Marina Sapp is currently a Family Trainee at LEND Pittsburgh.  

She is the mother and full-time caregiver of her wonderful 19-year-old daughter, who has multiple diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorder. Marina’s overall goal at LEND is to receive a solid level of expertise to be able to assist and work with families of children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD), including those coming from various cultural backgrounds.  

Marina received a graduate degree in linguistics and an MBA in Management and has worked on various international projects. Since she entered the world of disabilities about 16 years ago, Marina has been passionate about helping her daughter realize the best of her potential. She always researched and attended parent support groups, workshops, and conferences, and actively participated in several special needs community groups. She is currently on the board of Creative Citizen Studios (CCS), a non-profit organization helping artists with NDD to make, exhibit and sell their work. Marina saw how sharing her experience with other parents and caregivers helped to ease the burden of their navigation through the complex disability system. Therefore, she is very excited to be a LEND Family Trainee and hopes to become a skilled specialist in the area of family support.