Psychology at Straub Hall, U of O
Psychology
Portrait of Megan Kunze

Megan Kunze

Assistant Research Professor
SPED EI/ECSE Practicum Supervisor
Applied Behavior Analysis, College of Education, Psychology, Special Education
mkunze@uoregon.edu
Office: Rainier Building Suite 220, 1244 Walnut St, Eugene, OR 97403

Biography

Dr. Kunze is accepting Doctoral students for the 2027 application pool.

Dr. Megan Kunze, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA, is an Assistant Research Professor and Associate Director of the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon. In the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, she teaches and supervises graduate students in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Her research focuses on family-focused early intervention and on telehealth coaching for caregivers. She also studies how to adapt interventions to the cultural and linguistic needs of children with developmental differences, including children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). She is Principal Investigator of the TBI System of Support for Washington State and co-leads projects on TBI support for children and families in Texas and Oregon.

Dr. Kunze has been certified in behavior analysis for more than 20 years and has supported children, families, and early education professionals for more than 30 years. She has directed an early intervention center, a day program for children with autism, and her own behavioral consulting practice. She has also consulted with preschools, schools, and Head Start programs throughout south Texas. As a member of interdisciplinary diagnostic teams, she has assessed young children at risk for autism as a research-reliable administrator of the ADOS-2 and a certified administrator of the STAT. She is a Fulbright Specialist in Azerbaijan, where she helps adapt autism intervention programs for the local community.

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Education

PhD, 2020, University of Oregon, Eugene OR
Major: Special Education
Advisor: Wendy Machalicek, Ph.D. BCBA-D
 
MS, 2000, University of Texas, Austin, TX
Major: Special Education: Early Intervention
Advisor: Keith Turner, Ph.D.
 
BA, 1995, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Major: Family and Human Sciences: Child Development

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Research

Dr. Megan Kunze is an Assistant Research Professor at the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training, Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon. Within the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, she lectures and supervises graduate students in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. 

Dr. Kunze's research concentration includes accessibility and impact of early diagnosis, professional preparation in Applied Behavior Analysis, and coaching of family-focused naturalistic interventions to best support young children with developmental delays. A significant focus of her research is on access to and development of interventions to meet the individual, cultural, and linguistic needs of children with developmental differences and their families. Recent work has centered on developing and delivering caregiver-mediated coaching for children with disabilities via telehealth. Dr. Kunze is working to validate an early identification screener to accurately assess young children as a gateway to evidence-based early intervention. As part of her community outreach, she serves as the behavior expert for two Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) panels: the Autism ECHO for Oregon and the Ukraine ECHO, both supporting medical professionals working with children with various special needs.

 

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Publications

Kunze, M., Gomez, D., Glenn, E., Todis, B., Riddle, I., Karns, K. Glang, A., McIntyre, L.L.  (2023) Parenting Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: Exploring Mothers’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Childhood, Education, & Society
 
Kunze, M. & De la Cruz, B. (2023) A Longitudinal Study of Behavioral Consultation in Inclusive Preschool Classrooms. National Head Start Association Dialog, 26(1)
 
Kunze, M. & Machalicek, W. (2021). Interdisciplinary teams in schools: A model to support students with autism. Psychology in the Schools, 59(7), 1350-1362.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22618
 
McIntyre, L. L., & Kunze, M. (2021). Family-focused interventions as prevention and early   intervention of behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, 61, 159-191. https://doi.10.1016/bs.irrdd.2021.07.007
 
Kunze, M.G., Machalicek, W., Wei, Q., St. Joseph, S. (2021). Coaching via telehealth: Caregiver-mediated interventions for young children on the waitlist for an autism diagnosis using single-case design. J. Clin. Med., 10, 1654. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10081654
 
Rooks-Ellis, D. L., Howorth, S. K., Kunze, M., Boulette, S., & Sulinski, E. (2020). Effects of a parent training using telehealth: Equity and access to early intervention for rural families. Journal of Childhood, Education, & Society 1(2), 141-166. https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202012
 
Kunze, M., Drew, C., Machalicek, W., Safer-Lichtenstein, J., Crowe, B. (2019) Language preference of a multilingual individual with disabilities using a speech-generating device. Behavior Analysis in Practice.
 

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Honors and Awards

2018 David Zeaman Graduate Award, Gatlinburg Conference Travel Award

2020 College of Education Dissertation Funding Award, University of Oregon

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