Here is an example of a letter that can be used to communicate your child’s need to his/her school:

Dear Sir or Madam:

I was very pleased to find out that my son Jonathan is in your school this year. I wanted to inform you of his special dietary needs.

Jonathan has Celiac Disease. This means he cannot eat ANY foods that have the gluten grains wheat, rye, barley, oats or have any of their derivatives in them. Even trace amounts of gluten from crumbs or contact with gluten foods can make him ill. He will not become immediately ill, such as in a severe allergy, and will not need immediate medical treatment, but any gluten will cause him to have a reaction and over time will damage his intestines and cause more health problems.

His typical reaction will be digestive problems (stomach ache and/or diarrhea); he may be very grumpy. He may also have to go to the restroom suddenly. Please allow him this privilege if he suddenly needs to go. He has never abused this privilege in the past, and I will be happy to meet with you if you feel he is abusing it. We are able to keep his gluten accidents to a minimum, so he shouldn’t have too many times of illness. If it is a bad reaction I will keep him home from school.

Please contact me if there is to be any parties or special in-class meals (ie: pizza party, etc) and I will send a gluten free alternative for him to eat. He is very aware of his dietary needs, but I feel it is important that you are aware of those needs.  The one rule that I have taught him is most important is this:  When in doubt, go without.  Companies change their ingredients on a regular basis and if there should ever be a question regarding a certain food, I ask that he just avoid it until I can confirm whether or not it is gluten-free. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to sharing this year of my child’s education with you.