a[n_] := a[n] = Module[{m}, If[n > 2, If[Mod[n, 2] == 0, m = n/2 - 1; Return[-4*(1 + k^2)*a[n - 2] + 6*k^2*Sum[Binomial[n - 2, 2*v]*a[2*v]*a[n - 2 - 2*v], {v, 1, m - 1}]], m = (n - 1)/2 - 1; Return[-(1 + k^2)*a[n - 2] + 2*k^2*Sum[Binomial[n - 2, 2*v + 1]*a[2*v + 1]*a[n - 3 - 2*v], {v, 0, m - 1}]]], Return[{1, 2}[[n]]]]];
Table[Abs[Coefficient[a[2*i + 1], k, 8]], {i, 4, 15}] (*
Jean-François Alcover, Jul 08 2022, after Herman Jamke's Maple code *)