Read what professionals and parents have to say about the SDIS:

“The SDIS is an outstanding screening instrument for sleep problems in children. It has been evaluated and critiqued by various experts in pediatric sleep medicine from across the country. The SDIS is considered a major development in our ability to identify and treat children with sleep disorders and will have a national impact. Sleep disorders are a major contributor to behavioral and cognitive impairments in children and are currently not being appropriately identified. The use of the SDIS as a screening device by school psychologists, nurses, etc… will increase diagnosis and needed treatment.

I personally have had the pleasure of seeing children referred for a sleep evaluation after being identified by the SDIS. The SDIS is extremely accurate and has led to appropriate treatment with significant improvement in behavior and cognition.”
- Dr. William C. Kohler, M.D., Director of Pediatric Sleep Services, University Community Hospital, Tampa, FL and Medical Director, Florida Sleep Institute, Brooksville, FL


“Congrats and all the best!! A Great Accomplishment.”
- Dr. Mary A. Carskadon, Ph.D., Director of the E.P. Bradley Hospital and Professor of Neuro and Biobehavioral Psychology at Brown University, East Providence, RI



“In my experience, it is rare for a doctoral student to develop and complete a research project that will have a significant immediate impact on the practice of medicine. The candidate must not only learn the research techniques needed, but must learn a new medical vocabulary. In addition, they must learn to work within the medical community and its bureaucracy. Dr. Marsha Luginbuehl has succesfully done this and identified a deficiency in student evaluations for sleep disorders. Her dissertation, “The Initial Development and Validation Study of the Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students”, presents a significant advance to the evaluation of children with sleep disorders.

The questionnaire has been carefully developed and validated by experts from across the United States. The study demonstrates the presence of a significant number of sleep disorders in students that could impact their health and school performance. The preliminary data has been presented at the Academy of Sleep Medicine meetings in 2003 and 2004 and was well received.

We are so impressed with this work that we are developing training initiatives for school psychologists. In addition, we are working on a way to get the students referred for evaluations in a timely manner when a sleep disorder is suggested.

For these reasons, I feel this dissertation (SDIS) deserves your serious consideration of merit. It is truly a monumental work.”
- Dr. W. McDowell Anderson, M.D., Professor, Chief, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, University of South Florida and Director of Sleep Clinics at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL


Parent Testimonial about the SDIS

“This letter is to recommend Marsha Luginbuehl’s excellent dissertation (SDIS) on sleep disorder diagnosis in pediatric patients. I am the mother of triplet boys who are now age 18 and have been diagnosed with sleep apnea in the past year. My sons were born 5 weeks prematurely and have been treated for many problems that all seem to be tied together. They have each had 5 surgeries for otitis media with tubes, as well as an adenoidectomy at age two, resulting in speech delays and learning disabilities. Allergies and learning disabilities have sent us to many specialists, etc… They have been on medication for ADD and depression, as well as social anxiety, since about third grade. We have done research and consulted diagnosticians and specialists all their lives, and realized that they were mouth breathers and did not sleep well, but NO ONE ever suggested a sleep study, even though part of the problem was that they couldn’t wake up for school or early morning activities, even when motivated by rewards and fun.

Last year, when Marsha Luginbuehl asked me to fill out the sleep study questionnaire (SDIS) for her dissertation, I was happy to see what the results would be. She was quite concerned about Warren and Neil’s results, and asked a pediatric sleep specialist to consult with us. It has been so helpful and enlightening. We have had three overnight sleep studies, been placed on CPAP therapy (Warren and Neil), and are now in the process of working toward surgery to remove their tonsils. I am anxious to see the results on their learning disabilities and if the result of better REM sleep (they were getting almost none before CPAP) will make a difference in their ability to face the challenge of school and social life better, perhaps even change the need for so much medication daily.

I am grateful for the knowledge and help the sleep studies have provided, and have learned that the sleep disorder is also tied to growth hormones, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, and allergies. I wish that we had found this intervention earlier. Even though we had excellent doctors, no one routinely screened for these types of problems. We hope in the future that this study (and the SDIS) will change that, and children will be saved some of the agony our family has had with this problem.”
- Virgina H., parent of triplets, from Clearwater, FL