The purpose of this presentation is to identify the challenges faced by special educators throughout North America in meeting the needs of Mexican-American students. Recommendations will also be provided for collaborating with families from Mexico along the following dimensions: population and demographic factors, urbanization and the decline of rural communities, emigration to the United States, language and ethnicity, religious factors, interpersonal factors and family relations, schools and education and special education in Mexico. The following information and recommendations were gathered from interviews conducted in schools, clinics, communities and homes in multiple states and cities in Mexico. Informants were parents, teachers, administrators, university faculty, children and others.