EP 271: 4 Functions of Behavior, FBAs, and a Nervous System Approach

For years, "the four functions of behavior" has been the go-to framework for understanding why kids do what they do: attention, escape, access to tangibles, sensory. It's not wrong, but it's not the whole story either. In this episode, we dig into where this model actually came from, what it leaves out, and what's underneath it once we go looking with a relational neuroscience lens.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• Where the four functions of behavior actually came from, and why this is relevant
• Why naming a behavior's "function" and saying it started in the nervous system aren't competing ideas — they're just two different layers of the same truth
• What's actually underneath attention-seeking, escape, tangible-seeking, and sensory behavior - and how to start identifying the missing skill that can be scaffolded

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast
• All Behavior Makes Sense (robyngobbel.com/allbehaviormakessense) ep. 198
• When it’s not Working (robyngobbel.com/itsnotworking)ep 261
• The Club (membership community + troubleshooting worksheet)
Read the full transcript at: RobynGobbel.com/behaviorfunction (robyngobbel.com/behaviorfunction)
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