How to Write a Letter of Intent

Special Needs Letter of Intent

Big news! Life Planners was featured on About.com as site of the day in 2005!

Do you know what a Letter of Intent is? If you are a parent or guardian of a child or adult with special needs, you may have heard the term.

The Letter of Intent, also called a Life Plan, is the document written by the parent, not the lawyer. Imagine, heaven forbid, something happening to your child's current guardians. Perhaps that's you and your spouse. What will become of your child?

Hopefully you have already, or will soon, appoint a legal guardian for your child. But will that guardian know what to do? Will they know how to find your child's doctors? Will they know your child's likes and dislikes? Will they know about therapies you've already tried and haven't worked? The list goes on.

You are a walking encyclopedia of your child. While it's not realistic to write down volumes, especially since the information keeps changing, you certainly can write a document that would help your child to maintain some continuity in the event of such a life-changing loss.

Life Planners is an organization started by Mike and Linda Moran, who are parents of a disabled child, and who have written their child's Letter of Intent, also called a Life Plan. They'd like to help you write yours.

The Morans offer a monthly free web-based newsletter to help you do just that. In addition, this resource includes a free, down-loadable, complete sample Letter of Intent for you to copy and change to fit your child.

See below for more about the Life Planners newsletter and how to subscribe for free.

Help for writing your child's Letter of Intent

The Life Planners newsletter is free, is written by parents of a special needs child, and includes a free download of a slightly sanitized version of their own child's Letter of Intent. A valuable resource, and you can't beat the price.

Life Planners current issue: View the current issue of the Life Planners newsletter. Try printing it on your printer for later use. See for yourself if you'd like to receive a monthly link in your email to the latest issue. Then click on "subscribe." Included in each issue is a free actual Letter of Intent that you can download.
Life Planners back issues: Check out our complete list of the Life Planners past issues. Find out how to subscribe.
What is a Letter of Intent?: Learn what a Letter of Intent is, and how the Life Planners newsletter can help you write it. You can subscribe from here, too.

More about the Letter of Intent

Exceptional Parent describes the Letter of Intent: Exceptional Parent magazine is the most widely-selling magazine for parents and professionals in the disability community. Find out what Exceptional Parent magazine has to say about the Letter of Intent.
What's the difference?: What's the difference between a Special Needs trust, a Will, and a Letter of Intent? Find out.
About.com page about Letter of Intent: Terri Mauro, of About.com, specializes in special needs children. Mauro has two of her own, too. View her page about the Letter of Intent.
Special Needs kids: Linda Moran's Squidoo lens about special needs kids. Includes articles written by this freelance writer.
Life Planners on About.com: The Life Planners newsletter was featured on About.com as site of the day!
Your family advisors: Who are your family advisors? Read about this important section of your child's Letter of Intent.