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Helpful Hints for Communicating with your Elected Officials
Please remember the goal of your communication is to officially record your support for Senate Bill 1000 (or the House companion bill once it’s created). Please use these helpful hints as you communicate with your elected officials by phone or in writing. Please see the Senate Education Committee and House Education Committee links to find your elected officials’ contact information.
Phone correspondence
- It is very important that you personalize your call - Do not read from a script – Speak from your heart!
- Introduce yourself and ask them to record your name and full mailing address (indicating whether or not you are a constituent.)
- Ask them to record that you are calling in support of Senate Bill 1000 (or the appropriate House Bill number once created).
- Remember your goal and discuss only the Autism Services Accessibility Program Bill during this phone call. (If time is too brief, it is okay, as you will be following up in writing also).
- Most of the time, staff will simply listen and tell you they will pass the request along to the senator. That is fine.
- Please be courteous, respectful, and considerate of their time.
- Keep your conversation brief (a few minutes) and stick to the point.
- To ensure that your call of support was registered, ask for a written reply.
- Make note of the staff member’s name you spoke with in case you call again in the future.
- Please thank them for their time and hard work and that you appreciate their passing on your request to your senator or representative.
- With a quick phone call, there is not much time to share your personal experience with autism education in Texas. Please follow up with a written letter or email using the helpful tips below.
Written Letters or Emails
- Form letters and e-mails are discouraged! If you are using a sample letter, please personalize it with your own words reflecting your experience with autism education in Texas.
- Please reference the Senate Education Committee and House Education Committee links to see the proper way to address written correspondence to your elected officials.
- Always include your name and full mailing address (indicating whether or not you are a constituent.)
- Begin your letter or email by stating your support for Senate Bill 1000 (or the appropriate House Bill number once created).
- Remember your goal and discuss only the Autism Services Accessibility Program Bill during this letter or email.
- Please be courteous and respectful in your message.
- Please keep your message to one page.
- To ensure that your letter of support was registered, ask for a written reply.
- Please thank them for their time and hard work.
- Do not send attachments to emails as these emails are most likely deleted.
Thank you for your time in advocating for an Autism Services Accessibility Program in Texas.
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