Using Extinction to Reduce Unwanted Behavior - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Using Extinction to Reduce Unwanted Behavior

Inclusive Education & Community Partnership

Kristin Hoefflin, MFT, BCBA

March 5,

2014

Slide2

Activity

Slide3

How are Behaviors Established?

Behaviors serve a purpose (or function)

When behaviors are reinforced, they increase

Antecedent

Behavior

Consequence

Child is given a worksheet

Child screams and rips

up worksheet

Child is given a break and work is delayed

for 10 minutes

Peer

has a desired toy

Child hits peer

Peer drops toy and cries to teacher

Teacher is giving instructions to class

Child shouts out loudly

several times

Peers laugh

and teacher verbally reprimands Child

Slide4

What is Extinction?

Extinction occurs when reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued

As a result, the frequency of that behavior decreases in the future

Note that the extinction procedure does not prevent occurrences of the behavior, rather the environment is changed so that the problem behavior no longer produces reinforcement

*Cooper, Heron, &

Heward

(2007)

Slide5

Types of Extinction

Extinction of behavior maintained by positive reinforcement

Attention

Tangible

Extinction of behavior maintained by negative reinforcement (removal/avoidance of an aversive stimulus)

Escape

Extinction of behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement

Sensory

Slide6

Extinction Involves…

Based on the function of the behavior, extinction involves:

The withholding of attention by ignoring the behavior (i.e. Planned Ignoring)

Denying access to tangible items or activities

Not allowing the learner to escape or avoid a task or situation

Preventing reinforcing sensory feedback

Slide7

Planned Ignoring

Involves no verbal contact, no physical contact, no eye contact, and no emotional reaction during or following attention-maintained behavior

Consistency is crucial!

May involve reinforcing peers for ignoring and tolerating the behavior

Slide8

Modifying Planned Ignoring

Sometimes complete Planned Ignoring is not possible

When behaviors escalate to the point of being dangerous to self or others (e.g. physical aggression, SIB, extreme property destruction, elopement, etc.)

When behaviors cannot be completely ignored:

Provide high levels of attention when student is engaged in desired behavior

When target behavior occurs, redirect the behavior with minimal attention (e.g. no verbal interaction, no emotional reaction, minimize eye contact, least restrictive physical redirection, etc.)

Slide9

Denying Access to Tangibles

Start with environmental management

Preferred items may be hidden or not available

Adults maintain control of reinforcers

Withhold access to tangible items/activities until student utilizes appropriate functional communication

If student gains access to item, consider pros and cons of physically removing that item from the student

Consider less physical methods to restrict access (e.g. unplug computer, place recess toys in locked cabinet, etc.)

Slide10

Escape Extinction

Involves not allowing the person to escape or avoid the non-preferred task through:

Physical guidance to complete

Keeping the person in the instructional area until he/she completes the task

Repeated presentation of the instruction until the person follows through with the task

Slide11

Escape Extinction Challenges

We cannot force a student to complete a task

The student may be strong-willed enough to “wait it out” until the end of the school day

Discuss with team about

at-home consequences

Repeated instruction may inadvertently reinforce the behavior with attention (the behavior may be maintained by both escape

and

attention)

Slide12

Modifying Escape Extinction

Alternative to blocking escape

Keep all forms of potential reinforcement under adult control

Escape from demands is permitted, but all forms of reinforcement after escape are fully restricted until the student returns and complies

Examples:

Turning off TV every time child gets out of his/her chair

Removing reinforcing toys if child attempts to leave social interaction area

*Schramm, Institute

Knospe

-ABA

Slide13

Modifying Escape Extinction

Alternative to physical prompting and repeated instruction

Put every behavior

other than

the behavior of interest on extinction…in doing so, we wait for the child to engage in the task without the use of physical prompts

Only repeat the instruction, make eye contact, or engage with the child who has refused a task when he/she has demonstrated a motivation for reinforcement and are more likely to perform the behavior of interest

*Schramm

, Institute

Knospe

-ABA

Slide14

Extinction of All Behavior Other Than the Behavior of Interest

Slide15

Sensory Extinction

Behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement (sensory) are placed on extinction by masking or removing the sensory consequence

Examples:

Pillow under head for head-banging

Mittens on hands for nose-picking

Padding a desk to reduce noise from pencil-tapping

Wearing goggles for eye-poking

Note that “response blocking” is

not

an extinction procedure, however may be very effective in conjunction with extinction

Slide16

Effects of Extinction

Initial increase in the frequency, duration, and/or intensity of the behavior is called an Extinction Burst

An extinction burst typically starts during the first 1-3 sessions and lasts for a few sessions

After the Extinction Burst, you will see a gradual decrease in the behavior

Spontaneous Recovery occurs when the behavior reappears after it has diminished to near-zero or zero levels

Slide17

Slide18

Planning for the Burst

Inform treatment team that the behavior “will get worse before it gets better”

Planning for extinction-produced aggression will reduce the likelihood that the aggression is inadvertently reinforced

An extinction burst means that the reinforcer that was previously maintaining the behavior has been successfully identified, and therefore the intervention has a good chance of being effective!

Continue to consistently withhold the reinforcer through the extinction burst

Slide19

Resistance to Extinction

Continued responding during an extinction procedure is considered “resistance to extinction”

Variables that may effect response to extinction include:

Continuous vs. Intermittent Reinforcement

Strength of the establishing operation (EO) or motivation of the behavior

N

umber, magnitude, and quality of the reinforcement

Number of previous extinction trials

Response effort

Slide20

Don’t Use Extinction Only!

Extinction procedures should always be used in conjunction with other, positive reinforcement procedures such as:

Antecedent strategies to set the environment for success

Functional Communication Training (FCT)

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Non-Contingent Reinforcement

Slide21

When NOT to Use Extinction

Extinction should not be used for behaviors that are likely to be imitated by others

Extinction is not typically used for

extreme

behaviors that

may cause harm to self or others

Extinction should not be used as a primary or sole intervention for extreme behaviors

In this case, response-blocking may be necessary

The student’s aggressive behavior can be ignored while the victim is protected and tended to

Can be combined with positive reinforcement for desired behaviors

Slide22

Function

of Behavior

Extinction

Procedure

Example

Other Procedures

Useful with Extinction

To gain attention

Planned Ignoring

Learner is calling out to get the teacher’s attention, and the teacher does not respond to the calls

Functional

Communication Training (FCT)

Differential Reinforcement

Non-Contingent Reinforcement

To escape/avoid demands or interaction

Deny opportunity for

breaks or to escape the task

Learner screams

whenever he is asked to complete a new task to avoid the demand. The teacher continues with the task even though the learner is screaming

Functional

Communication Training (FCT)

Differential Reinforcement

Non-Contingent Reinforcement

Slide23

Function

of Behavior

Extinction

Procedure

Example

Other Procedures

Useful with Extinction

To gain sensory stimulation or to avoid unwanted stimulation

Change

the consequence

(from the sensory behavior) so it is no longer reinforcing

Learner bangs

his head on a desk so the teacher puts a soft pillow to block the reinforcing stimulation

Response Interruption/ Redirection

Functional

Communication Training (FCT)

Differential Reinforcement

Non-Contingent Reinforcement

To gain tangible items

Deny access to tangible

items

Learner screams

to get time on a computer and is denied access

Functional

Communication Training (FCT)

Differential Reinforcement

Non-Contingent Reinforcement

Slide24

Activity

ID a learner that may benefit from extinction

ID the target behavior

What is the function of the behavior?

What extinction procedure is most appropriate?

What challenges might there be using extinction?

What other interventions can/will you use with extinction?

Slide25