Extinction is when the consequence that have maintained the behavior will no longer be presented after or during the challenging behavior.  For example, Leo’s mother is in the kitchen near the cookie jar. Leo wants some cookies so he walks to his mother and hits her shoulder a couple of times.  His mother keeps offering Leo whatever she thinks he wants, but he keeps hitting her. The hitting stops after she handed him a cookie. In this example, hitting is reinforced with the presentation of the cookie.  In an extinction procedure, his mother should not give him a cookie when he is hitting her. Over time, Leo will learn that hitting his mother alone will not get him a cookie so the hitting, slowly but surely, stops (See Differential Reinforcement on how to effectively address this example instead of just using extinction).

The behavior that usually “stops” an unwanted event no longer effectively stops that same unwanted event.  For example, a child usually cries when presented with a table-task. In the past, the crying behavior has been negatively reinforced by the removal of the table-task.  In escape extinction, the teacher will not remove the table-task regardless of the crying behaviors of the child. This teaches the learner that the [crying] behavior no longer works.

 

Echolalia then is a label used to describe a condition in which a person performs echoics. Displaying echolalia does not mean a person is living with autism nor does all individuals living with autism displays echolalia.

The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by mental health professionals to diagnose a person. It is a very comprehensive manual that catalogs known mental conditions, disorders, and syndromes and explains how to diagnose each one. 

Strengthening a specific behavior while placing all other behaviors in extinction.  For example, calling upon a student with a raised hand is reinforced by the teacher by calling the student’s name and giving that student a chance to say her answer while completely ignoring all other students that blurt out the answer.