RBT Task List – Behavior Reduction (D-05)

We are methodically working our way through the core behavior reduction strategies outlined in Section D. Having covered proactive antecedent interventions (D-03) and the various powerful differential reinforcement procedures (D-04).

We now turn to a fundamental consequence-based procedure that is almost always paired with differential reinforcement to effectively reduce challenging behavior:

Let’s do a comprehensive exploration of:

D-05: Implement Extinction Procedures

Extinction is a cornerstone principle of behavior change, renowned for its effectiveness when implemented correctly and consistently.

However, it’s a procedure that RBTs must understand thoroughly, including being prepared for its potential, and sometimes challenging, side effects.

What Exactly is Extinction?

Extinction is a behavioral procedure that occurs when reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued (meaning, it’s withheld or no longer provided).

The result of consistently withholding this reinforcement is a decrease in the future frequency of that behavior.

In simpler terms: if a behavior used to reliably “work” to get something the individual wanted (e.g., attention from others, a desired toy, escape from a difficult task), and now that behavior no longer works to get that same outcome, the behavior will eventually decrease and, ideally, stop occurring.

It is absolutely crucial to understand that extinction is not simply ignoring a behavior, although planned ignoring can be one form of extinction if attention was the reinforcer. True extinction requires:

• Identifying the specific reinforcer(s) that were maintaining the behavior (this is determined through a Functional Behavior Assessment – FBA).
• Ensuring that those specific reinforcers are no longer delivered contingent upon that behavior.

RBTs implement extinction procedures as a core component of many Behavior Reduction Plans (BIPs).

It’s typically used in conjunction with differential reinforcement of an alternative or incompatible behavior (DRA/DRI) or differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO).

The BIP, designed by the BCBA, will specify exactly what reinforcer to withhold for the target challenging behavior.

Key Principle: Behavior that is no longer reinforced will decrease.

Extinction Must Be Function-Based: The procedure must be matched to the function of the behavior:

• If a behavior is attention-maintained, extinction involves withholding attention (e.g., planned ignoring, not making eye contact, not verbally responding) when the behavior occurs.
• If a behavior is tangible-maintained (to get an item or activity), extinction involves withholding access to that tangible item/activity when the behavior occurs.
• If a behavior is escape-maintained (to get out of a task or situation), extinction involves not allowing escape (e.g., continuing to present the demand or task).
• If a behavior is automatically-maintained (produces its own sensory reinforcement), extinction involves masking or removing the sensory consequence. This is often the most difficult type of extinction to implement perfectly, as the RBT may not have full control over the sensory input.

How Extinction Works: The Process

• Identify the Maintaining Reinforcer: This critical first step is done through a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), as covered in B-03.
• Withhold the Reinforcer Contingent on Problem Behavior: Every single time the target problem behavior occurs, the identified reinforcer is not delivered. Consistency is paramount.
• Behavior Gradually Decreases: Over time, because the behavior no longer produces its previous, desired outcome, its frequency, duration, or intensity will decrease.

Potential Side Effects of Extinction (RBTs MUST Be Prepared for These!)

Implementing extinction is not always a smooth, linear decrease in behavior. There are several well-documented potential side effects that RBTs need to anticipate and manage according to the BIP:

• Extinction Burst:
  • What it is: This is a temporary increase in the frequency, intensity, duration, or variability of the behavior immediately after extinction is first implemented. The behavior might get “worse before it gets better.”
  • Why it happens: The individual is essentially “trying harder” with the behavior that used to work. Think of pressing an elevator button that isn’t working you might press it more frequently, harder, or for a longer duration for a bit before finally giving up.
  • RBT Response: Crucially, the RBT must continue to consistently implement extinction during the burst.
    If reinforcement is delivered during an extinction burst (e.g., giving in because the behavior got significantly worse), the more intense/frequent behavior will have been intermittently reinforced, making it much, much harder to extinguish in the future.
    Your supervisor will have a plan for managing bursts, often involving continuing extinction while ensuring safety and prompting alternative, appropriate behaviors.
  • Example: A child who used to get a cookie by whining might start whining louder, more often, and for longer periods (the extinction burst) when whining no longer results in receiving a cookie.
• Spontaneous Recovery:
  • What it is: The temporary reappearance of a behavior that had previously been reduced or eliminated through extinction.
    This can occur even without any new instances of reinforcement and often happens after a period when the behavior has not been emitted at all.
  • Why it happens: The exact behavioral mechanisms are complex, but it’s a common and well-documented phenomenon in behavior analysis.
  • RBT Response: If spontaneous recovery occurs, the RBT should continue to implement the extinction procedure (i.e., do not reinforce the recovered behavior).
    Typically, if not reinforced, the recovered behavior will extinguish again relatively quickly.
  • Example: A student whose out-of-seat behavior was successfully extinguished for several weeks suddenly gets out of their seat one day for no apparent new reason.
• Increase in Emotional Behavior / Aggression (Extinction-Induced Aggression):
  • What it is: When extinction is implemented, the individual may exhibit increased emotional responses, such as crying, yelling, frustration displays, or even aggression, that were not typical when the behavior was being reinforced.
  • Why it happens: This is often a result of frustration from not getting the expected reinforcer.
  • RBT Response: Follow the BIP for managing these emotional responses.
    This often involves continuing extinction for the original target behavior while ensuring safety, possibly prompting coping skills or alternative behaviors, but not reinforcing the emotional outburst itself with the original reinforcer.
    Your supervisor should provide clear guidance on this.
• Response Variation/Novel Behaviors:
  • What it is: The individual may try out different behaviors, or variations of the original behavior, in an attempt to get the reinforcer. Some of these new behaviors might be inappropriate.
  • RBT Response: Continue extinction for the original target behavior and any new inappropriate variations that emerge.
    This is also an important opportunity: if any appropriate new behaviors emerge (response induction), be ready to reinforce those!

Implementing Extinction Procedures: Your Responsibilities as an RBT

• Know the Function: You must understand the hypothesized function of the behavior to know what specific reinforcer to withhold.
  This information comes from the FBA and will be detailed in the BIP.
• Withhold Reinforcement Consistently: Every instance of the target behavior must not produce the maintaining reinforcer.
  Partial or inconsistent extinction is not effective and can actually strengthen the behavior (creating an intermittent reinforcement schedule for the problem behavior). Consistency is non-negotiable.
• Combine with Reinforcement for Appropriate Behaviors: Extinction is almost always used in conjunction with Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior (DRA), Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior (DRI), or Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO).
  It’s generally considered unethical to just try to eliminate a behavior without actively teaching and reinforcing an appropriate alternative, especially if the problem behavior is serving an important function for the individual.
• Be Prepared for the Extinction Burst: Anticipate it and have a clear plan (from your supervisor) for how to manage it safely and consistently. Do not “give in” during the burst.
• Monitor for Side Effects: Be vigilant for spontaneous recovery, aggression, increased emotionality, etc., and report these observations to your supervisor.
• Maintain Safety: If the extinction burst or associated behaviors pose a safety risk, you must follow safety protocols outlined in the BIP or by your agency.
  This might involve environmental management or seeking assistance from colleagues or your supervisor.
• Collect Data: Accurate data on the frequency, duration, or intensity of the behavior during the extinction process is crucial for the BCBA to determine if the procedure is working and if any modifications are needed. Also, collect data on the alternative/replacement behaviors being reinforced.
• Patience and Persistence: Extinction can take time, especially for behaviors that have a long history of reinforcement or those that were previously maintained on intermittent schedules.
• Communicate with the Team: All individuals interacting with the client (other RBTs, teachers, parents, caregivers) must implement the extinction procedure consistently for it to be effective.
  RBTs may need to model the procedure or gently remind others (e.g., new staff, sometimes even parents if they are part of the plan) under the guidance of their supervisor.

Examples of RBTs Implementing Extinction (Matched to Function)

• Extinction of Attention-Maintained Behavior:
  • Target Behavior: Leo, a child in therapy, calls out his RBT’s name repeatedly and loudly whenever the RBT is talking to another adult or trying to complete paperwork.
  • Function (from FBA): To get the RBT’s attention.
  • Extinction Procedure: When Leo calls out, the RBT continues talking to the other adult or focusing on paperwork, avoids making eye contact with Leo, and does not respond verbally to the calling out (this is planned ignoring, which is extinction for this specific behavior because attention is the reinforcer).
  • Paired with DRA: The RBT gives Leo lots of positive attention when he is playing quietly, working on a task, or when he waits for a natural pause in conversation and says “Excuse me” or taps the RBT’s arm gently.
  • Potential Extinction Burst: Leo might call out louder, more frequently, or even try other attention-seeking behaviors initially. The RBT must remain consistent in withholding attention for the calling out.
• Extinction of Tangible-Maintained Behavior:
  • Target Behavior: Mia, a young child, whines and cries loudly whenever she sees a cookie and is told “not now.”
  • Function (from FBA): To get the cookie.
  • Extinction Procedure: When Mia whines and cries for the cookie, she is not given the cookie.
  • Paired with DRA/FCT (Functional Communication Training): The RBT teaches Mia to ask “Cookie please?” at appropriate times (e.g., during designated snack time) and reinforces this appropriate request by giving her a cookie.
    Or, Mia might be on a token system where she can earn tokens to exchange for a cookie.
  • Potential Extinction Burst: Mia might whine/cry louder, longer, or even escalate to tantrumming when her previous strategy no longer gets her the cookie.
• Extinction of Escape-Maintained Behavior (This is often called “Escape Extinction”):
  • Target Behavior: Sam, a student, rips up his worksheet when presented with math problems.
  • Function (from FBA): To escape or avoid doing the math task.
  • Extinction Procedure: When Sam rips the worksheet, he is not allowed to escape the task. The RBT might calmly provide a new worksheet (or even the ripped pieces taped together) and continue to prompt completion of a predetermined amount of work (e.g., “You still need to do 2 problems before your break”).
    This is often paired with prompting and reinforcement for completing the work. This can be challenging to implement and requires clear supervisor guidance and potentially safety measures if aggression accompanies the escape attempts.
  • Paired with DRA/FCT: The RBT teaches Sam to use a “break card” or verbally request a short break from math, and this appropriate request is honored.
  • Potential Extinction Burst: Sam might rip the paper more vigorously, throw it, refuse more intensely, or engage in other behaviors to try and get out of the task.
• Extinction of Automatically Reinforced Behavior (This is often called “Sensory Extinction”):
  • Target Behavior: Ava, a child, repetitively flips a light switch on and off, appearing to be fascinated by the visual stimulation.
  • Function (from FBA): Automatic positive reinforcement (the visual sensory input produced by the light).
  • Extinction Procedure (Hypothetical & often very difficult to implement perfectly): Disconnecting the light switch so that flipping it no longer produces the light change. Or, in some highly controlled (and usually more restrictive) scenarios, a helmet might be used that blocks peripheral vision of the light. Sensory extinction is often hard to implement perfectly because the RBT may not have complete control over the sensory consequence the behavior produces.
  • Paired with DRA/Environmental Enrichment: The RBT provides Ava with other appropriate toys and activities that provide engaging visual input (e.g., a light-up spinner toy, a kaleidoscope, visually stimulating apps) either non-contingently (freely available) or for engaging with them appropriately.
  • RBT Role: More often, the RBT will be responsible for implementing the DRA/environmental enrichment part of the plan and collecting data on the target behavior, while the BCBA designs any sensory extinction component, which is often complex.

Ethical Considerations for Extinction

• Always Pair with Reinforcement: It’s generally considered unethical and poor practice to use extinction in isolation without also actively teaching and reinforcing an appropriate alternative behavior. We need to teach what to do, not just what not to do.
• Potential for Harm During Burst: If the extinction burst could lead to dangerous behavior (e.g., severe aggression, self-injury that could cause harm), extinction might not be the appropriate first-line procedure, or it would require very careful and robust safety planning.
• Consistency is Key for Ethical Application: If extinction cannot be implemented consistently by everyone involved across all relevant settings, it’s unlikely to be effective and could inadvertently make the behavior worse (by putting it on an intermittent schedule). This can be an ethical concern.
• Informed Consent: The potential for an extinction burst and other side effects should be thoroughly discussed with caregivers by the BCBA as part of the informed consent process.

Key Vocabulary for Extinction

• Extinction: The process of discontinuing reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, resulting in a decrease in that behavior over time.
• Extinction Burst: A temporary increase in the frequency, intensity, duration, or variability of the target behavior when extinction is first implemented.
• Spontaneous Recovery: The temporary reappearance of an extinguished behavior after a period of time, even without renewed reinforcement.
• Resistance to Extinction: The degree to which a behavior persists once extinction procedures are implemented. Behaviors previously reinforced on intermittent schedules are generally more resistant to extinction.
• Sensory Extinction: Withholding the sensory consequence of an automatically reinforced behavior.
• Escape Extinction: Not allowing escape from an aversive stimulus (e.g., a demand) contingent on problem behavior.
• Planned Ignoring: A common procedure used for attention-maintained behavior where social reinforcers (like eye contact, verbal interaction, physical touch) are withheld contingent on the target behavior. It’s important to remember: ignoring is only extinction if attention was indeed the reinforcer.

Common Mistakes in Implementing Extinction

• Inconsistent Application: This is the #1 mistake. Sometimes withholding the reinforcer, but sometimes giving in (especially during an extinction burst).
  This creates an intermittent reinforcement schedule for the problem behavior, which can make it stronger and more resistant to future extinction attempts.
• Mistaking “Ignoring” for “Extinction” Universally: Simply ignoring a behavior is only an extinction procedure if the behavior was maintained by attention. If a behavior is escape-maintained, ignoring it might actually be reinforcing the escape function (i.e., allowing the escape to happen).
• Not Identifying the Correct Reinforcer: Trying to withhold attention for a behavior that is actually maintained by escape from tasks will not be effective.
  The FBA conducted by the BCBA is crucial for identifying the correct function and thus the correct reinforcer to withhold.
• Giving Up During the Extinction Burst: Thinking “this isn’t working, it’s getting worse!” and then stopping the procedure or, worse, reinforcing the behavior during the burst. This teaches the learner that more intense behavior eventually pays off.
• Not Having a Clear Plan for the Burst: Being unprepared for the temporary increase in behavior and any associated emotional responses, leading to inconsistent responses.
• Failing to Reinforce Alternative Behaviors Sufficiently or Effectively: If the appropriate alternative behavior isn’t being consistently and powerfully reinforced, the client has little incentive to switch from the (now extinguished but previously effective) problem behavior.
• RBT Modifying the Extinction Procedure on Their Own: Deciding to provide a “little bit” of reinforcement, or trying a different consequence not outlined in the BIP. RBTs must stick to the plan.
• Confusing Extinction with Punishment: Extinction is the process of withholding a reinforcer. Punishment, on the other hand, involves adding an aversive stimulus or removing a preferred stimulus (that isn’t the specific maintaining reinforcer for the target behavior) to decrease behavior. They are distinct procedures.

Implementing extinction procedures requires significant precision, consistency, and resilience from the RBT, especially when facing an extinction burst.

It is a powerful tool when used correctly as part of a comprehensive, function-based BIP that also emphasizes teaching and reinforcing appropriate skills.

Your ability to “stick with the plan” even when the behavior temporarily worsens is critical for success.

This provides a very thorough overview of D-05: Extinction Procedures.

We’ve covered its definition, how it works, the critical side effects (especially the extinction burst), RBT responsibilities, function-based examples, ethical considerations, and common pitfalls.

Next in Section D are D-06: Implement crisis/emergency procedures according to protocol and D-07 (which often refers to specific punishment procedures if used, like Time-Out or Response Cost, and is closely linked to D-06 in terms of safety).

Given their close relationship, especially the crisis/emergency aspect, we can address D-06 now. This task item focuses on ensuring safety when behaviors escalate to a crisis level.