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Ed Yeates Reporting Some kids with symptoms of autism may not have the disorder at all. In fact, a lack of sleep may be what's really causing the problem.
That's what some scientists are suggesting as Salt Lake's national sleep conference winds to a close.
Lack of concentration, motor restlessness, irritability, excessive impulsiveness, and learning problems. They're symptoms of autism - even attention deficit, and hyperactivity.
But do all kids exhibiting these symptoms really have the disorders? National researchers, meeting in Salt Lake this week, believe many may be sleep deprived. If so, they're misdiagnosed and placed on stimulants like Ritalin for the wrong reason.
Dr. Stephen Sheldon/ Sleep Medicine Center, Children's Memorial Hospital: "So the children who are sleepy and who are manifesting these symptoms may in fact improve because the stimulant is treating the symptoms."
Dr. Stephen Sheldon with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine says researchers see problems like this mirrored in kids who are not getting enough sleep.
In some ways, Sheldon and his colleagues claim children are under a lot more stress these days, and that artificial light may actually be disrupting their sleep-wake cycles."
TV's - but most especially, computer screens, and interactive video games many - close up to the screen - play late into the evening.
Sheldon: "Is that in fact affecting their sleep-wake cycle, which results in a delayed phase, so they have difficulty falling asleep, difficulty waking up, so they're sleep deprived."
Light stimulation at the wrong time, more after school activities and demands, schools that start too early in the morning - perfect ingredients for symptoms in kids we may be misconstruing for something else. Sheldon says more research is needed.
Depending on each child's needs, researchers still recommend at least eight hours of sleep.
