Sleep, Autism, and Screen Time: Session 308 with Emily Varon

Sleep, Autism, and Screen Time: Session 308 with Emily Varon

Episode Overview

In this episode, sleep expert Emily Varon returns to the Behavioral Observations Podcast to share her deep expertise in sleep improvement—especially within the autism community. Drawing from 15 years of experience, Emily emphasizes personalized approaches, the role of wearable technology, and the importance of sensitivity when discussing sleep challenges with families. She also discusses new research on screen time and its true impact on sleep latency, offering insights that can reshape how behavior analysts approach sleep-related interventions.

Key Topics Covered

Personalized Sleep Strategies

  • Why one-size-fits-all sleep advice doesn't work.

  • How Emily uses wearables like the Oura Ring to identify sleep patterns and triggers.

  • Note: check this out if you want to see if the Whoop Strap is a wearable technology is for you.

  • The role of self-reflection and data tracking in improving sleep.

Sleep Hygiene in the Autism Community

  • Sleep as a primary reinforcer and the role of environmental variables.

  • Key elements of good sleep hygiene: consistent schedules, avoiding late-night exercise, and structured bedtime routines.

  • How these strategies apply equally to neurotypical and autistic individuals, with additional sensitivity for pre-existing diagnoses.

Screens, Blue Light, and Sleep Latency

  • The evolution of research on blue light and melatonin suppression.

  • Insights from Michael Gradizar's 2024 study showing only a minor, non-significant delay in sleep onset from screens.

  • Why user behavior matters more than blue light itself—and how behavior analysts can address it.

Sleep Research Gaps in Autism

  • The distinction between medical and non-medical sleep researchers.

  • Why more targeted studies in autism are needed, despite data collection challenges.

  • Behavioral tendencies—rather than autism itself—as key factors in sleep disruption.

Screen Time, Social Media, and Self-Regulation

  • How apps are designed to maximize engagement and reinforce continued use.

  • The impact of device removal on children's emotions and behavior.

  • Differences in personality and susceptibility to "dopamine hits" from scrolling.

Children's Sleep and Screen Time Variability

  • Why short shows like Bluey may help some kids wind down, while disrupting others.

  • Understanding sleep architecture and how disruptions affect mood and regulation.

  • Real-world examples of activities (like bedtime reading) that can unintentionally delay sleep.

Approaching Sleep Conversations with Families

  • The importance of avoiding yes/no questions about sleep problems.

  • Asking open-ended questions about sleep satisfaction.

  • Building trust with families so they feel comfortable prioritizing sleep interventions.

Next Steps for Listeners
  • Special Offer: Use coupon code BXOB10 for 10% off The Sleep Collective course at readysetsleep.com.

  • For BCBAs:

    • Replace checkbox-style questions with open-ended ones about sleep satisfaction.

    • Approach all autism-related cases assuming there may be underlying sleep challenges.

  • For Families:

    • Evaluate how screen time may be affecting your child's sleep quality and onset.

    • Assess whether your current bedtime routines are truly effective.

Links & Resources

Huge thanks to the following sponsors who keep the lights on!

  • Frontera. Consider taking a demo of Frontera's Assessment Builder and see how the ethical application of AI technologies can help you serve clients and save you time! Your first assessment report is free. And if you use code BOP25 you'll get an additional five assessments for just $100. So head to fronterahealth.com to check it out!
  • CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.
  • The Behavioral Toolbox. Check out our courses for school-based and other behavioral professionals, including our newest one, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In.
  • Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!

Jaksot(320)

Sesson 16: Pat Friman is Back!

Sesson 16: Pat Friman is Back!

Pat Friman returns to The Behavioral Observations Podcast in Session 16. In this episode, we talk about things that we as Behavior Analysts typically avoid, namely things like depression, anxiety, and stress. Specifically, he provides an overview of these concepts using, of course, a behavior-analytic lens. At the same time, Pat also notes that our particular professional jargon can be quite off-putting to some, and goes on to provide great advice for communicating effectively with lay-people. I could go on, but I'll simply say that I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I do. This session of the podcast is sponsored by bSci21.org's ABA Outside the Box CE series. Check it out at bSci21.org/ceus!

23 Marras 20161h 7min

Session 15: Rich Brooks on Website and Marketing Strategies

Session 15: Rich Brooks on Website and Marketing Strategies

Rich Brooks has the distinctive honor of being the first non-Behavior Analyst to come on the show. Don't let that temper your enthusiasm for this episode though. In Session 15, Rich and I talk about the importance of marketing ABA services, mainly from the digital perspective. Specifically, we talk about the following: Options for setting up your own website Optimizing your site so people can find you more easily Considerations for social media use How to work with a website developer effectively Rich is in a good place to provide this advice. He is founder and president of flyte new media (http://www.takeflyte.com), a web design and marketing firm in Portland, Maine. He is a nationally recognized speaker on entrepreneurship, digital marketing and social media. He is a founder of The Agents of Change (http://www.agentsofchangecon.com/), an annual conference and weekly podcast that focuses on search, social & mobile marketing. He is also a regular contributor at SocialMediaExaminer.com, the world's most popular social media marketing blog. He is the "tech guru" on WCSH Channel 6's evening news show, 207, and teaches web marketing and social media courses for entrepreneurs at the University of Southern Maine's Center for Continuing Education. Finally, special thanks to bSci21.org's ABA Outside the Box continuing education series for sponsoring this show (go to bSci21.org/ceus to learn more) as well as Dr.s Becca Tagg and Megan Miller for their invaluable assistance in preparing for this interview (www.delmarbehavioralhealth.com & www.navigationbehavioralconsulting.com, respectively).

18 Marras 201649min

Session 14: Mark Dixon on ACT for Children with Autism and Emotional Challenges

Session 14: Mark Dixon on ACT for Children with Autism and Emotional Challenges

Dr. Mark Dixon joins me in Session 14 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Mark is a prolific researcher who has published over 150 peer-reviewed studies. He has published articles on a wide array of topics, including gambling, relational frame theory, and educational interventions for children with Autism. In this episode, we talk about his book, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Children with Autism and Emotional Challenges. This book presents the reader with curriculum of 180 lessons to teach students the various ACT processes in order to foster psychological flexibility. We also talk about how he got into Behavior Analysis, he extends our primer on ACT that began in Session 6 with D.J. Moran's interview, and then discuses how to use the curriculum in his book. He closes the conversation with some sage advice for students and practitioners. If you want to get the book, Amazon is frequently out of stock. However, Behavior Development Solutions generally has them in stock. Mark also mentions the journal, The Psychological Record, which you can check out here. I should also note that this session of the podcast is sponsored by the ABA Outside the Box CE series, so if you are in need of continuing education, check out bSci21.org/ceus. Finally, if you get value out of this show, please consider taking a few minutes to go on over to iTunes to leave a rating and review.

31 Loka 20161h 4min

Session 13: Megan Miller on Remote Consultation, Effective Supervision, & Evidenced-Based Practices

Session 13: Megan Miller on Remote Consultation, Effective Supervision, & Evidenced-Based Practices

Session 13's guest on The Behavioral Observations Podcast is Dr. Megan Miller from Navigation Behavioral Consulting. In this episode we talk about a range of issues that are relevant to many practicing behavior analysts, such as providing services over long distances, determining what makes a practice "evidence based," and the practitioner's need for life-long-learning. All in all, it's a fun conversation that I hope you enjoy. I should also add that Megan is active on the various behavior-analytic Facebook groups, so feel free to give her a virtual high-five. I also want to thank all of you who attended the New Hampshire ABA conference on October 1st. I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on practitioner self-care, and gave a brief introduction to one of my favorite topics, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It was a humbling experience presenting in front of many prestigious names in our field, and it was gratifying to meet many listeners who made the trek to Manchester, NH to attend the conference. If you are in the New England area, keep your eyes peeled for the next NHABA conference. You will not be disappointed! This episode is sponsored by bSci21.org's ABA Outside the Box continuing education trainings. I recently participated in "Conversations That Drive Performance," which was excellent. Check it out at bSci21.org/ceus! Lastly, if you have a minute, I would be very grateful if you went to iTunes and provided a rating and review of the show. As of this writing, The Behavioral Observations Podcast has been downloaded almost 50K times. That said, there are currently 33 ratings in the United States' iTunes store. There are no direct tangible reinforcers for having lots of iTunes reviews, but it does help the show get more recognition/visibility, and by extension disseminating free behavior analytic content. If you're not sure how to leave a rating and review, YouTube has you covered. Just click here for a quick tutorial. Thanks for listening! PS: here are links to other resources we mentioned The funny ABA blog Megan mentioned Steve Ward's website Dr. Mary Sawyer's dissertation

19 Loka 20161h 1min

Session 12: Mary Lynch Barbera on The Verbal Behavior Approach, e-Courses, Book Writing, and Professional Development

Session 12: Mary Lynch Barbera on The Verbal Behavior Approach, e-Courses, Book Writing, and Professional Development

Session 12 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast features an in-depth conversation with Mary Lynch Barbera, BCBA-D. In this episode, we talk about a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, Her pre-ABA career as a nurse (which actually involved quite a bit of OBM work!). How she learned about behavior analysis, and how her advocacy for her son led her to becoming a BCBA. The motivation behind writing her best-selling book, The Verbal Behavior Approach, and creating her e-course, Autism ABA Help: Online Training for Professionals and Gung-Ho Parents. What her writing practices are, and how best to avoid, "the curse of knowledge," when communicating behavioral principles with lay people. Her thoughts on some recent workshops from the recent National Autism Conference at Penn State University. Mary shares tons of resources in this episode, so please check out www.behavioralobservations.com for the Session 12 show notes. She also has generously provided listeners with a $50 coupon for her course. Enter BEHAVIORPOD at checkout to redeem it. To learn more about Mary, be sure to visit her website at http://www.marybarbera.com. This podcast is sponsored by bSci21.org. bSci21.org is your go-to ABA news site. The companion article for this episode is called, "I" is just a bit of Verbal Behavior, by Dr. Scott Herbst.

15 Syys 20161h

Session 11: Erin Rasmussen on Obesity, Food Insecurity, & Mindful Eating

Session 11: Erin Rasmussen on Obesity, Food Insecurity, & Mindful Eating

In Session 11 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, I chat with a my good friend Dr. Erin Rasmussen from Idaho State University about her upcoming grant funded study on food insecurity and obesity. In our discussion we talk about animal models of obesity, behavioral economics and delay discounting, mindful eating, common sense practices for weight loss, and more! There are so many links that go along with this episode that I have decided to put them in a bullet list (apologies to the various teachers who have attempted to teach me how to write). Erin's Health Decision-Making Laboratory website, which discusses her research program The movie Harry that Erin referenced The iPromptU app The Morrison et al. (2014) study on ACT and delay discounting The bSci21.org article on Delay Discounting The evening news clip that discusses Erin's project (Yay dissemination!) This is not only a fascinating program of study, it's a great lesson in dissemination, where animal models of behavior lead to potential treatment applications. I can't wait for this study's results!

31 Elo 20161h 1min

Session 10: Pat Friman on BoysTown, Parenting, and More!

Session 10: Pat Friman on BoysTown, Parenting, and More!

In Session 10 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, I speak with none other than Dr. Pat Friman. Pat is the Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at Boys Town as well as a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska School of Medicine. In today's show, Pat tells the story of how he literally wandered into a career in Behavior Analysis as well as the remarkable story of how Boys Town was started and how it serves children and families today. We then talk about his point of view on functional assessment practices, how he interviews parents, his take on what we refer to as, "kids these days," and Behavior Analysts as parents. With regard to the latter, I accidentally broach some of my own parenting struggles, so you might have some fun at my expense (your welcome). This session of the podcast is sponsored by bSci21.org. If you're interested in a good article about parenting, check out Zainab Fazal's piece called, "My Kids Won't Stop Fighting! How ABA Can Reduce Sibling Rivalry." If you enjoyed the show, please take a minute to leave a rating and review in iTunes. It makes the podcast more visible, which helps spread the word of Behavior Analysis.

15 Elo 20161h 13min

Session 9 - Manny Rodriguez talk all things Organizational Behavior Management

Session 9 - Manny Rodriguez talk all things Organizational Behavior Management

In this session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, Manny Rodriguez joins us to give an insider's view into the field of Organizational Behavior Management. Manny is Vice President of ABA Technologies, responsible for Continuing Education, Consulting, and Product Development, with over a decade of experience both in OBM and ABA clinical practice. In our chat, we talk about how he first got into OBM, what a typical day-in-the-life is like for an OBM practitioner, the similarities and differences between clinical and OBM practice, and what the future of OBM holds. Towards the end of the episode, I encourage him to plug his forthcoming book that he has written with co-authors Dan Sundberg and Shannon Biagi, called OBM Applied!  To read an excerpt from OBM Applied!, head on over to our sponsor, bSci21.org, and read Manny's article, Engaging the Doers: A Menu for Employee Engagement.  If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to leave a rating and review on iTunes. Also, stay connected with the podcast by visiting the Facebook page (facebook.com/behavioralobservations), or by following me on Twitter (@behaviorpodcast).

25 Heinä 20161h 31min

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