield Children’s Hospitals sleep unit to ensure that the work that we carry out is clinically safe.
Our success rate is over 90% and the majority of children with additional needs respond positively to our gentle methods. Many of our practitioners are also parents of children with disabilities who have previously suffered from sleep deprivation so have true empathy for the families that they work with.
Recently the Family Fund compiled a survey of families of children with SEND entitled ‘Tired All The Time’, it recommended that sleep services were included in the Local Offer. A number of Local Authorities have already commissioned our services to ensure that their families get the support required, this may include one to one sleep clinics, email/telephone support or sleep workshops. In addition to our services we have produced a booklet for the Early Support project which can be downloaded free of charge, please do let me know if you would like the link.
If you would like to find out more about our work please email: info@thechildrenssleepcharity.org.uk, call 07912 667676 or visit the website.
