NIH R01 · 2025
Basic and applied research on extinction bursts when treating problem behavior
Project Summary Results of epidemiological studies and meta-analyses indicate that treatments for destructive behavior based on functional analyses, like functional communication training (FCT), typically reduce destructive behavior by 90% or more and are much more effective than other treatments. However, these treatments involve extinction, which can produce extinction-induced adverse side effects. The most common side effect of extinction involves an increase in the frequency or intensity of the target response at the start of treatment, called an "extinction burst," which can place the patient and others at significant risk of harm. Prior theories on extinction bursts fail to account…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.