1. Laura Kirby-McIntosh, O.C.T. © For classroom/training purposes only Do not reproduce without permission

2. What is a letter to the editor? A letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, letters are intended for publication. In many publications, letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional mail, fax, or electronic mail. Letters to the editor are most frequently associated with newspapers and news magazines. However, they are sometimes published in other periodicals.

3.  Most newspapers have a web site.  Check the paper’s web site or the editorial/opinion page for information about submitting a letter to the editor.  Some newspapers have an online submission form which you can use. Check the newspaper’s print guidelines

4.  Responding to a recently published article is one of the best ways to increase your chance of being published  The editor contact info is usually listed in the editorial section of the newspaper  Cite the date, title, writer and subject of the article you are responding to in your letter  Respect the word limit  do your homework – state facts that support your opinion

5.  Letters should be concise  Newspapers typically have a word limit of about 250 words (about 3 paragraphs)  Editors are less likely to print long letters.

6.  Write/create your own headline  Unless you represent an organization related to the issue, you do not need to introduce yourself  make it personal - use personal experiences  proofread, proofread, proofread  You needa clever, closing punch line. Use humour, something dramatic, or aquestion to think on  Your best point should be this last point - end with a bang  Write to a local paper, not just the big city papers

7.  Tie the subject of your letter to a recent article, editorial or column.  Use that article as a hook for communicating your message.  Small-circulation newspapers usually print many of the letters they receive. It is more challenging to get a letter printed in a major metropolitan newspaper, so don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t get printed.

8.  Make a connection to how this issue affects people in your local community.  Lend credibility to your letter by noting your professional / personal experiences in the community that prompted you to write on this topic.

9.  Be mindful of the tone of your letter  The tone of your letter can either support or overpower the substance of the message you are trying to communicate.  Therefore, choosing and controlling tone2 is an important element of your communication.

10.  Editors like to confirm that the letter was actually written by the person whose name is on it.  Include your name, title, address and daytime phone number  Also be sure to provide your professional title and affiliation, (if applicable) as it lends credibility to your letter.

11.  Many metropolitan areas have free weekly community newspapers that go to thousands of homes.  Many cities also have newspapers for specific ethnic groups.  Consider sending your letter to the editors of these other widely-read publications.  It is a greater chance that your letter will be published if you send it to a local newspaper

12.  Tell the readers upfront why they should care for  Keep referring back to the people and tell them HOW OR WHY they are affected or should care about the issue that you chose Tell the audience to TAKE ACTION! Don’t just tell them about the issue… tell them what they can do to help (sign a petition, talk to people, donate, join a group etc…)

13. Re: Hope at a high cost, Feb. 6; Dreams coming true, by Brian Cross, Feb. 9. Thank you, Windsor Star, for publishing these articles and for positioning these articles so prominently in the paper. It is my great hope that this exposure will help to generate public interest in the growing number of children receiving diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the wait time to receive life changing therapy, and the exorbitantly high cost of that therapy. Because of the wait lists in Windsor (which are actually much shorter than in other areas of the province), we pursued therapy in the U.S. for our preschooler with ASD. We were fortunate enough to find an opening for him in the U.S. with no wait time. Our son has been receiving therapy five days a week in the U.S. for two years now, and he is a different child. His gains in language and social development have been nothing short of staggering. The child who wouldn’t respond to his name now asks for me to play with him, and just this weekend he performed a puppet show with his sister for us. But the costs incurred to achieve these gains are almost as staggering. It has been worth every penny, but it should not have cost us the price of a new house to get it. I am excited about the opening of the new Therapeutic Learning Centre that has opened in Windsor. This new private centre provides a local alternative to the two excellent programs previously available (Thames Valley and Summit Centre), which both have waiting lists over a year long. Due to the one-on-one nature of the therapy, it is exceedingly expensive to provide. With a quoted price of $3,700 ($44,400 a year), it is much less expensive than what was previously available by heading to the U.S., but the cost still is a barrier for many families. It is devastating as a parent to know that there is a therapy available that will improve the quality of life for your child, but you cannot access it because you cannot afford it. Many U.S. states have mandated that private insurance plans must provide coverage related to autism therapy. In Michigan, for example, insurers must provide children under the age of six with an annual benefit of $50,000 for autism therapy. Insurers are provided some compensation from the state for these costs. In Ontario, we need to do better for our children. As I have learned through my son’s therapy, every single day does make a difference. To have to wait over a year for a placement, or a year for funding is excruciating for parents and can make a difference in long-term outcomes for our children. I am hopeful that the publicity that autism and the related therapy is getting as of late will help prompt changes in the legislature in Toronto. This is Ontario. We shouldn’t have to wait over a year, nor should we have to mortgage our homes to get therapy for our children that is so life-changing. PAMELA LUVISOTTO, LaSalle