“My son, Mohammad, has thalassemia. Due to his illness, my husband and I pampered him more than his siblings, which led to some negative behaviors like yelling when his requests were denied, withdrawing into himself, and refusing to leave the house,” shared his mother, “Um Mohammad,” during her visit to our mental health and psychosocial support clinic in Qah, northern Syria.
After conducting a biopsychosocial assessment, we found that Mohammad was experiencing behavioral challenges, including irritability, excessive phone use, and isolation from his peers due to overprotectiveness. Our team developed a treatment plan in coordination with “Um Mohammad,” employing techniques like extinction, reinforcement, and modeling, as well as other activities such as ignoring his negative behaviors and holding regular follow-up sessions with Um Mohammad and her son.
With Um Mohammad’s dedication to following the guidance provided, Mohammad achieved a remarkable 90% improvement in his behavior in less than three months. Today, Mohammad is a different child; he goes to school, participates in activities, plays with his peers in the neighborhood, and interacts warmly with his siblings. He now has new goals and dreams for the future.
