The document that captures everything a legal plan can't — the personal details that define your child's quality of life
You've spent years learning exactly what your child needs — the foods they love, the routines that keep them calm, the triggers to avoid, the people they trust. That knowledge lives in you. And when you're no longer there, it needs to live somewhere else.
A Letter of Intent (LOI) is the document that makes sure it does.
A Letter of Intent is a non-binding, non-legal document that serves as a personal guide for future caregivers, guardians, and trustees. It doesn't replace a Special Needs Trust, a will, or a guardianship agreement. What it does is fill in the gaps that legal documents leave behind.
A trust document tells a trustee how to manage assets. A guardianship agreement names who has legal authority. But neither document tells a new caregiver that your child needs their toast cut diagonally, that loud environments cause meltdowns, that they communicate best through a specific AAC device, or that Tuesday afternoons with their favorite therapist are the highlight of their week.
The LOI is the document that introduces your child to the people who will love them next. It's not a legal requirement — but it may be the most important thing you ever write.
A well-written LOI covers every dimension of your child's life. While there's no required format, a thorough letter typically addresses:
Diagnoses, medications, dosages, allergies, physicians, therapists, and history of hospitalizations or procedures.
Wake-up and bedtime routines, meal preferences, hygiene care, and any routines that are essential to your child's stability.
How your child communicates, what devices or systems they use, signs that indicate pain, distress, happiness, or need.
Known triggers for difficult behavior, calming strategies that work, and how to respond to a meltdown or crisis.
Current therapy schedules, educational placements, IEP goals, and providers your child has built relationships with.
Important relationships — friends, extended family, community members — and how to maintain those connections.
Favorite activities, hobbies, shows, music, foods, and experiences that bring joy and meaning to your child's life.
Religious or cultural traditions you want honored, your vision for your child's life, and any other guidance you want future caregivers to carry.
Think of your special needs plan as having two layers. The legal layer — the SNT, the will, the guardianship — establishes authority and controls money. The personal layer — the LOI — conveys knowledge and preserves continuity. Both matter. A trustee managing distributions from a well-funded SNT still needs to know what to spend the money on. An LOI tells them.
Store your LOI alongside your other planning documents and make sure your successor guardian, trustee, and any other key people know where to find it. Revisit and update it at least once a year, or whenever your child's needs, routines, or circumstances change meaningfully.
You. No attorney, financial planner, or care coordinator knows your child the way you do. The LOI is the one planning document that only a parent can write authentically. You can use a template as a starting point, but the most important parts — the details that make your child's life what it is — have to come from you.
If your child is old enough and capable of participating, involving them in writing the LOI can be a meaningful exercise that also ensures the document reflects their own voice and preferences, not just yours.
A Letter of Intent is a powerful act of love. It ensures that if the unthinkable happens, your child will be cared for in a way that honors their personality, preserves their dignity, and upholds the life you worked so hard to build for them.
Not sure where to start? We've created a comprehensive, printable template that walks you through every section — from personal information and daily routines to medical details, behavioral needs, and your final wishes. Fill it out at your own pace, in your own words.
Download Template (PDF)14 pages · Printable · Fill-in fields for every section
A Letter of Intent is one piece of a larger special needs plan. We help families put all the pieces together — the right life insurance, the properly structured trust, and the guidance to make it all work.
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