To Whom It May Concern:

I am very pleased to write this letter supporting Rita Herman’s typing program proposal. My name is Peg Watt-Morse. I am a high-risk obstetrician married to a busy attorney. We have four children now ranging from 9-to-16.

Our second child has Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is a form of high-functioning autism. When you first meet her, Mary is an energetic, enthusiastic, inquisitive blonde girl. She is a bit awkward, and her voice is very loud. She relates better to adults than to her peers.

Mary has all the characteristics that can be present in children with Asperger’s syndrome. Among these are significant difficulties with organization and fine motor skills. She has received special supports since the age of five.

Mary has been in a typical school with some accommodations for her entire life. Her handwriting is painstakingly slow and difficult to read.

We first met Mrs. Herman a bit more than five years ago because her teacher had been astute enough to grab the opportunity to have Mrs. Herman’s support for a few hours per week. The first student to work with her was our daughter.

In less than four sessions, our daughter was an excellent typist. I do not even remember all the aspects of the program. I do remember that part of it involved Mary(‘s) writing a song about her grandfather (who died in 1998) that was very touching. To this day, Mary types all of her written assignments.

Mrs. Herman then taught my older daughter and Mary’s brother Jacob. She will be coming soon to work with Paul. All of my children have worked with typing in their computer classes at school. These classes have been long and boring. They do not compare with the instruction from Mrs. Herman.

I think that Mrs. Herman should be used much more widely. My family is a perfect example of how it works well for both typical and special needs children. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Mrs. Herman can provide my contact information.

Sincerely,
Margaret L. (Peg) Watt-Morse MD, MPH