Exclusionary time-out
A time-out procedure in which the client is removed from the reinforcing setting for a brief, specified period contingent on a behavior.
In exclusionary time-out, access to reinforcement is removed by physically separating the client from the activity or setting where reinforcement is available. Examples include moving the client to another area of the room behind a partition, to a hallway, or, in the most restrictive form, to a separate time-out room. Like all time-out, it is a negative punishment procedure and counts only if the behavior decreases.
Exclusionary time-out is used when nonexclusionary forms have not worked or the behavior makes it impossible for the client to stay in the activity, such as aggression toward peers. It has more risks than nonexclusionary time-out: the client misses instruction, may find being alone reinforcing, may escape a disliked task, and may be at greater risk of harm if not supervised. Secluding a person in a room they cannot leave is a restrictive procedure regulated by laws and organizational policies, and some settings prohibit it.
The supervisor specifies the location, duration, supervision required and release criteria. Under the RBT Ethics Code (2.0), RBTs implement punishment-based or restrictive procedures only when they are in the documented plan and after the supervisor has verified competence.
The RBT keeps the client in view and safe at all times, uses a timer, keeps interaction to a minimum, and records each use and its length.
Example and non-example
| Example | A teen pushes a peer during a group game. Following the plan, the RBT walks the teen to a chair outside the group area, behind a partition, for 2 minutes, monitors them, and returns them to the game when the time is up and they are calm. |
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| Non-example | A client stays at the table but the RBT removes the toy and turns away for 30 seconds. The client remains in the setting, so this is nonexclusionary time-out. |
Don't confuse it with
| Nonexclusionary time-out | In nonexclusionary time-out the client stays in the setting while reinforcement is withheld; in exclusionary time-out the client is removed from it. |
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| Escape extinction | Escape extinction keeps the client in the task, while exclusionary time-out removes the client from the setting and may give escape if the setting is unpleasant. |
Test yourself
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Question 1During group art, a student throws paint. As the plan states, the RBT takes the student to a chair in an adjoining room, where the RBT supervises them for two minutes before they return. Which procedure is this?
Show answer
A: Exclusionary time-out. In exclusionary time-out, the client is removed from the setting where reinforcement is available for a brief period, while staff keep watching them.
- B: In nonexclusionary time-out the client stays in the setting; here the student leaves the room.
- C: Response cost removes a set amount of a reinforcer, such as tokens.
- D: Overcorrection requires effortful corrective behavior, such as cleaning or practicing.
Task D.5 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 2A client's plan includes exclusionary time-out in a separate area. What must the RBT do during the time-out?
Show answer
A: Monitor the client the whole time, as the plan requires. Time-out removes access to reinforcement, not supervision. The RBT keeps the client in view and safe for the full period and follows the plan's steps.
- B: Leaving a client unsupervised risks harm; time-out does not mean no supervision.
- C: Locking someone in is seclusion, which is not time-out and raises serious safety and legal concerns.
- D: Ongoing talk gives attention and can weaken the time-out.
Task D.5 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.01
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Question 3After implementing exclusionary time-out as written in a client's plan, what should the RBT document?
Show answer
C: The behavior, the start and end times, and what happened. Accurate records of punishment procedures (what triggered them, how long they lasted and what occurred) let the supervisor monitor safety and effectiveness.
- A: This leaves out details the supervisor needs to evaluate the procedure.
- B: Use of a punishment procedure must still be documented.
- D: Caregiver approval is not a step the RBT completes after each use.
Task D.5 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
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On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task D.5 Positive and negative punishment in content area D, Behavior Reduction, which is 14 of the 75 scored questions.