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Extinction
Overview
Extinction is a procedure used in applied behavior analysis (ABA) in which
reinforcement of a previously rewarded behavior is halted (Cooper, Heron, & Heward,
1987). Remember that reinforcement is a consequence delivered immediately after a
behavior which increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future.
Examples of reinforcers typically include:
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o
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privileges to desired items and activities;
social praise; and
tokens.
Reinforcement can be a powerful method for instruction and encouraging positive
behaviors, such as teaching a child to speak or helping a student complete a task.
However, sometimes reinforcement can inadvertently cause the occurrence interfering
behaviors (e.g., disruptive, self-injurious, and/or repetitive/stereotyped behaviors).
For example, if a teacher provides a verbal or emotional reaction following a student's
inappropriate comments (and the student finds this reaction reinforcing), then this social
attention may increase or maintain the student's inappropriate behavior over time.
Procedures, such as extinction, sometimes need to be implemented to reduce these
interfering behaviors.
Extinction does not require the use of punishment procedures to decrease problem
behavior. Extinction simply requires
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the withholding of reinforcement by ignoring a behavior
denying access to tangible items or activities
not allowing the learner to escape or avoid a non-preferred task or situation,
and/or preventing reinforcing sensory feedback.
For example, a teacher might ignore a student's inappropriate comments, so the student
learns that his inappropriate comments no longer elicit a verbal or emotional reaction
from the teacher - behaviors that the student finds reinforcing. [Keep in mind that some
students actually find it reinforcing to see a teacher get upset.]
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Applying extinction can occasionally lead to an increase in the frequency (i.e., how
often the behavior occurs), duration (i.e., how long the behavior lasts) and/or intensity
(i.e., how intense or powerful the behavior is) of the target behavior, referred to as an
extinction burst. For instance, if a student's inappropriate comments are suddenly
ignored by the teacher, the student may initially increase her rate or volume of
inappropriate comments. The student's increase in behaviors can be thought of as
"trying harder" to get the teacher's attention. If the teacher's attention (reinforcement) is
consistently withheld, then the student's inappropriate comments will eventually
decrease.
Additional intervention strategies, such as functional communication training (FCT),
differential reinforcement, non-contingent reinforcement, self-management, or response
interruption/redirection (RIR) may be used to prevent or minimize the occurrence of an
extinction burst and to teach the learner more appropriate, functional behaviors to
replace the problem behavior. Please refer to AIM Modules on FCT, reinforcement, selfmanagement, and RIR to learn more about how to implement them in classrooms and
programs.
Extinction has been shown to be effective in a wide variety of settings, such as homes,
schools, communities, and with diverse behaviors ranging from self-injury to mild
behaviors (e.g., Hagopian, Fisher, Sullivan, Acquisto, & LeBlanc, 1998; Hall, Grinstead,
Collier, & Hall, 1980; Harris, Wolf, & Baer, 1966; Lalli, Casey, & Kates, 1995; Rekers &
Lovaas, 1974). In addition, extinction has been shown to produce substantial and rapid
reductions in target behaviors (Higbee, Carr, & Patel, 2002; Rescorla & Skucy, 1969;
Ringdahl, Vollmer, Borrero, & Connell, 2001; Thompson, Iwata, Hanley, Dozier, &
Samaha, 2003; Uhl & Garcia, 1969).
Pre-Assessment
Pre-Assessment
Extinction can be used to reduce or eliminate unwanted behavior.
Select an answer for question 500
When extinction is used on a target behavior, initially the behavior is likely to:
Select an answer for question 502
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What is the term used to describe an increase in the target behavior's frequency and
intensity as a result of removing the positive reinforcer?
Select an answer for question 503
Extinction is often used with what other behavioral procedure to increase appropriate
behavior?
Select an answer for question 504
The evidence does not support the use of extinction procedures for children and youth
with ASD.
Select an answer for question 505
Which of the following target behaviors or skills are recommended for use with
extinction?
Select an answer for question 506
When might one want to use extinction procedures?
Select an answer for question 507
True or False. Extinction procedures can be used by any professional introduced to the
learner?
Select an answer for question 508
What is Extinction?
When using interventions that reduce interfering behaviors, the goal is to communicate
one central message to the learner-The behavior is no longer effective and/or efficient at achieving its purpose and other,
more appropriate behaviors, can achieve your goals.
How this message is communicated to the learner may vary depending on the function
of the learner's behavior, the beliefs and priorities of the parents, and the specific
contexts in which the problem behavior occurs. One central strategy is extinction - that
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is, withholding or minimizing, to the greatest extent possible, the delivery of the
consequence that maintains the interfering behavior. Extinction can be used with
behaviors previously maintained by positive or negative reinforcement and by naturally
occurring sensory consequences. Each of these procedures is discussed further in the
following section.
Extinction is derived from applied behavior analysis (ABA) and involves procedures
aimed at withdrawing or terminating the reinforcement associated with an inappropriate
behavior. Because there may be a learning history in which the unwanted behavior has
been reinforced over a period of time, changing the consequence to no longer reinforce
the behavior may lead to an increase in the frequency and intensity of the behavior.
Thus, it is important to be mindful of the possible extinction burst that may result from no
longer reinforcing previous behaviors. However, extinction has been used with other
intervention strategies to successfully teach children and adults with ASD a multitude of
functional, meaningful behaviors and responses that discourage the use of
inappropriate behaviors.
Goals of Extinction
Extinction procedures are combined with reinforcement procedures so that learners with
ASD develop more appropriate skills in place of challenging or problematic behaviors
that prevent the occurrence of more acceptable, purposeful behaviors. They can be
used with other intervention strategies, including functional communication training,
differential reinforcement, non-contingent reinforcement, and/or response
interruption/redirection. Examples of specific skills that were the focus of extinction
interventions in the evidence-based studies include:
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functional communication (Kelley, Lerman, & Van Camp, 2002);
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self-injurious behaviors (Kahng, Iwata, & Lewin, 2002; Matson & Santino, 2008);
sleep problems (Weiskop, Matthews, & Richdale, 2001); and
eliminating challenging behavior during classroom instruction (O'Reilly et al., 2007).
o
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Who Can Use Extinction?
Extinction procedures can be developed and used with children with ASD by a variety of
adults who have been appropriately trained, including parents, teachers, special
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educators, therapists, and paraprofessionals. However, it is critical that the adult be
familiar with the learner so that a plan for addressing an extinction burst is created
should the unwanted behavior increase in intensity or frequency.
Who Would Benefit Most from
Extinction?
Learners who have ASD who exhibit behaviors that interfere with learning and
achievement can benefit from extinction. The use of extinction is not limited to a
particular behavior or skill, but typically is used to address disruptive, aggressive,
perseverative and stereotypical behaviors, or any other problematic behavior that
prevents developmental growth. It is recommended that extinction procedures be used
after other more positive interventions have been tried and shown to not work (e.g.,
differential reinforcement, curriculum modification, etc.). This is mainly due to the
extinction burst that might occur as the learner seeks to receive reinforcers previously
provided following the occurrence of the unwanted behavior.
Step-by-Step Instructions for
Implementation
Extinction procedures can be implemented to decrease or eliminate problematic
behaviors that interfere with or limit teaching opportunities. Typical extinction
procedures include:
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ignoring the behavior;
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removing reinforcing items or activities; and/or
removing the learner from the environment.
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An extinction trial is each time the target behavior occurs and one of these procedures
is used.
The steps for implementing an extinction program include:
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identifying the unwanted behavior;
identifying data collection methods and gathering baseline data;
determining the purpose of the unwanted behavior;
creating an intervention plan;
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o
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implementing the intervention;
collecting resulting data; and
reviewing the intervention plan.
The Step-By-Step Instructions that follow provide an in-depth description of each step
needed to implement an extinction program effectively.
Step 1. Identifying the Interfering
Behavior
When starting an extinction program, the first step is to identify the behavior that is
interfering with a learner's development. Interfering behaviors might include disruptive,
self-injurious, and/or repetitive/stereotypical behaviors. To identify a behavior, teachers
and other practitioners (speech-language pathologists, behavioral specialists,
paraprofessionals, and other team members) gather information from numerous
individuals regarding the behavior's frequency, intensity, location, and duration, as well
as what it looks like.
Teachers/practitioners define the interfering behavior by focusing on:
o
o
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what the behavior looks like (topography);
how often the behavior occurs (frequency);
how intense the behavior is (intensity);
where the behavior occurs (location); and
how long the behavior lasts (duration).
The target behavior must be clearly defined so that teachers/practitioners can easily
observe and measure the difference between when the behavior does and does not
occur. A clearly defined target behavior also helps learners make the behavior easily
recognizable. An observable and measurable description of the behavior should include
what the behavior looks like (e.g., the body parts, movements, materials involved) and
the setting(s) in which it occurs/is expected to occur. The description must be clear
enough so that all team members who work with the learner with ASD in the
intervention setting agree on when the behavior occurs and when it does not.
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Step 2. Identifying Data Collection
Measures and Collecting Baseline Data
Teachers/practitioners identify how they will collect data used to measure the interfering
behavior before starting the intervention.
When collecting data for extinction, it is important to focus on the frequency, duration,
and intensity of the behavior. Data collection sheets which measure these
characteristics will be most appropriate for use with extinction.
Teachers/practitioners gather baseline data on the interfering behavior.
The data collection measures determined above would be used, along with the
information gathered in Step 1, to determine the nature of the interfering behavior prior
to the intervention.
During the baseline phase, it is important to collect data for a long enough period of time
to determine if there are any patterns. Teachers and/or other practitioners should decide
how long data will be collected (e.g., one week, two weeks), and what will happen if
there are not enough data to be considered useful (e.g., redesign the data collection
method, observe at a different time). Baseline data collection is important in order to
measure the impact of the intervention on the interfering behavior.
The teachers/practitioners also must decide who will collect the initial data. For
example, it might be easiest for a paraprofessional to collect data across the day. The
team also may decide that it would be easier to have an objective observer collect data
rather than the classroom teacher, who is in the middle of a lesson.
Step 3. Determining the Function of
Behavior
Prior to implementing the intervention, teachers/practitioners interview school
staff, family members, and the learner (if appropriate).
An important part of determining the function of the behavior is to interview team
members about the nature of the interfering behavior. Team members may provide
information about the purposes of the interfering behavior in different contexts and
different forms of the behavior that serve the same purpose.
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Prior to implementing the intervention, teachers/practitioners use direct
observation methods to hypothesize the purpose of the interfering behavior that
include:
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A-B-C data (antecedent, behavior, consequence). When determining the purpose of
the behavior, teachers and other practitioners also must identify what happens right
before the behavior (i.e., antecedents) and what happens immediately after the
behavior occurs (i.e., consequences). For example, a teacher gives a direction to a
student to line up with the class to go outside (antecedent), the student has a
tantrum (behavior), and the teacher allows the student to remain inside to calm
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down (consequence). In this example, the behavior appears to serve the purpose of
escaping the outside activity. For additional examples of ABC data charts, see
Steps for Implementation: Functional Behavior Assessment (National Professional
Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders);
Anecdotal observation. This may involve gathering a running log of the behavior
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during observation sessions; and
Functional analysis. Once this information is gathered, a functional analysis can be
completed that tests the proposed purpose of the interfering behavior against actual
behavioral observations. For greater detail on completing a functional analysis,
please consult the Functional Behavior Assessment module.
Teachers/practitioners identify the function of the behavior as one of the
following:
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o
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securing attention;
accessing tangible items;
escaping/avoiding a task or situation; and/or
sensory reinforcement.
Keep in mind that the same behavior may serve more than one function. For example, a
learner with ASD pinching her peer's arm may be doing so to:
o
o
o
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cause an immediate response when the peer looks over (i.e., attention);
attain a preferred item from the peer's hand (i.e., tangible item);
stop an interaction (i.e., escape/avoidance); or
seek pleasure in the auditory input provided when the peer yelps (i.e., sensory
reinforcement).
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Using a thorough data collection system to monitor, evaluate, and define the unwanted
behavior(s) will make it easier to develop a comprehensive intervention plan to address
all functions and teach more acceptable alternative behavior.
Step 4. Creating an Intervention Plan
Teachers/practitioners clearly write out extinction procedures (e.g., "When the
learner does__X____, we will respond by doing ____Y____") by:
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preparing a list of possible learner responses to the intervention; and
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determining appropriate teacher/staff responses.
The first phase of Step 4 is to clearly write out the intervention procedures.
Teachers/ practitioners might prepare a list of possible learner responses to the
intervention and determine appropriate teacher/staff responses. For example, if a
student is raising his/her hand repeatedly and the function is hypothesized to be
gaining attention, the teacher can plan to ignore the student's hand raising.
Teachers/practitioners define other strategies to be used along with the
extinction procedure.
An important part of creating the plan is to define how extinction procedures will be
incorporated with other intervention strategies. The following list includes other
intervention strategies that might be considered. Additional information regarding these
strategies is available in separate briefs.
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functional communication training (FCT);
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differential reinforcement;
non-contingent reinforcement; or
response interruption/redirection.
o
o
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Teachers/practitioners define the extinction procedures that the team will follow
such as:
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o
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ignoring the behavior;
removing reinforcing items or activities;
not allowing the child to escape from non-preferred situations; or
preventing sensory feedback from occurring.
Some examples of how to use extinction procedures based on the four common
functions of behavior are provided in the table to the right. The purpose of extinction is
to reduce an interfering behavior, but it is very important to also teach or promote a
replacement behavior (an appropriate behavior that would take its place). When using
extinction, practitioners should determine the appropriate replacement behavior and
strategies for promoting it. Options for such interventions appear in the last column of
the table.
Teachers/practitioners outline an extinction burst safety plan (i.e., what
staff/family should do when the behaviors get worse before they get better).
It is important to anticipate that the behavior will possibly get worse for a little while
before it gets better. This is sometimes called an extinction burst. Planning for a
possible extinction burst includes determining an appropriate response. This requires
developing a clear plan to handle a possible increase in the interfering behavior. In the
above example of a student who is kicking to escape demands, the extinction burst plan
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would describe what actions to take if the student starts kicking other students. For
example, if during the extinction burst, the student kicks even more than usual, the
teacher/practitioner simply ignores the kicking and continues with task demands.
Teachers/practitioners discuss the intervention with all adults who are with the
learner with ASD on a regular basis (e.g., therapists, paraprofessionals, family
members).
Teachers/practitioners explain the intervention procedures to other students who
are in close proximity to the learner with ASD when the interfering behavior
occurs (e.g., in the same class, at lunch).
Other students also may be alerted to the intervention plan and possible extinction
burst.
Step 5. Implementing the Intervention
Teachers/practitioners wait for the behavior to occur and respond by:
o
planned ignoring - having the team ignore the problem behavior (e.g., teacher turns
away from the student when she screams because she cannot complete the math
o
problem);
denied access - removing reinforcing items or activities (e.g., the CD player is taken
o
away after the student ignored the aide's request to stop pushing the rewind button;
the bubbles are put away after the student grabbed them from his peer);
escape extinction - preventing a student from avoiding or escaping a undesirable
o
task or situation (e.g., not sending a student home for disruptive behavior when the
student wants to leave school); and
sensory extinction - preventing sensory feedback that is reinforcing an interfering
behavior (e.g., consistently blocking a student from turning a classroom light switch
on and off repeatedly for visual self-stimulation).
Planned ignoring literally involves no verbal contact, no physical contact, no eye
contact, and no emotional reaction during or following an attention maintained
interfering behavior. While this strategy may be difficult to implement initially or for
extended periods of time, consistency is crucial. If a student's disruption increases in
intensity or duration, then reinforcing other students for ignoring and tolerating the
extinction burst may be helpful. Sometimes complete planned ignoring is impossible.
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For example, if a student is running off campus because she wants to be chased for
attention, then staff must chase her to maintain her safety. In this situation, a focus on
providing high quality attention in the learning environment prior to problem behaviors
should be emphasized. However, if the student runs away, then the attention delivered
during redirection should be minimized (e.g., no verbal interaction, no emotional
reaction, minimal eye contact, and least restrictive physical redirection). Watch the data
closely to determine signs of improvement.
Denying access to preferred items and activities should emphasize a proactive attitude
toward environmental management. In other words, attempt to first arrange the
environment so that access to specific items and activities are not readily available. If a
problem behavior is used to request the item, then simply deny the request or prompt a
more appropriate form of communication. If a student gains access to an unavailable
item, then a teacher has to consider the pros and cons of physically removing that item
from the student. Generally speaking, removing an item from a smaller, younger child is
often more reasonable and effective with less risk. Physically removing an item from a
larger, older child sometimes poses increased physical risk. Always bear in mind the
individual student and consider less physical methods to restrict access. For example,
unplugging a computer or placing recess toys in a locked closet will reduce the need for
physical interventions around denied access.
Escape extinction procedures often pose a difficult challenge to educators. When a
student uses a problem behavior to communicate refusal to complete an academic task,
it is important to remember that practitioners cannot make' a student read, solve math
problems, comprehend a history lesson, etc. However, educators might consider
restricting a student's ability to leave the learning setting (e.g., her desk, the classroom,
the lab, etc.) until the task is initiated or completed. For some students, this approach
can be very effective, especially if the student will follow verbal redirection versus
requiring physical redirection. Other students may ignore instruction or sustain
disruption to avoid the task for a time longer than school staff are able to keep them in
the immediate learning environment. If this situation occurs, consider collaborating with
the student's parents to withhold home-based reinforcement until the task is initiated or
completed. Lastly, and most importantly, when educators encounter students who use
problem behavior to escape or avoid a task or situation, there is a high likelihood that
the task or situation is directly highlighting skill deficits of the student. An extinction
procedure will not teach a student reading, math, or social skills. When this is the case,
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a pre-planned set of interventions designed to teach skill deficits and reinforce these
skills is required.
Sensory extinction procedures implemented in a school setting pose their own set of
advantages and challenges. If a student's self-stimulatory behavior requires external
stimuli, such as toys, doors, computers, music, videos, and/or the responses of other
people, then sensory extinction procedures are generally easier to implement. For
example, if a student derives sensory stimulation from repeatedly opening and closing
the classroom door, then teaching staff can more easily block this behavior from
happening on a consistent basis by holding the door shut. However, if a student's selfstimulatory behavior relies solely on their own actions, such as verbalizations, waving
fingers in front of their eyes, hitting parts of their bodies against hard surfaces, etc., then
teaching staff will find it very difficult to block these behaviors on a consistent basis. For
example, a teacher cannot place a student's high pitch screaming on extinction if the
screaming is maintained by self-stimulatory reinforcement (because the reinforcement is
occurring internally). In these difficult situations, the most promising interventions to
reduce self-stimulation often lie in teaching a student other ways to play, socialize, selfregulate, and entertain himself to meet the function of the behavior. Other promising
techniques may include differential reinforcement and designing an engaging curriculum
to prevent the child's need to self-stimulate in the first place.
When designing the implementation of a specific extinction procedure, it's important to
consider the level of actual control practitioners have over the behaviors and the
environment, as well as what additional interventions and supports will be required to
teach the student specific skills to replace the interfering behaviors. Also, if an
interfering behavior serves more than one function, extinction procedures for each
function are required.
Sometimes the consequences maintaining the behavior are obvious, such as the
learner immediately receiving a preferred item when he yells loud enough. However, in
other cases the behavior may be maintained by multiple sources of reinforcement. For
example, the learner's outbursts in class may be maintained by the teacher's reaction to
the disruptive behavior, by a classmates' response, or a combination of both. Similarly,
the learner may cry when her mom drops her off at preschool to avoid school, to keep
her mother at school longer, to elicit the teacher's concern and attention, or to achieve
some combination of all three. It might be important then to identify and withhold several
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sources so that the effects of each reinforcer on the learner's behavior can be
determined.
Once the reinforcing consequences have been identified, the next step is to ensure that
all adults who interact with the learner are consistent in withholding those
reinforcements. Having all adults be consistent is critical for behavior change and
absolutely necessary for extinction to be successful. A third step (if appropriate given
the learner's needs) is to explain the extinction procedure to the learner. Behavior can
decrease more quickly during extinction if the learner is aware of the procedure being
applied. For example, if the learner understands to not interrupt the teacher during small
group instruction, but instead to raise his hand and wait for the teacher to come over,
the strategy may be more effective than having to ignore the learner and deal with the
interruption.
Teachers/practitioners promote a replacement behavior using a similar
intervention approach such as functional communication training or differential
reinforcement of other more appropriate behaviors.
Although extinction is an effective procedure, its effectiveness is increased when
combined with other intervention procedures that also reinforce appropriate behaviors.
The reason for this is that while extinction teaches a learner what not to do, it does not
teach the learner what behavior(s) to do instead. It is sometimes helpful to ask the
question, "What do we wish he/she would do instead of the unwanted behavior in order
to achieve his/her goal?" The answer to this question is a potential target behavior to
teach or increase by using reinforcement strategies. The teacher/practitioner and/or
other team members might identify a replacement behavior to teach the learner what to
do instead of engaging in the problem behavior. The target behavior should serve the
same function as the problem behavior, be relatively easy for the learner to use, and be
recognized by others and reinforced consistently throughout the learner's environment.
Each of these strategies can be effective in reducing problem behaviors when
appropriately and consistently implemented. However, specific strategies and special
circumstances must be considered when implementing each of these extinction
interventions in a school environment. If a problem behavior is too intense, or is
predicted to become too intense during the extinction burst, then a heavy emphasis on
the other intervention approaches described above may need to be done before any
attempts at using extinction.
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Teachers/practitioners respond as planned during the duration of the behavior.
Behaviors that are to be reduced by extinction, where the behavior is no longer followed
by the usual reinforcing consequences, gradually decrease or stop altogether. As
previously stated when extinction is first used, there is often an immediate increase in
the frequency of the problem behavior. That is, unwanted behaviors placed on
extinction usually get worse before they show improvement. This initial increase in
behavior (i.e., extinction burst) usually means that the reinforcers that maintained the
problem behavior were successfully identified and withheld (e.g., the team correctly
identified that the student's scream was reinforced by having the aide immediately come
over to the student-attention; or that the student's aggressive behavior toward the
teacher allowed the student to get up from the table and escape). Therefore, this
temporary increase, or extinction burst, in the problem behavior may be an indication
that the extinction procedure will be effective. However, it is critical that the team be
aware of this possible initial response increase (either in frequency or intensity) and
should be prepared to continue withholding the reinforcing consequences on a
consistent basis. Otherwise the student will never learn how to use an alternative
behavior successfully.
Another phenomenon commonly associated with extinction is the reappearance of the
behavior even though it has not been reinforced. For example, teaching staff in a
classroom may have successfully decreased a student's tantrums using a planned
ignoring extinction program. However, after three weeks of no tantrums, the student
exhibits an intense meltdown that looks very similar to pre-extinction tantrums. This is
called spontaneous recovery; however, it is usually brief and limited as long as the
extinction procedure remains in effect. Nonetheless, the team should be aware of this
possibility or they might assume that the extinction procedure is no longer effective, and
may inadvertently reinforce the problem behavior again.
Step 6. Collecting Outcome Data
In Step 6, teachers and practitioners again measure the topography, frequency,
intensity, location, and duration of the problem behavior following the extinction
intervention. This process should include getting input from team members as well as
making direct observations of the learner in the setting where the behavior occurs. A-BC data (antecedent, behavior, consequence) should also be collected at this time.
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Gathering thorough data regarding the interfering behavior is an important step in
determining if the intervention is working.
Teachers/practitioners collect outcome data that focus on:
o
o
o
o
o
what the behavior looks like (topography);
how often the behavior occurs (frequency);
where the behavior occurs (location);
how intense the behavior is (intensity); and
how long the behavior lasts (duration).
Teachers/practitioners collect data in the setting where the behavior occurs.
Data should be collected long enough to determine the effectiveness of the intervention
plan. Ensure that baseline measures and treatment measures match regarding types of
data recorded, settings, time of day, etc. Intervention evaluation becomes impossible
without consistent data throughout the time that baseline data and treatment data are
measured.
Teachers/practitioners compare intervention data to baseline data to determine
the effectiveness of the intervention.
Step 7. Reviewing the Intervention Plan
After collecting outcome data on the interfering behavior, the next step is to review the
effectiveness of the intervention plan. Depending on the response of the learner to the
extinction strategy, modifications may need to be made to the procedures. Once
modifications are in place, frequent follow-up observations are necessary to determine if
the interfering behavior has been eliminated. It also is important to consider if new
interfering behaviors have developed in place of the original interfering behavior.
All relevant team members meet to discuss intervention data and to determine its
effectiveness.
Teachers/practitioners modify the intervention plan if the learner continues to
exhibit the interfering behavior by:
o
o
o
changing the way they respond to the behavior;
changing the length of time they ignore or respond to the behavior;
expanding the plan to other settings;
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o
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having other team members implement the intervention plan; or
adapting the plan to target new behaviors which may have arisen.
Teachers/practitioners collect data at least weekly to determine the effectiveness
of the intervention on reducing the interfering behavior.
Teachers/practitioners identify new interfering behaviors as they arise.
Case Study Examples
The authors have provided you with two case examples for extinction within this
module.
Lindsay
Lindsey is a twelve-year-old girl with ASD. Her current educational placement is in a
self-contained special education classroom with inclusion supports for specific subjects.
Lindsey uses full-verbal language to communicate. Yet, her conversational skills are
limited. She prefers to discuss her favorite cartoon shows and movies, but she has
difficulty participating in discussions on other subjects.
In addition, Lindsey frequently asks the adults in her life to say very specific phrases
and words. For example, during a reading lesson, she might randomly ask her teacher,
"Ms. Stone say, I should pull the cart up the hill.'" During a coloring activity, Lindsey
might tell a teacher to repeat the word "immediately." Lindsey may even write the
sentence on a piece of paper and insist that the teacher read the phrase out loud.
These phrases or words are never related to the current activities. If the teacher
attempts to redirect Lindsey back to the presented activity (academic, social, etc.), or
refuses to read the scripted phrase, then Lindsey will begin to tantrum, scream, and
sometimes destroy school property. After several months, the teachers learned that the
fastest and easiest way to redirect Lindsey back to the lesson (and avoid a tantrum) is
to say Lindsey's target phrases or words. However, Lindsey's demands for repeating
off-topic phrases or words have increased and this behavior has begun to significantly
disrupt her ability to stay on task. This behavior also tremendously impedes Lindsey's
abilities to appropriately socialize with adults and peers during many school-based
activities.
In response to the growing concern about this interfering behavior, school staff
conducted a functional behavior assessment (FBA). Through the assessment process,
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teaching staff hypothesized that Lindsey asks teaching staff to say or repeat specific
phrases and words in order to gain staff attention, but also as a stereotypical behavior
pattern that is likely automatically reinforced.
Baseline data reflected that Lindsey demands staff to repeat specific phrases or words
an average of 12 times per hour. With this information, teaching staff developed a
behavior support plan with the following focuses:
o
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continue to teach Lindsey appropriate ways to obtain and expandsocial interactions
with staff; and
do not reinforce Lindsey's disruptive requests to say specificphrases or words.
This basic differential reinforcement plan would hopefully continue to:
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build appropriate social behaviors; while
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simultaneously stopping Lindsey's requests for staff to repeatspecific phrases and
words (as well as the tantrums thatfollowed).
The extinction component of the plan was to never repeat the specific phrases or words
that Lindsey would demand staff to say. Staff could talk about any other topic, promote
conversation, redirect to task, play games, etc., but they were not to repeat off-topic
stereotypical phrases requested by Lindsey. If Lindsey began to tantrum, scream, or
destroy school property, then staff should take Lindsey on a walk in order to allow her to
self-regulate while continuing to not reinforce her repetitive requests.
Lindsey and all staff were trained on the extinction plan. During the first few days of
implementation, Lindsey escalated to tantrum every time staff ignored her requests to
repeat phrases or words. Her requests for staff to repeat increased in frequency, her
tantrums increased in intensity and duration, and staff took her on several walks per
day. After three days of consistent implementation, a noticeable decrease in requesting
and tantrum was observed.
Two weeks after implementation, data showed an average of ten requests per day and
no tantrums when those requests were ignored. Lindsey's requesting had been placed
on extinction and was not being reinforced. The decrease in requesting appeared to
correlate with an increase in on-task behavior, as well as extended conversations that
were less likely to be interrupted by off-topic requests to repeat specific phrases or
words.
19
Leighton
Leighton is a thirteen-year-old middle school student diagnosed with ASD. She is very
verbal and is taught within a general education setting all of the time. Leighton enjoys
going to school and math is her favorite class.
Lately, her teacher has noticed that when it is time to work independently, Leighton
makes several mistakes on her worksheets and raises her hand for help. As a
consequence, the paraprofessional or teacher comes over to offer prompts, cues, and
encouragement. Only after the time-consuming help and attention, however, does
Leighton correctly solve the math problem. Both the teacher and paraprofessional are
certain that Leighton knows how to complete the math problems, and after conducting
an FBA, it seems that their instruction, attentive reactions, and encouragement are
positive reinforcement for the incorrect responses.
After a meeting, the team decided to place the Leighton's incorrect math responses on
extinction from staff attention. The team outlined the steps beforehand on how to
implement extinction and what consequences to provide contingent on the target
behavior occurring (i.e., Leighton independently completing the math problems without
mistakes). It was also decided that slight modifications would initially be made to
Leighton's worksheets, such as reducing the number of problems and only having
content that Leighton knew how to do from prior observations. As Leighton's
independent work improved, the number and complexity of problems would be
increased.
The next time that Leighton was instructed to work on her math sheet, she glanced at
the teacher and raised her hand for assistance. With the extinction plan in effect, the
teacher ignored Leighton's request and continued working at her desk. Leighton then
looked over at the paraprofessional to gain her attention and similarly, the
paraprofessional remained seated scoring worksheets. Leighton then made several
verbal statements to try to gain a response from either adult, such as saying, "I can't do
math," or "I can't remember how." Leighton then marked her paper and put her head
down on the desk occasionally sighing or grunting, while both adults continued to ignore
her behavior. While her behavior slightly intensified (i.e., extinction burst), no serious
escalations occurred and the teacher and paraprofessional both felt comfortable in
continuing with the extinction procedure.
20
However, had Leighton demonstrated a more aggressive or disruptive behavior in
response to the extinction, such as throwing her chair or hitting her head, the team
would have met immediately to develop an extinction burst safety plan. Options might
have included adding more modifications to Leighton's' worksheet, introducing
additional intervention procedures (e.g., self-management, differential reinforcement),
using pull-out time to have Leighton work independently, but in a more controlled
environment and then bringing her back into the classroom. However, these additional
steps were not necessary.
After 15 minutes of not working, Leighton picked up her pencil and began to
independently complete her math sheet. The teacher then walked around the class and
stopped at Leighton's desk to praise her for working so nicely and correctly solving all
the problems. Encouragement and praise continued to be delivered contingent upon
Leighton completing the work by herself. After one month of this procedure, incorrect
math responses declined to approximately zero per class session and modifications to
Leighton's worksheets were no longer necessary.
Summary
o
Extinction is a procedure in which reinforcement of a previously rewarded behavior
is stopped.
o
Extinction of positively reinforced behaviors does not allow the learner to access
positive reinforcers after a problem behavior.
o
Extinction of negatively reinforced behaviors does not allow the learner to
escape/avoid undesirable consequences after a problem behavior.
o
Extinction of sensory behaviors does not allow the learner to access sensory-based
reinforcement after a problem behavior.
o
Extinction yields a gradual, not an immediate, reduction in behavior.
o
A problem behavior placed on extinction may show an initial increase in frequency,
intensity, and/or duration (i.e., extinction burst) following the removal of
reinforcement. It is not uncommon for the behavior to gets worse before it improves.
21
o
Spontaneous recovery may occur with extinction in which there is a reappearance
of the problem behavior after a period of time in which the behavior has not been
reinforced.
o
Resistance to extinction may occur, in which the problem behavior continues to
occur at similar levels. Variables most likely to cause this phenomenon are:
o schedules of reinforcement;
o amount, number, and quality of reinforcers provided;
o number of previous extinction trials; and
o effort required from the learner to make the response.
o
It is more effective to combine extinction with other intervention procedures,
particularly since extinction does not teach the learner what to do instead of the
problem behavior. Other suitable interventions include:
o functional communication training;
o non-contingent reinforcement;
o differential reinforcement, and/or
o self-management (see other modules).
Be sure to identify and withhold all sources of reinforcement for the problem
behavior. It is critical that all adults in contact with the learner be consistent in
o
withholding the reinforcement so that they do not accidentally reinforce the
occurrence of the problem behavior.
o
Be sure to plan for extinction-produced aggression
o
It is not recommended to use extinction for behaviors that are likely to be modeled
by others or for behaviors that are harmful/dangerous to self or others.
Download PDF Checklist For Extinction:
http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/up_doc/ExtinctionImplementationChecklist.pdf
22
Discussion Questions
1. When should an extinction procedure be used?
A correct answer should include a statement such as:
o
Extinction should be considered when trying to reduce a problem
o
behavior that is reinforced by positive, negative, or sensory
consequences.
Extinction should be used along with other reinforcement strategies, such
o
as functional communication training, differential reinforcement,
noncontingent reinforcement, self management, or response
interruption/redirection.
Other reinforcement-based procedures may want to be tried first and if
there is no change to the behavior, then extinction should be considered.
2. What steps should occur in preparation for implementing
an extinction procedure?
A correct answer should include a statement such as:
o
o
o
o
Data should be taken by all team members that are familiar with the
learner to determine the function of the problem behavior.
A description of the problem behavior and replacement (or target)
behavior should be adapted into a form that the learner (if appropriate)
can comprehend. Examples include simple written descriptions and
pictorial descriptions.
Before starting the extinction procedure, steps of how to follow through
with the extinction procedure, the setting(s), and the person(s)
responsible for implementing and monitoring data, and whether other
intervention procedures will be used, as well, should be decided.
An extinction burst safety plan, or how to respond should the problem
behavior become worse before improving, needs to be developed.
3. What should you do to increase the likelihood that the
extinction procedure will work?
A correct answer should include a statement such as:
23
o
o
o
o
Take detailed data to identify all functions for the problem behavior (e.g.,
when does it occur, with whom, under what situations, what does the
behavior look like).
Make sure that all persons (both adults and peers) who come into regular
contact with the learner consistently withhold reinforcement when the
problem behavior occurs.
Include intervention strategies to teach the learner what to do instead of
engaging in the problem behavior.
Select replacement behaviors that the learner is able to do (and therefore
can be taught within a short period of time) and that will be reinforced by
others on a consistent basis.
o
Aim to be preventive so that the learner has no reason to engage in the
problem behavior (e.g., remove triggers from the environment, select
powerful, motivating reinforcers to encourage the use of the desirable
behaviors, remove or mask the consequence to the problem behavior).
4. Describe a learner that you think would benefit from an
extinction procedure. What skills need to be targeted for
intervention?
On the other hand, describe a learner with ASD that you
think would probably not benefit from an extinction
procedure. What characteristics of this learner make it less
likely that an extinction procedure would be beneficial?
Answers to this question will vary. Each answer should be supported by
content derived from the module, but should vary based on the individual
learner being described.
5. Continuing your answer to Question 4, think of a learner
with ASD that you feel would benefit from an extinction
procedure. How would you respond if the learner's behavior
became worse or did not respond to the extinction
procedure? Justify your answer based on the learner's
individual characteristics.
Answers to this question will vary. Each answer should be supported by
content derived from the module, but specific answers do not have to come
directly from the module as long as they are justified based on the individual
24
characteristics of the learner. When it comes to individualizing an intervention,
creativity should be encouraged as long as the proposed ideas seem feasible,
humane, and ethical.