02/12/2026
Decoding ABA: An Essential Guide
Term: Extinction
In the context of ABA, extinction means a behavior no longer gets the payoff that used to maintain it. If a behavior once brought attention or a quick escape and now it does not, it tends to fade with time. This is not ignoring the person or their feelings. It is changing the consequence for that behavior while still teaching and reinforcing better ways to communicate needs. Extinction works best when strong reinforcement supports the new skill. đź§