Managing Behavior

Individuals with SMS often exhibit problem behaviors including:

•  Hyperactivity
•  Self-injury, including: head banging; hand biting; picking at skin, sores and nails; pulling off finger- and toenails; inserting foreign objects into ears, nose, or other body orifices
•  Explosive outbursts
•  Prolonged tantrums
•  Destructive and aggressive behavior

It is unclear exactly what causes these behaviors, however past research in the study of behavioral aspects of the syndrome (Dykens and Smith, 1998) show that sleep (or lack thereof) is the most significant factor predicting the difficult behaviors that occur in SMS. For more information about sleep issues with SMS, please see our sleep page. Clearly, managing behavior is one of the greatest challenges for the parents and teachers of these individuals.

Behavior Management in SMS, by Mary Beall, SMS Parent, M.ED (PDF printable format click here)

Special Educator, Bev Frey, parent to a child with SMS,  wrote the following behavior management article to help provide some management strategies for parents.