December 2025 Preview

Summary

ABA Inside Track – December 2025 Preview

Podcast: ABA Inside Track
Episode Title: December 2025 Preview
Date: December 3, 2025
Hosts: Robert Perry Crews, Diana Perry Crews, Jackie McDonald

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Episode Overview

The ABA Inside Track team provides listeners with a lively and comprehensive preview of upcoming December 2025 episodes, highlighting anticipated special guests, episode topics, key journal articles, and important changes to how Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be delivered in the coming year. The hosts also share some personal holiday traditions, interspersing their unique humor and camaraderie throughout.

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December 2025 Episode Lineup

1. PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) Tutorial

Special Guest: Judy Southey, SLP

• Focus: Step-by-step tutorial on implementing PECS for communication with individuals with ASD.
• Key Articles:
  • Interaction of Participant Characteristics and Type of AAC with Individuals with ASD: A Meta-Analysis
    Gans, Mason, Goodwin, Bowles, Heath, & Davis; American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2014
  • Predictors of Successful Picture Exchange Communication System Training in Children with Communication Impairments: Insights from a Real World Intervention in a Resource Limited Setting
    W. Pashang Vivitanai & Wong Kwan Wang; BMJ Pediatrics Open, 2025

“She’s provided us with three different articles. I might have to put my glasses on here to be able to tell you about these.”
— Diana Perry Crews (01:40)

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2. Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices

Special Guest: Denisa Jingles

• Focus: An exploration of anti-oppression and culturally responsive practices in leadership, mentoring, and curriculum for behavior analysts.
• Key Articles:
  • Application of the Principles of Anti-Oppression to Address Marginalized Students and Faculty's Experiences in Counselor Education
    Sheikh, Gumaluri, Dar, Carter, & Quag; Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, ~2024
  • Ubuntu Leadership: An Explication of an Afrocentric Leadership Style
    Lalu; Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 2022
  • Mentoring for Admission and Retention of Black Socio-Ethnic Minorities in Medicine: A Scoping Review
    Kemzang et al.; Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 2024
  • Exploring Aspects of Mentoring for Black and Minoritized Healthcare Professionals in the UK: A Nominal Group Technique Study
    Sriram, Atwal & McKay; BMJ Open, 2024
  • Culturally Responsive Curriculum for Behavior Analysts: A Meaningful Step towards Social Justice
    Mater & Rodriguez; Behavior Analysis and Practice, 2022

“...very excited for that episode.”
— Diana Perry Crews (04:55)

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3. Operationalizing Assent

• Focus: Understanding assent in therapeutic and research contexts within behavior analysis.
• Key Articles:
  • Dignity and Respect: Why Therapeutic Assent Matters
    Flowers & Dawes; Behavior Analysis and Practice, 2023
  • Consent and Assent Practices in Behavior Analytic Research
    Me, Jaspers, Kelly, Ward, Fernand, Jocelyn & Van DJK; Behavior Analysis and Practice, 2025

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4. Year-End Bonus Episode

Special Guest: Matt Cicoria from Behavioral Observations

• Content:
  • Reflecting on 2025
  • Looking forward to 2026
  • Light-hearted topics: movies, holiday fun, and traditions

“It’s been a tradition, so we’re very happy to do it. I have a scathing political commentary I already started taking notes on. Very excited. I got a face. It's gonna be good.”
— Robert Perry Crews (05:46)

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Key Show Announcements

Upcoming Changes to Continuing Education and Website

[06:12–11:36]

• BACB ACE Provider Requirement Changes:
  New rules effective July 2026 necessitate a quiz component for all asynchronous CE offerings.
• Website Revamp:
  The website is being overhauled, with a new location launching in March to support CE quizzes and a more user-friendly experience.

“Now, I know many of you are saying, I don't want to do a quiz, I just want to do the code words... What we are saying is we don't want to do the amount of work this is taking, but it is a requirement.”
— Robert Perry Crews (07:26)

• Positive Outcomes:
  • Immediate delivery of CE certificates (no more waiting for manual email processing).
  • Centralized account management for all newly earned CEs from March onward.
  • Improved backend and user experience, though some growing pains are expected during the transition.

“...with our new format and new site, the CE will come immediately to you. So you can just email us with like positive things like love the episode...We like those emails and now we won't have to deal with the hey, I demand to see E immediately anymore.”
— Robert Perry Crews (08:08)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Diana’s Glasses Gag: The ongoing joke about needing glasses to read article titles adds a spark of personality to the academic rundown.
• Robert’s Dry Humor about Holiday Traditions:

  “One tradition I love is when I buy all the Christmas presents for everyone and wrap them all. And then Diana says, what the hell? I wanted to buy some Christmas presents, too.”
  — Robert Perry Crews (13:08)

• Jackie’s Festive Nostalgia:

  “One of my favorite holiday traditions is going to this place called Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. It's like an old colonial village…It's called Christmas by Candlelight. And visiting Real Life Santa.”
  — Jackie McDonald (11:55)

• Movies & Family Rituals: The team connects through humor reflecting on family traditions, aging children, and the cyclical joys of the holidays.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Episode Previews: 00:30–05:31
• Year-End Bonus Episode Teaser: 05:31–06:12
• CEU and Website Announcements: 06:12–11:36
• Holiday Traditions & Banter: 11:36–15:26

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Tone & Style

The hosts maintain their signature conversational and approachable tone, blending professional updates with plenty of playful banter and warm anecdotes. The preview strikes the right balance between practical information (especially about the upcoming CEU process changes), academic rigor (detailed article highlights), and personal relatability (holiday traditions and inside jokes).

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Final Thoughts

This December preview is packed with valuable updates for behavior analysts, including timely research topics, a heads-up about 2026 CEU requirements, and invitations to connect through both scholarly and celebratory lenses. The blend of academic discussions with lighthearted traditions and genuine camaraderie makes this episode both informative and enjoyable for listeners, new and returning alike.

Transcript

[Diana Perry Crews]

Foreign.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Hey everybody. Welcome to ABA Inside Track, the podcast that's like reading in your car but safer. I'm your host, Robert Perry Crews, and with me, as always, are my fabulous co hosts.

[Jackie McDonald]

Hey there. It's me, Jackie McDonald, even though it's December.

[Diana Perry Crews]

And it's me, Diana Perry Crews.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Hello.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Hi.

[Jackie McDonald]

Practicing? I'm just practicing.

[Robert Perry Crews]

In most weeks on the show we discuss a relevant behavior analytic topic and talk about some research tied into that topic. But at the beginning of the month on our free feed and at the end of the month, if you are a patron, you get a little preview of what's coming out in the upcoming month. And so this is our December 2025 preview. We're ending this year with podcast, just like the past 9ish years or so that we've ended the year with some more podcasts coming out. So we'll be talking about that as well as a couple other interesting tidbits, at least interesting to us about the show and about what's going on. So let's start with the December episode list. Diana, what are we going to be talking about to wrap up 2025?

[Diana Perry Crews]

Okay, so in December we have three different episodes prepared for you and two of them have special guests. So it's pretty exciting month coming up. The first episode for December includes a special guest, Judy Southey. She'll be joining us. She is an slp and we're going to do a tutorial episode regarding pecs, how to do PECS or use pecs or whatever you want to want to call it. So picture exchange. And so she's provided us with three different articles. I might have to put my glasses on here to be able to tell you about these. And those might.

[Robert Perry Crews]

You did put your glasses on.

[Diana Perry Crews]

I sure did. Those articles include interaction of Participant characteristics and type of AAC with Individuals with asd, A meta analysis by Gans, Mason, Goodwin, Bowles, Heath and Davis that was in the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 2014. Also, predictors of successful Picture Exchange Communication System Training in Children with Communication Impairments. Insights from a Real World Intervention in a Resource Limited Setting by W. Pashang Vivitanai and Wong Kwan Wang. And that was in the British medical journal Pediatrics Open published in 2025. Up next. Oops after that one. We are also fortunate to be joined by Denisa Jingles. She's going to be talking with us about Culturally Responsive leadership practices and we have several articles included in our review of that topic with her. They are Application of the Principles of Anti Oppression to Address Marginalized Students and Faculty's Experiences in Counselor Education by Sheikh, Gumaluri, Dar, Carter and Quag. That was in Teaching and Supervision in Counseling. What year? Not too long ago. Maybe 2024. Sorry, I couldn't find it. Up next, let me find the proper first page of this article. Ubuntu Leadership. An explication of an Afrocentric leadership style that was by Lalu and published in. Oh my goodness gracious. The Journal of Values Based Leadership. There it is. 2022. Mentoring for admission and Retention of Black Socio Ethnic Minorities in Medicine. A Scoping review by Kemzang, Bacolo, Jonke, Mature, Constant, Oguntala, Romani, Luis May, Medina, Kendall, Iru, Arabina, Hubert Domech and Fat Singh. And that was in the Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 2024. And is this the last one? I think so. Exploring Aspects of Mentoring for Black and Minoritized Healthcare professionals in the UK. A nominal group technique study by Sriram, Atwal and McKay. That was also in the British Medical Journal Open 2024. Oh, and one more. Almost forgot. Cultural Responsive Curriculum for Behavior Analysts. A Meaningful Step towards Social justice by Mater and Rodriguez. And that was in Behavior analysis and practice, 2022. Okay, I got them all on that one. So very excited for that episode. And then we will round out December by talking about Operationalizing Ascent. We have two articles for that conversation. They are Dignity and Respect why Therapeutic Ascent Matters by Flowers and Dawes. That was in Behavior analysis and practice 2023. And Consent and Assent Practices in Behavior analytic research by me, Jaspers, Kelly, Ward, Fernand, Jocelyn and Van DJK. And that was in behavior analysis and practice 2025. That's it.

[Robert Perry Crews]

All right. And also, since it's the end of the year, we'll be doing a special year end bonus with Match Gloria from Behavioral Observations.

[Jackie McDonald]

Yeah, that'll be so fun.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Where we'll be talking about, oh, just how the year's going. What's coming up in the new year?

[Jackie McDonald]

I love it.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Movies. Who knows? It's a little different every year, but it's. It's. It's been a tradition, so we're very happy to do it. I have a scathing political commentary I already started taking notes on. Very excited. I got a face. It's gonna be good.

[Jackie McDonald]

Great.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Maybe I won't do it now. Oh, well, everyone, sorry. If you listen to the preview, you're gonna be sad. Anywho. So that's what's coming up this December. And then it'll be January.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yeah.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Yeah. So let's move into the errata section of the show where we talk about, you know, everything else related to the show. So, December, I guess, let's start with some, you know, website podcast news. So many of you might know that the BACB is making some to the ACE procedure. So if you are a continuing education provider, as we are here at ABA insidetrack and have been since the very beginning of the show, there are going to be some changes, one of which is going to be that we, especially for kind of asynchronous productions like ours, will need to start doing quizzes. So while we're not going to get rid of the code words because everyone's so used to them at this point, we're also going to have to make a change. We had to add a quiz component to. To all of our episodes. So from last month to July, when these changes go into effect, we are hastily remaking the majority of the website. So that means we're moving to a new website. You won't know because you're just going to go to ABA insidetrack.com or you're going to click on the link in your podcast player and it's just going to take you to wherever the right place is, but it'll take you to a new location, and then you will have to do a quiz in order to get the ces. Now, I know many of you are saying, I don't want to do a quiz, I just want to do the code words.

[Diana Perry Crews]

And.

[Robert Perry Crews]

And what we are saying is we don't want to do the amount of work this is taking, but it is a requirement. So our options were either don't do CES anymore or do a lot of work to add the quizzes in. And we decided. All right, well, we like doing the podcast. And while I'm sure we would do it for some period of time without ces, it is a lot of work. And we've done this for a long time, so we thought, let's just keep going and add to that. So there will be kind of a quiz component, which I know is an extra step, but that's going to be for everybody.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yes. It won't matter where you go. You're going to have to do the quiz component to get your CES moving forward from any CE distributor, regardless. Yes. So we want to make sure that we have it all set and ready for you.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Yes. Now, one of the positives is Diana will no longer have to do episodes in which she reminds everybody that she makes the CES every single night. And if you email her two seconds after getting a CE saying, where's my ce? She doesn't like that because. Because it really is exhausting work. From now on, with our new format and new site, the CE will come immediately to you. So you can just email us with like positive things like love the episode or like, when were you going to do an episode about this? Or that joke was funny or I totally got that reference. We like those emails and now we won't have to deal with the hey, I demand to see E immediately anymore. Even though Diana does it every single night, except for like rare times when she wasn't feeling good or her computer.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Broke or something or it's Christmas or.

[Robert Perry Crews]

It'S Christmas or something. So there you go. That is going to be a big change. And with that, with once the CES are done and DINOs are making anymore, we'll be able to let her go. So, you know, she can kick off the new year without being on the podcast, I guess. Diana, so thank you so much for your service. We got you a watch. No, no, that's just one less thing Dinah will have to do. There's other things that we do around the podcast, but that's going to be a change. Now, we are hoping to get at least half of the catalog up online. So we're going to try to make this happen starting in March. So in March, all of our new episodes, as well as many of our old back catalog will point to the new website. But there is going to be a period of time in between when this change goes into effect in July, where some of the episodes will still go back to the old site where you have to like put in and you buy it in a carton. It's a whole thing and you put in the code words and stuff. Because our goal is to get everything done by July when the change has to happen. But that just makes double work for us if we wait. So as we're making them, we want to start kind of rolling this out. I'm sure there'll be some bumps and whatnot, but we wanted to at least get some, some of the newer episodes out in March to save ourselves a little bit of time because we're putting a lot of work into the back end of things. We've had a lot of great guests on the show. I know Alan Haberman's on the show a lot, but at the end of the day, this is a three person production and it has been for 10 years. We do everything well. We've got some other. We've Got our editor, Dan, who has been helping us for many years as well. But it is a. It is. You know, the majority of the work is us, which some people say we should probably hire someone to do this stuff, but, no, we love doing it. It's so fun. How else did you watch TV but doing podcast website things? So, anyway, that change is coming up in March, but we're going to be talking about it, every single of you from here till then. Because I'm sure, as much as Diana would like to get emails that aren't, hey, where's my ce? She probably also doesn't want to get emails. Hey, I went to the website and it looked different than previously. What's going on? I'm confused. Dan, did you steal my email? Is this a spoof site?

[Diana Perry Crews]

It.

[Robert Perry Crews]

I mean, it could be, I guess, but we're not planning for it to be. It's still going to be ABA Inside Tracks, which is still our. Our. Our stuff.

[Diana Perry Crews]

It's going to be nice and fancy and. And there will be. You'll have a login, a new login. It will keep track of all of your CES that you've ordered from the new website, not from the old website. You'll be able to go in and, like, download the CES from there. And it will be a much better system once we get it all in place.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Yes. And the old website will still be up technically, like, new episodes won't go on there, so you'll be able to download any of your old, like, purchased things until we shut it down, which we will eventually do.

[Diana Perry Crews]

You can't download them from there anyway.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Oh, you can't? No. I thought if you signed in, you could. Okay, no. All right, fine. Sorry. Then you won't care when that website goes away, and we won't either, so. Yeah, that's a big change.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Well, people might care, but anyway, let's talk about that another time.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Okay, fine. I don't know what else. December. What's he all doing for Christmas?

[Jackie McDonald]

What we're all doing for the holidays.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Well, I'm asking y' all who celebrate Christmas, so it's a fair statement.

[Jackie McDonald]

That's true.

[Robert Perry Crews]

We're asking our listeners, I would say, what are you doing for the holidays? And you can tell me. I can't hear you. You're not. Speak up. Can't hear you.

[Jackie McDonald]

Well, one of my favorite holiday traditions is going to this place called Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. It's like an old colonial village.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Not a colonial village.

[Diana Perry Crews]

What is it?

[Robert Perry Crews]

It's. It's a pre Civil War.

[Jackie McDonald]

Oh, yeah. So sorry. Pre Civil War.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Sure.

[Jackie McDonald]

It's like Laura Ingalls Wilder.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Yeah.

[Jackie McDonald]

When she was 8. Okay. And I love going there and seeing the lights. It's called Christmas by Candlelight. And visiting Real Life Santa.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yeah.

[Jackie McDonald]

He's really.

[Diana Perry Crews]

He is the real Santa. So.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Amazing Santa.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yeah.

[Robert Perry Crews]

So I.

[Jackie McDonald]

He comes down just for me.

[Diana Perry Crews]

I think I've seen if they've seen pictures of us with Santa. We visit him every year. Every year.

[Jackie McDonald]

And we take pictures with him. So that is one of my favorite holiday traditions. What about you two?

[Robert Perry Crews]

That's a good one, Don. I don't have any anymore.

[Jackie McDonald]

Your kids are too old.

[Robert Perry Crews]

We stopped them all. Oh, no. I mean, no.

[Jackie McDonald]

You're still doing all of them.

[Robert Perry Crews]

We still got a lot of traditions. I think we've done them for a long time. There's diminishing returns on the enjoyment and the delight in our children's eyes as they.

[Diana Perry Crews]

I know. It's hard when they get older, so to say. Just like we're doing it. Making a gingerbread house alone.

[Robert Perry Crews]

One tradition I love is when I buy all the Christmas presents for everyone and wrap them all. And then Diana says, what the hell? I wanted to buy some Christmas presents, too. And then she gets mad at me because I bought them without asking. That's.

[Jackie McDonald]

So that's your tradition right there.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Favorite tradition. All right. Although, Diana, I will say you did buy my mother some soaps and lotions. I was not asked if she would like soaps.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Don't tell her what we got her. Don't.

[Robert Perry Crews]

I'm sure she's listening to this.

[Diana Perry Crews]

I'm sure she's listening right now.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Right now. She might be, actually.

[Diana Perry Crews]

I don't know if she wants to subscribe.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Sorry. Whoopsies. Spoiled. I spoiled Christmas. Oh, no.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Soaps and lotions. I could never have predicted.

[Robert Perry Crews]

I got some other stuff. I got some other stuff. I did ask you. I texted you a picture. I asked.

[Diana Perry Crews]

All right.

[Robert Perry Crews]

We've got. Well, we do Christmas movies. We try to do a Christmas movie. Or short.

[Jackie McDonald]

We watched Home Alone last night, and Diana's youngest son looks like Macaulay Culkin. Like, pretty bad.

[Diana Perry Crews]

I have a picture of him. Have you seen that picture where he's doing the face in the mirror now? Now, he looks like he's got swoopy hair now.

[Jackie McDonald]

Yeah, Because Makola Culkin was nine.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yeah.

[Jackie McDonald]

When he filmed Home Alone.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All that's gonna happen. Great.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Any previous. What. What movie you want to watch? Done. I'm going for Christmas carols. I think last year we did so many Christmas carols. We saw a play. I read the book. We watched multiple movies. I'm gonna try to finish.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Yeah, we did that last year.

[Robert Perry Crews]

I'm gonna close the loop on the other Christmas carols I have not seen.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Okay, that sounds great.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Dan will not be participating.

[Jackie McDonald]

I think that's really good. Thanks, guys. Merry, Merry Christmas. Happy holidays.

[Robert Perry Crews]

Yeah.

[Jackie McDonald]

Happy New Year soon.

[Diana Perry Crews]

That's it.

[Robert Perry Crews]

That's it. We don't. Oh, yeah, that's. I think that's about it. Yeah. So those are the. Those are the things coming up this month. And yeah, we'll be back in the new year with more fun filled episodes. But you got all of this month to enjoy. I hope everyone out there is getting prepared for a happy holiday season and is able to enjoy some time off and enjoy some time maybe with family, with loved ones. And if not, well, we hope that you can at least enjoy kind of listening to us and thinking about us as your. As your BCBA pals from afar besties. All right, well, we'll be back next week with the first of our fun filled December episodes. But until then, keep responding. Bye. Bye.

[Diana Perry Crews]

Sam.