Meet Hope Leet Dittmeier! Hope has worked in the field of developmental disabilities for over forty years. Hope has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation from the University of Kentucky, and her work is guided by Social Role Valorization (SRV) theory.
Hope’s interest in the LEND program stems from her three-year-old grandson, Axl, who was recently diagnosed with Autism. Hope is determined to be the best grandmother, YaYa, to him. She achieves this by providing him with assistance to be fully integrated into his home, school, and community and by doing whatever it takes to provide him joy, belonging, and pride.
Within the past fifteen years of her forty year career, Hope has served as a trainer and consultant in Ireland, India, Australia, and Canada.
She currently serves as the Executive Director at Mattingly Edge, a non-profit organization that serves the Louisville community. Mattingly Edge cultivates partnerships which enable people with disabilities to thrive in environments such as at work, at home, and in their relationships. Hope was instrumental in transforming Mattingly Center’s previous large-congregated and segregated adult day health care program into Mattingly Edge which provides 100% customized, individualized, and community-based support.
Hope is currently enrolled as a trainee in the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute’s (HDI) Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program. LEND is a five-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau in partnership with the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University.
These programs share the overall mission of improving the health of infants, children, and adolescents with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. LEND aims to increase the number of professionals with the knowledge and skills to provide evidence-based screening and diagnosis, as well as support to individuals and families.Visit www.hdi.uky.edu/kylend to learn more. Contact the Kentucky LEND Project Director caroline.gooden@uky.edu with any questions or to schedule an informational session for your department and interested students!
