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Reprinted with the express permission of Girl Power 2 Cure as originally published on their website.
This is a sample of a letter written by a parent to send home to the parents of classmates of a child with Rett Syndrome. It may be adapted to suit your needs.
Hello!
We are the Hardings, a new family from Illinois. Our daughter, Sarah, will be joining Mrs. Campanella’s first grade class! We are very excited because this is a big step for us. You see, our little Sarah is severely physically disabled with Rett Syndrome.
She has a damaged gene which regulates a special protein in our bodies. This protein lets us walk, talk, move around…almost everything!
So, Sarah cannot walk or talk, or even use her hands very well…..BUT she is full of love, life and energy. She can understand everything going on around her….she just cannot respond in words.
We listen to her sounds and look into her eyes to communicate.
Sarah will be working with therapists during the school day to practice things like walking and different ways to communicate. She will be trying out electronic and computerized devices as well as simple flash cards.
She is really excited to spend part of her day with some active, wonderful children. Her brother, Pierce, is in the 4th grade at Forrestdale. Gretchen, Sarah’s little sister, is 4 and will be in the Deane Porter preschool program. I (Sarah’s mom) grew up in Rumson, so this is extra special to have my three children go here.
We hope this will be a great experience for everyone. Sarah will get to learn from a wonderful teacher and fun students. And, we hope, your children will learn about a different kind of “special” child. I’m sure they will have fun helping her and playing games!
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at home. Our number is xxx-xxxx. Or email is [email protected].
Thank you in advance for getting things off on the right foot and helping your child understand that Sarah is a fun little girl that just needs some special help.
Sincerely,
Your name
Featured Organization: Girl Power 2 Cure
Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and
funds for treatments and a cure for Rett Syndrome. We are all about harnessing the
spirit of girls as volunteers, as mentors, and as a power of positive change in their
communities in support of their fellow girlfriends who are suffering from Rett Syndrome.
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