What is a key tactic in implementing extinction for challenging behaviors?

Implementing extinction involves deliberately removing the reinforcement that sustains a challenging behavior, thereby reducing its occurrence over time. Teaching an alternative behavior while ignoring the undesired behavior is a key tactic because it not only helps replace the challenging behavior with a more appropriate one but also minimizes the chances of reinforcing the undesired behavior by not providing attention or rewards when it occurs.

By focusing on teaching alternative behaviors, you create opportunities for positive interactions and reinforce more desirable responses, which can lead to long-term behavioral change. This approach promotes learning and adaptation, with the individual receiving reinforcement for the new, appropriate behavior rather than the problematic one.

In contrast, merely providing feedback or using facial expressions to show disapproval does not effectively address the root cause of the behavior; often, these responses may still inadvertently reinforce the undesired behavior by drawing attention to it. Encouraging vocal expressions during episodes could potentially escalate the situation or reinforce the challenging behavior instead of fostering the development of positive communication skills.