Why Some Behaviors Get Worse Before They Improve in ABA

Behavior modification is a key component of applied behavior analysis, or ABA therapy. Following scientific evidence and principles, therapists can create treatment plans that can target specific behavior challenges that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be exhibiting.

Helping children with autism find acceptable and appropriate replacement behaviors is important, as it can open the doors for better learning, enable them to build meaningful relationships and even keep them safe if the negative behaviors are harmful to themselves or others.

While ABA therapy has proven very effective at helping improve negative behaviors, parents may notice that their child’s behaviors get worse before they improve in ABA therapy. It’s what’s referred to as an extinction burst, and it’s actually quite common.

Why is that the case, though? In this article, we’ll dive deeper to answer that question that many parents likely have.

Table Of Contents

How Does ABA Therapy Address Behavior Modification?

ABA therapy follows the ABC method for approaching behaviors, where A stands for antecedent, B stands for behavior and C stands for consequence. Said another way, what happens immediately before the behavior (A) is what triggers the behavior (B), and whether the likelihood that the behavior is repeated in the future depends on what happens immediately after the behavior (C).

The first step in setting any goal in ABA therapy — whether it be to find a replacement behavior or teach a new skill — is to understand the root cause of that behavior, or its antecedent. That will then guide the therapy team to come up with strategies to teach the replacement behavior using different positive reinforcements as the consequence.

An example might be a child throwing a tantrum in the grocery store after they see a chocolate bar, where the chocolate bar is the antecedent and the tantrum is the behavior.

In this case, what the parent does in response to the tantrum will have a profound effect on how the child behaves in the future — not just at the grocery store but any time they want something.

If the parent gives in and gives them the chocolate bar, then they are only reinforcing the current behavior. If the parent finds a way to redirect the child and helps them calm down from their tantrum, they have found a new consequence that’s supporting them and encourages them to not throw a tantrum in the future.

What is an Extinction Burst?

An extinction burst is any increase in the magnitude, duration and/or frequency of a target response. These incidents are temporary and in many cases are actually an indication that something positive has been discovered in ABA therapy.

Many times, this happens when a new intervention is being introduced. Based on in-depth observations and evaluations, as well as extensive data collection, the ABA therapy team will decide on which reinforcers (consequences) would work best for teaching the child to modify a behavior.

One example might be if the therapist gives the child a toy they love when they start screaming. The toy would act as the reinforcer to modify the screaming behavior.

The ultimate goal of the therapy, though, would be to have the child modify the screaming behavior without the need for the toy reinforcer. To do this, the therapist will slowly remove the reinforcer and teach them to still not throw a tantrum and start screaming.

What this often results in is an extinction burst. What this means is that the child will actually increase the negative behavior rather than decrease it, since they are searching for that positive reinforcement.

While this may look like a negative to the parents — since the behavior is seemingly worsening instead of improving — it can actually be seen as a sign that the reinforcer is going to be effective. Through repetition and constant reinforcement both during and outside of sessions, the child will learn to modify their behavior without needing the toy.

Concept	Definition	Example
ABC Method	Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence	Chocolate → Tantrum → Parent gives candy
Extinction Burst	Temporary increase in negative behavior after stopping reinforcement	More intense tantrum after candy is withheld
Replacement Behavior	Acceptable behavior taught instead of negative one	Asking nicely instead of screaming
Positive Reinforcement	Adding a reward to encourage good behavior	Praise, toy, or treat for asking nicely
Goal of ABA	Long-term behavior change without reliance on reinforcers	Child doesn’t tantrum even without treat

Blue Gems ABA Targets Negative Behaviors

Helping children with ASD reduce negative behaviors is a key goal of ABA therapy for many patients. As new interventions are introduced, these negative behaviors often get worse before they improve, but that is completely normal.

At Blue Gems ABA, we help support children on the autism spectrum through ABA therapy, helping them build new skills and reduce negative behaviors. Through consistent application, administration and reinforcement of ABA therapy principles and strategies, the treatment will work in time.

To learn more, please contact us today.