Understanding Extinction Bursts
Imagine this.
You walk up to your favorite vending machine, insert your money, press your usual button...
...and nothing comes out.
What do you do?
Most people don't immediately walk away.
Instead, they might:
Press the button again.
Press it harder.
Shake the machine.
Check their money.
Try one more time.
Why?
Because those actions have worked before.
Children often respond the same way.
When a behavior that has consistently worked in the past suddenly no longer produces the same result, that behavior may temporarily become more intense, more frequent, or last longer before it begins to decrease.
This is called an extinction burst.
What Is an Extinction Burst?
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in a previously reinforced behavior after the reinforcement for that behavior is no longer available.
In simple terms:
A child thinks,
"This usually works…maybe I just need to try harder."
It isn't manipulation.
It isn't stubbornness.
It's a predictable learning process.
A Real-Life Example
Imagine your child usually screams when they want a snack.
In the past, the screaming often resulted in getting crackers.
Now you're teaching them to ask using words or a picture card instead.
For the first few days, the screaming may actually:
Become louder
Last longer
Happen more often
That doesn't necessarily mean your plan isn't working.
Sometimes it means your child is testing whether the old strategy still works because it has been successful before.
Why Does This Happen?
Think back to the vending machine.
You don't immediately assume the machine is permanently broken.
You try again because your previous experiences taught you that pressing the button gets you a snack.
Children are learning from their past experiences, too.
When something that has worked repeatedly stops working, it's common to see one final increase in attempts before a new learning pattern develops.
Does This Mean You Should Ignore Every Behavior?
Absolutely not.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions about extinction.
Not every behavior should be placed on extinction.
In fact, some behaviors should never be ignored, including behaviors that could cause harm to the child or others.
Before using extinction procedures, it's important to understand:
Why the behavior is happening
What function the behavior serves
Whether extinction is appropriate
What replacement skill will be taught instead
Simply removing reinforcement without teaching a safer, more effective way to communicate often leads to frustration for everyone involved.
Teaching Comes First
Extinction works best when it's paired with teaching.
For example, instead of only trying to reduce screaming for a snack, we also teach:
"Snack, please."
Pointing to a picture.
Using a communication device.
Requesting help appropriately.
Waiting for a short period.
Children need a successful alternative.
Our goal isn't to leave them without a way to communicate.
It's to help them learn a better one.
Consistency Matters
One of the hardest parts of an extinction burst is that it can tempt adults to give in.
Imagine a child asks for candy five times.
Normally, the answer is no.
But after the sixth request, the adult finally says yes.
What did the child learn?
Not necessarily to ask politely.
They may learn:
"If I keep asking long enough, eventually it works."
This can unintentionally make the behavior even more persistent in the future.
Consistency is often one of the biggest predictors of success.
Compassion Matters Too
Children experiencing frustration during an extinction burst aren't trying to make life difficult.
They're navigating a change in what they've learned works.
Our job is to stay calm, provide support, maintain appropriate boundaries, and continue teaching replacement skills.
Learning something new is hard.
Children deserve patience while they build those skills.
A Final Thought
Behavior change isn't always a straight line.
Sometimes things seem harder before they get easier.
An extinction burst doesn't necessarily mean something is going wrong—it can simply be part of the learning process when used thoughtfully and alongside effective teaching.
At The Mustard Seed Behavioral Health, we believe every child deserves compassionate, individualized support rooted in dignity, respect, and evidence-based practices. Rather than focusing solely on reducing challenging behaviors, we focus on understanding why behaviors happen and empowering children with meaningful, lasting skills.
Because real progress isn't about making children quieter.
It's about helping them communicate more effectively and confidently.