Rewarding Safety

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Reinforce “no-problem” intervals to quickly lower aggression, elopement, and other high-risk behaviors‍

DRO is the ABA strategy that rewards any period in which a dangerous or disruptive behavior does not occur. By setting an interval timer matched to how often the behavior usually happens, BCBAs, special-education teachers, and parents can deliver immediate reinforcement the moment a learner completes the interval safely—reducing aggression, elopement, or self-injury without waiting for a replacement skill to emerge.

Why use DRO?

• Rapid behavior reduction when safety is urgent. Research shows DRO can cut severe behaviors by 70 – 90 % within days because reinforcement is contingent only on absence of the target behavior.
• Simple, data-driven setup. Teams base the interval on baseline frequencies, making progress easy to track and intervals easy to adjust as behaviors diminish.
• Foundation for future skill teaching. Once risk levels drop, practitioners can shift to Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA) to build positive replacement skills on top of a safer baseline.