Dena A. Kocher

Supervisor
M.A., BCBA, ESC
BACB# 1-11-8021
Mrs. Kocher is a credentialed Education Specialist in moderate/severe disabilities. She received her K-12 teaching credential, and master’s degree in Special Education, Disability, and Risk, from UCSB. Her coursework emphasized Positive Behavioral Support and additional Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) applications. She is qualified to conduct Functional Behavioral Assessments and write proactive behavior plans. Dena has over 4.5 years of experience teaching individuals with autism, mental retardation, and other special needs. She taught at Connecticut’s River Street School ABA Autism Program, incorporating Pivotal Response Teaching (PRT) with Discrete Trials, Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS), Picture Activity Schedules, and other ABA strategies. Dena has training in DIR/Floortime, Incidental Teaching, and Enhanced Milieu Teaching. Her master’s research explored using biofeedback to teach anxiety-management, emotional regulation, and task engagement to children with autism. During her 3.5 years at the Koegel Autism Center, Dena worked with clients aged 2 to 33 years old, providing home-school collaboration, parent/caretaker education, and clinician training, as well as program supervision.