Considering four contemporary variations of extinction

Purpose Extinction is often considered an essential component of effective treatments. The negative side-effects of extinction, however, should not be overlooked. The implementation of traditional extinction in response to dangerous behavior can lead to unsafe and unmanageable interactions in relevant settings with caregivers and staff. The purpose of this paper is to discuss contemporary variations to extinction that may further enhance the practicality, feasibility and social validity of this procedure. Design/methodology/approach The authors provided a brief overview of extinction and reviewed studies from the past five years to discuss contemporary variations of the traditional approach to extinction, including guidance for future research. Findings The authors found four contemporary variations of extinction in recent literature worth exploring further. These include kind extinction, partial extinction, differentially applied extinction and the enhanced choice model. These variations can be used in place of traditional extinction when practical or ethical concerns arise. Originality/value Practitioners may find justifying the use of traditional extinction procedures increasingly difficult with the advent of compassionate and trauma-informed frameworks. Thus, the authors present alternatives that may be considered more socially acceptable and culturally responsive while remaining an effective strategy for reducing challenging behavior.