Why behaviour can get worse before it gets better: extinction bursts explained

In everyday language, extinction means something dying out. In applied behaviour analysis it has a narrower meaning. If a behaviour has been kept going because it reliably produces a particular result, and that result stops coming, the behaviour tends to fade over time. Extinction is the name for that process, and for a procedure that uses it on purpose.

The key words are 'a particular result'. Extinction is not about withdrawing warmth, attention or care in general. It applies to one specific behaviour and the one specific consequence that a functional behaviour assessment has shown is keeping it going. For example, if a child whines until the phone is handed over, and the assessment shows the phone is what keeps the whining going, an extinction procedure would mean whining no longer gets the phone, while the child is taught a better way to ask for it and still gets plenty of time, attention and affection.

Done well, extinction is only ever one part of a larger plan. On its own, it simply removes something the child valued and gives them nothing in its place, which is neither kind nor effective.

When something that always worked stops working, people rarely give up straight away. They try harder first. Think of pressing a lift button that usually lights up: when nothing happens, most of us press it again, harder, several times, before we take the stairs. That surge of effort is what behaviour analysts call an extinction burst.

In a child, a burst can mean the behaviour happens more often, lasts longer or becomes more intense for a while. Sometimes a new behaviour appears, as the child tries other ways to get the old result. Even after a behaviour has faded, it can briefly come back, especially on a tired or stressful day. None of this means the child is being defiant. It is a predictable response to something familiar suddenly changing.

This is exactly why the pattern matters to families. If a behaviour gets worse and an adult then gives in, the child learns that trying harder works. In effect, the behaviour has been taught to be louder and more persistent. That risk is one of the reasons extinction should never be improvised.

Extinction can look simple on paper. In practice it depends on getting several things right at once, and getting them wrong can make life harder for the child and the family.

• The function must be right. Withholding attention does nothing for a behaviour that is really about escaping a hard task, and it does real harm if the behaviour is really about pain or fear.
• A replacement skill must be taught at the same time, so the child has a better way to meet the need. Functional communication training is the usual partner.
• Prevention must be in place, so the child meets fewer of the situations that set the behaviour off.
• Every adult must respond the same way: parents, grandparents, the helper, the driver, the class teacher and the shadow teacher. A response that changes from person to person can make the behaviour stronger.
• The burst must be safe to get through. If the behaviour could injure the child or anyone else, extinction may not be appropriate at all.
• Data must be collected every day, and the analyst must decide in advance when to step in, stop or change course.

At the time of writing (October 2026), the BACB's Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts says interventions must 'prioritize positive reinforcement procedures' (Standard 2.14). A plan that leans mainly on extinction, rather than on teaching and rewarding new skills, does not reflect that principle.

The word is often misunderstood, and it is sometimes used to justify things that have no place in a child's life. The table sets out some common misunderstandings.

This is the most important part of this guide. Extinction is only ever considered for a behaviour that a careful assessment has shown is learned and kept going by a specific result. It is never used on behaviour that signals distress, and it is never a reason to delay keeping a child safe.

A child in a meltdown is overwhelmed, not trying to get something, and needs calm, space and safety, as described in our guide to what helps with meltdowns. A child who is frightened, in pain or unwell needs comfort and, where needed, a doctor. A child overloaded by noise or crowds needs the noise reduced or a way out. A sudden change in behaviour can be a sign of a toothache, an ear infection, constipation, poor sleep or a reaction to medicine, so tell your child's paediatrician.

If your child is injuring themselves, if aggression is getting worse, or if anyone has been hurt, keep everyone safe and contact the behaviour analyst and your child's doctor quickly. Do not wait it out in the hope that it is a burst. Even within a well-planned programme, behaviour that becomes dangerous is a reason to call the same day.

If the analyst suggests extinction might be part of your child's plan, expect a careful conversation before anything starts, not a one-line instruction. These are the things to look for.

1. A completed functional behaviour assessment, explained to you in plain words.
2. A replacement skill already being taught, and honoured quickly and reliably.
3. Prevention strategies in place to reduce how often the hard situation comes up.
4. A clear description of what a burst might look like for your child, and when the analyst will review it.
5. A written safety plan, with rules for when to step in or call.
6. Agreement from everyone who will respond, at home and at school, and coaching for each of them.
7. Daily data, and close attention to your child's wellbeing: sleep, appetite, mood, and whether they still come happily to sessions.
8. Your informed agreement, with the freedom to ask questions, pause or say no.

If your child seems more anxious, withdrawn or unhappy, tell the analyst, even if the behaviour itself is improving. A plan that reduces one behaviour at the cost of a child's happiness is not a good plan.

Autistic self-advocates have raised serious concerns about ABA, and extinction sits close to several of them. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has argued that assent is seldom sought, that self-regulatory behaviour is targeted and that harms are under-reported. Ignoring a child's attempts to communicate, critics say, can teach a child that their distress does not matter. Separately, a 2023 review in the BMJ that pooled 252 studies of autism interventions (Project AIM) found that adverse events were 'poorly monitored, but possibly common'.

These criticisms deserve to be taken seriously rather than brushed aside. Contemporary practice responds with an emphasis on assent, compassionate care and positive reinforcement, and a good plan aims to make the new skill work so much better than the old behaviour that extinction is needed as little as possible. The debate is still going on within the field. As a parent, you can hold your child's plan to those standards: ask how your child's communication and wellbeing are being protected, and expect clear answers.

Special Minds provides ABA therapy across India, with every programme designed and supervised by a BCBA, who is bound by the BACB's Ethics Code. Any decision about extinction belongs to the supervising analyst and to you, and shadow teachers or special educators working alongside the programme follow the analyst's plan rather than improvising. The guide to ABA therapy in India explains how a programme starts and what to ask.