Woman accused of treating kids with autism using false credentials pleads guilty

A former director at a center that services children with autism, who officials say used false credentials to treat children with autism, pleaded guilty this week in a case of impersonating a healthcare professional.

Kimberly Coden, 38, of Berkley, on Tuesday pleaded guilty in Livingston County’s 44 ^th Circuit Court to six counts of unauthorized practice of a health profession, two counts of identity theft and one count of intimidation or interfering with a witness, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced in a news release.

Coden, who was previously identified by the last name of Coden-Diskin, worked from 2018 to 2021 at the Oxford Recovery Center, which provides services to children with various needs, including autism , at locations including Brighton and Troy. She had falsely presented herself as a board-certified behavioral analyst without being licensed and without the proper education, officials said.

And it wasn’t the first time.

She’d also used an actual analyst’s certification to get a job with Centria Healthcare for several months in 2016 and the Positive Behavior Supports Cooperation from 2017-2018, officials said.

Officials previously said she’d also used professional business cards, verbal statements, written documents and presented university degrees she allegedly didn’t earn for the ruse.

On top of that, Coden also tried to intimidate a witness through text messages to keep them from testifying against her, officials said.

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Online court records indicate the plea was made through a plea agreement and the rest of the charges she faced would be dismissed. Coden was originally charged with 16 counts of unauthorized practice and the two counts of identity theft.

“The treatment of children in need of intensive intervention or services must remain in the hands of certified and licensed professionals,” Nessel said in a statement. “My office will remain vigilant to protect children from unlicensed practitioners who can cause tremendous harm to children due to their lack of specialized training.”

An attorney for Coden could not be immediately reached for comment, and Coden remained at the Livingston County Jail, officials said.

Unauthorized practice of a health profession is punishable by up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine, as is interfering with a witness. Identity theft is punishable by p to five years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Coden is scheduled for sentencing in December.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Woman accused of treating kids with autism using false credentials pleads guilty