Department of Child Development, Literacy and Special Education

Dr. Debra Prykanowski is an associate professor. She earned a Ph.D. in special education with a focus on early childhood from the University of Florida in 2018. She earned a M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University in special education with a concentration in behavioral disorders and applied behavior analysis. She earned a B.S. from Syracuse University in inclusive elementary and special education.

Before pursuing her doctorate, she worked in a public-school system in New Jersey for 11 years and held positions as a special education classroom teacher and behavior consultant.

Her research interests include working with young children with autism spectrum disorder and their families, conducting functional analysis of problem behavior, and measuring behavior in natural environments. She has presented her own research and research collaborations at national conferences and is published in several professional journals.

She is involved in many professional organizations, including Council for Exceptional Children, the Division of Early Childhood, Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health, and National Association for the Education of Young Children.

In 2023, Dr. Prykanowski received the college's Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. 

Connect with Dr. Prykanowski on LinkedIn.

Selected Publications

• Zhang S., Prykanowski, D.A, & Koppenhaver, D.A. (2022). Using construction-integration theory to interpret reading comprehension instruction provided to students with autism: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis. Reading Research Quarterly. 58(1), 126 – 159. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.48.
• Cumming, M. M., Poling, D. V., Qiu, Y., Prykanowski, D. A., Lumpkins, A., Daunic, A. P., Corbett, N., & Smith, S. W. (2023). Executive function profiles of kindergarteners and first graders at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Exceptional Children, 89(3), 294–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029221135573
• Prykanowski, D.A., Conroy, M.A., & Reichow, B. (2021). Schedule thinning during functional communication training in the home for young children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 23(4), 255 – 271. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1098300721994204
• Prykanowski, D.A., Martinez, J.R., Conroy, M.A., Reichow, B., & Huang, K. (2018). Brief report: Measurement of young children’s engagement and problem behavior in early childhood settings. Behavioral Disorders, 44(1), 53-62.
• Prykanowski, D.A, Gage, N, & Conroy, M.A. (2015). Educational implications of the DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorders. Beyond Behavior, 24(2), 30-38.
• Gage, N. A., Prykanowski, D. A., & Larson, A. (2014). School climate risk and protective factors from bullying and peer aggression: A latent class growth model. School Psychology Quarterly, 29(3), 256-271.

Dr. Prykanowski's Curriculum Vitae