Maine LEND representatives attend Association of University Centers for Disability conference

Laurie Raymond, Eileen Ricci, and Kathryn Loukas attend the annual AUCD conference
Laurie Raymond, Eileen Ricci, and Kathryn Loukas attend the annual AUCD conference

Three representatives of the Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program recently attended the Association of University Centers for Disability (AUCD) annual conference. AUCD is of the home of the LEND grant and as well as other university-based programs supporting people with developmental disabilities.

Eileen Ricci, PT, D.P.T., M.S., PCS, associate clinical professor and Maine LEND program director, Kathryn Loukas, OTD, M.S., OTR/L, FAOTA, clinical professor, Maine LEND training director and LEND Trainee Laurie Raymond all attended the conference in Washington, D.C. December 4 -7, 2016. The theme was, “Navigating Change; Building our Future Together.” It featured valuable information for about public health, self-advocacy, life course perspective and disability rights and policy.

The LEND program is a federally funded project aimed at expanding resources to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (ND) in the state. The 91AV, in partnership with Maine Behavioral Healthcare (MBH) and Maine Medical Center (MMC), was awarded a five-year, $2.2 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to create the first such program in the state.

To learn more about the Maine LEND program, visit

To apply, visit 

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.