Reinforcing a Tantrum at the Table: Is It Better to Reinforce Early or at Peak Escalation? (Negative vs. Positive Reinforcement) or not at all! ?

I was watching a video about BCBA practice because I wanted to learn more about Universal Protocol. In the video, some very experienced professionals said that, in order to preserve the dignity of our clients, we should give them what they are asking for when a tantrum is just beginning rather than waiting until it escalates to a higher level. Their reasoning was that since the tantrum is already happening, it’s better to reinforce it at a lower intensity rather than a higher one.

(They weren’t discussing antecedent strategies to prevent the behavior before it starts but rather what to do once the tantrum is already happening.)

But what if we don’t reinforce it at all? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you agree with their perspective? This is an interesting topic for me. Can we acknowledge their feelings without reinforcing the behavior or being manipulated?