Sensors and instrumentation for unobtrusive sleep quality assessment in autistic children.

Little is understood about the sleep quality of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Conventional sensors and instrumentation for objective sleep quality assessment, such as those used in polysomnography, are highly obtrusive and not well-suited to this patient population. This paper presents a set of sensors and instrumentation for unobtrusive measurement of physiological and behavioral parameters indicative of sleep quality. Specifically, load cells, an electromechanical film, and thermocouples are used to measure respiratory rate, pulse rate, and physical activity of a subject lying on a bed. The sensor suite is being developed to monitor sleep quality of children at Heartspring, a residential and educational facility in Wichita, KS that serves children with severe developmental disabilities. These technologies have the potential to provide objective sleep quality assessment for children in their home environment.