From Control to Connection: Why Behavior Isn’t What You Think with Gabriel Hannans

Welcome back to your newest obsession - The NeuroSpicy MomPod 💖

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Gabriel Hannans, a special education teacher, registered behavior technician, author of Parent Behavior Encyclopedia, and a powerful voice at the intersection of parenting, education, and social justice.

This conversation goes deep.

We unpack what behavior actually is (and why it’s so often misunderstood), how our education system is built around compliance instead of connection, and what it really looks like to support kids, especially neurodivergent kids, from a place of curiosity instead of control.

We talk about:
✨ Why behavior is communication...not defiance
✨ The difference between connection and control in parenting + classrooms
✨ Why “compliance” isn’t the goal (and what happens when it is)
✨ How nervous system regulation changes everything
✨ The truth about “manipulation” in children
✨ Why the system isn’t broken… it’s functioning as designed
✨ And what it could look like to rebuild education around human dignity

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like:
“Something about the way we’re doing this… just doesn’t feel right.”

Because you’re not wrong 💖

You can find Gabriel on all platforms here:

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok & YouTube:
👉 @the_indomitable_blackman

(That’s indomitable—not abominable 😉)

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💖 Follow/Subscribe to the podcast
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