A/Prof Dr Helen (Honey) Heussler MD, webinar recording 18 May 2023.

Sleep disturbance is common in children who have Fragile X syndrome. Sleep specialist Dr Heussler unpacks what lies behind the problems initiating and maintaining sleep. She discusses normal sleep development, sleep cycles, the impact that neurodevelopmental disorders such as Fragile X syndrome have on sleep patterns, and predictors for sleep disorders in children. Dr Heussler presented practical strategies for environmental and behavioural modifications to help achieve good sleep for children with Fragile X syndrome.

Dr Heussler is a Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrician with a dual qualification in Sleep Medicine. She is Medical Director of the Child Development Program at the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service in Brisbane, and runs a Fragile X Clinic at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

In the second part of this webinar sleep specialist Dr Jasneek Chawla spoke about a 3-year multi-centre study to enable early effective sleep interventions to improve functional outcomes and quality of life in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The study is run through Queensland Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at Westmead (Sydney), and Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. Parents of children with Fragile X syndrome are invited to participate in the multiple phases of the study, by way of surveys etc.

Watch the video of the webinar on our youtube channel: https://youtu.be/gvBBJ1qFu_U