Stimulus Equivalence-Based Instruction was first introduced and used by Murray Sidman (1971) to teach reading comprehension to a young man with microcephaly and intellectual disability. Since then, equivalence-based instruction has been applied to many teaching situations and contexts from teaching math (Fisher, 2005), geography (LeBlanc, Miguel, Cummings, Goldsmith, & Carr, 2003), statistics (Critchfield & Fineup, 2010), art history (Aguayo & Garcia, 2005), second languages (Ramirez & Rehfeldt, 2009), etc. This presentation will review a variety of recent application of equivalence-based instructions from the research literature, as well as offer new and innovative uses for this technology. In addition, tips will be suggested for using this technology in practice.
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to define stimulus equivalence.
- Participants will be able to list at least 3 recent applications of equivalence-based instruction from the literature.
- Participants will be able to describe the steps and components of equivalence-based instruction.
About the Presenter
Dr. Amanda Guld Fisher teaches and advises students, as well as coordinates the master’s degree and certificate program in applied behavior analysis. Dr. Fisher earned her master’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and her doctoral degree in applied behavior analysis and special education from the Ohio State University. Dr. Fisher first received her board certification in behavior analysis (currently BCBA-D) in March of 2007. She has presented research at local and national conferences in a variety of subject areas including response chains, stimulus equivalence, analysis of verbal behavior, college teaching strategies, feeding disorders, functional assessment methodology, reinforcer qualities and dimensions, communication modalities, staff training, and the treatment of challenging behavior. She has experience in staff and parent training, school consultation (including response to intervention and school-wide positive behavior support), developing and conducting community workshops in applied behavior analysis and autism spectrum disorders, conducting functional assessments and analyses, treating feeding disorders, and developing and implementing behavior change procedures to address severe challenging behavior and academic deficits for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Fisher has also served as an adjunct faculty at Caldwell College, St. Joseph’s University, University of Massachusetts, Temple University, and Rowan University. Previously, she served as the director of Professional Development, Training, and Research at Melmark where she directed the internal clinical training of staff, coordinated internships and BCBA supervision, coordinated research, served as a senior clinician for a caseload of children, and coordinated a six–course BACB-approved certificate program taught at Melmark through Temple University.
