Extinction: A Helpful Tool That’s Often Misunderstood

Extinction is a tool in ABA that can be used to decrease behaviors that interfere with a child’s learning, communication or quality of life, but it’s often misunderstood. Because of this, some families hesitate when they hear the word. Let’s demystify this behavior-analytic concept and explain what extinction can look like in practice.

What is Extinction in ABA?

Extinction is a research-supported strategy to decrease a behavior by no longer providing the reinforcement that was maintaining it. In other words, the behavior no longer produces the outcome that previously reinforced it.

Here’s an example. Imagine a child who screams to get her mother’s attention. If screaming consistently results in attention, that attention can reinforce the behavior, increasing the frequency of screaming. An extinction procedure would involve the mother no longer providing attention in response to the screaming. This doesn’t mean she ignores the child. Rather, she doesn’t provide direct attention to the screaming.

How Does Extinction Work?

Extinction works by changing what happens right after a behavior occurs. All behavior serves a function. In ABA, the function of a behavior refers to what the behavior helps a person get or avoid. A BCBA’s job is to assess the behavior to identify the “why” behind it.

Understanding why a behavior is happening is important when using extinction because the approach depends on what the child is getting or avoiding as a result of the behavior.

When extinction is first implemented, an extinction burst may occur. This means that the behavior temporarily gets worse before it gets better. Some children engage in the behavior more frequently, for longer durations or at an increased intensity. But with consistency, the behavior should decrease over time if it’s not being reinforced.

Replacement Behaviors

When extinction is used, the behavior intervention plan (BIP) should also include a plan to teach and reinforce replacement behaviors. A replacement behavior is an appropriate alternative that serves the same function as the behavior being reduced.

For example, if a child screams to get her mother’s attention, her therapy team might teach her to say, “Mom, look!” or ask her mother to play. When she uses the appropriate request, her mother provides attention. When she screams, attention is not provided. Over time, the child learns that there is a more appropriate way to get her mother’s attention. As the replacement behavior is consistently reinforced, the child relies less on screaming to communicate her needs.

Types of Extinction + Examples

Extinction is not a one-size-fits-all intervention. The type of extinction used depends on the function of the behavior. A behavior analyst first identifies what is reinforcing the behavior before determining which extinction procedure is appropriate.

1. Positive Reinforcement Extinction

Positive reinforcement extinction is used when a behavior is maintained by something being provided after the behavior, such as attention, a preferred item or access to an activity. When using positive reinforcement extinction, the maintaining reinforcer is no longer provided following the behavior.

Example: A child screams and cries when he wants his favorite cookies. Previously, someone gave him a cookie when he screamed, which reinforced the behavior. During an extinction procedure, he wouldn’t get a cookie when he screamed. Instead, his therapy team might teach and reinforce requests using picture icons.

2. Negative Reinforcement Extinction

Negative reinforcement extinction is used when a behavior is maintained by escaping or avoiding something, such as a difficult task or demand. With negative reinforcement extinction, the behavior no longer results in escape from the situation.

Example: A child throws his paper and pencil when presented with a difficult activity at school because doing so previously resulted in him getting a break. During an extinction procedure, throwing the materials would no longer result in a break. Instead, the child might be taught to appropriately request help or a break when he feels overwhelmed.

3. Automatic Reinforcement Extinction

Automatic reinforcement extinction applies when the behavior itself produces a reinforcing sensory or internal consequence, rather than reinforcement being provided by another person. In these cases, extinction involves preventing or changing access to that reinforcing consequence.

Example: Someone repeatedly picks at scabs on their arms because the behavior produces a reinforcing feeling. As part of an individualized intervention, they might wear sleeves that make it more difficult to engage in the behavior while being taught safer alternative behaviors.

Extinction: The Bigger Picture

When used thoughtfully, extinction can be one component of a larger plan to understand why a behavior is happening, teach meaningful replacement skills, and help children communicate their needs more effectively. Because every child and behavior is different, extinction procedures should be carefully individualized and guided by a qualified professional.