(LIVE Rejected 2025 – Dec 10 630pm EST) Rejecting the Four Function Frame: Why Relationship, Context, Language, and Matter

Join Nicole Skotz for an hour of critical reflection on the long-standing narrative of the four functions in behavior analysis. These categories, taught in school and ingrained in daily practice, are not enough. To truly expand our understanding, we need a reframe. In this session, you’ll explore the role of learning history, the therapeutic relationship, and the functionality of language as often overlooked indicators for understanding and supporting clients. Together, we’ll rethink how we’ve been trained to view behavior, ask critical questions, and make space for new perspectives.

Leanring Objectives:

• The participant will recognize the foundational importance of the therapeutic relationship in behavior change.
• The participant will apply an additional lens on how to view behavior outside of the 4 functions, incorporating the functionality of language.
• The participant will identify learning history as an underutilized tool in Behavior Analysis.
• The participant will break the frame of four functions in their own professional narrative and expand their way of understanding.

Nicole Skotz, M.S., BCBA, is a behavior analyst with nearly a decade of experience supporting neurodiverse teens and adults. Over the years, she has worked in clinical settings, built programs for adolescents, launched a CEU platform called Beyond the Task List, and most recently, founded her own private practice.

In her work, Nicole combines her expertise in behavior analysis with ACT and RFT with a focus on executive functioning and ADHD. She’s especially passionate about helping individuals better understand how their brains work so they can navigate challenges with more clarity and confidence.

Her current focus includes supporting individuals with ADHD and anxiety, and designing continuing education workshops for professionals. Through her trainings, she aims to make topics like ACT and ADHD more practical and relevant for behavior analysts. Above all, Nicole is committed to evolving as a professional and helping others do the same-both in how they practice and how they show up in the world.