Psychology at Straub Hall, U of O
Psychology
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Megan Kunze

Assistant Research Professor
SPED EI/ECSE Practicum Supervisor
Applied Behavior Analysis, College of Education, Psychology, Special Education
mkunze@uoregon.edu

Biography

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 has been certified as a behavior analyst for 19 years and holds her BCBA-D. She has worked to support children, families, and specialists in early education for over 30 years. Clinical experiences include a director of an early intervention center, a therapeutic clinic, and a self-contained school for children with developmental disabilities. She has been a consultant for preschools, schools, and Head Start Programs throughout southwest Texas, providing family and professional training. As part of an interdisciplinary diagnostic team, she conducted assessments with young children at risk for autism as a Research Reliable Administrator of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 and Certified Administrator of the Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children.

Education

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

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.

 

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.
 

Honors and Awards

2018 David Zeaman Graduate Award, Gatlinburg Conference Travel Award

2020 College of Education Dissertation Funding Award, University of Oregon