Cam and Nancy's son Joe has dyslexia and dysgraphia. For more than a year, Joe "received services" in the district's "One-Size-Fits-All Reading Program."

Unfortunately, Joe still hasn't learned to read.

Joe's parents do not want their son to waste any more time in the district's OSFA Reading Program. They want the district to provide intensive Orton-Gillingham remediation because Orton-Gillingham programs have an excellent track record of teaching dyslexics to read.

Problem: One-Size-Fits All Program

But Joe's school district is emotionally and financially committed to their OSFA Reading Program.

The district has spent thousands of dollars on OSFA books, materials and training. The district's teachers have been trained to use the OSFA Reading Program. The teachers like the OSFA program - they say it is "fun."

Focus on Interests, Not Positions

Because Joe has not learned to read, his parents asked the school to convene an IEP meeting. At this meeting, they will make their case for a different program.

What will happen if Joe's parents say, "We've decided that your One-Size-Fits-All Reading Program is worthless - it doesn't work. We want our son to receive Orton Gillingham remediation instead." (This is the parents' position.)

The school will say, "We are the experts on how children learn. We are very proud of our One-Size-Fits-All Reading Program. As the educational experts, Joe will be better served in our OSFA Program." (This is the school's position.)

Use Story-Telling to Persuade

If Cam and Nancy use story-telling to persuade, they will focus on their interests, not their position. They may say:

"We are very concerned that Joe hasn't learned how to read. We work with him almost every night at home. He is getting more and more frustrated."

"A few months ago, he started saying "I'm stupid." Now he says this all the time. We tell him this isn't true. He says the other kids in his class can read and he can't. He is ashamed. His personality is changing."

"We are worried about him. We know you're worried about him too. We all want him to learn. We all know he's getting more and more unhappy."

"Joe has been in the district's reading program for a whole year. Although he is working hard, he still hasn't learned to read. This reading program may be fine for some children but it hasn't worked for him."

"You are working hard. Joe is working hard. We are working hard. If the OSFA program was going to work, we'd see progress before now. We cannot wait any longer. We need to discuss other options in teaching Joe to read."

" We did some research and talked to several reading experts at the university. They said that Joe has dyslexia so he won't learn to read in the standard reading program. They described the remediation program he needs. They even gave us some articles about reading programs for dyslexic kids. We made extra copies because we knew you'd be interested . . . "

Cam and Nancy make their case by telling Joe's story. They do not blame school personnel or the OSFA Reading Program.

Problem-Solving

After Joe's parents identify the problem (Joe can't read), they asked the team to come up with solutions to the problem. Of course, the parents have their solution to the problem -- to provide Joe with remediation by a tutor or teacher who is trained in Orton-Gillingham methods.

School Teams Have Limited Power and Authority

Cam and Nancy know that the IEP team cannot authorize one-on-one Orton-Gillingham remediation. They know that decisions about expensive special education programs are made by administrators who do not attend IEP meetings. The parents must find a way to make their case to these administrators.

Writing a Letter to the Stranger

Joe's parents write a carefully crafted Letter to the Stranger. In their letter, they tell Joe's story, describe what has been attempted, and their proposed solution.

To ensure that the decision-makers know about Joe's problems and their proposed solution, the parents send their Letter to the Stranger to the school team and the school administrators.

When you write a Letter to the Stranger, use facts to tell your story and gather support for your solution. Do not blame, criticize or find fault. Your goal is to persuade the decision-making Stranger to help.

More Articles About Writing a "Letter to the Stranger"

Original "Letter to the Stranger" by Janie Bowman and Peter Wright, and posted on the CompuServe ADD Forum in 1994. Later, this article and other information from the ADD Forum became part of a Smithsonian Exhibit about online culture and communities. 

James Brody. Read the letter that James Brody's parents wrote to request a due process hearing. Do you see how the parents told the story of James' education? Pay attention to the use of test scores in the letter. What is your reaction to this letter? After you read the letter, read the decision in James' case.

Joe James. In this Letter to the Stranger, Joe's father describes Joe and his problems learning to read. Pay attention to your emotional reaction as you read this letter. Do you see Joe through his father's eyes? What happened to this happy child? What do you believe should be done to help Joe and his family?