This presentation describes the development of an international collaborative project involving former Bridge School Teacher in Residence. Staff from the Centro Apoyo Tecnológico para la Comunicación y el Aprendizaje (CATIC) in Mexico City and Augmentative Communication Inc. are using mainstream technologies to develop and support children with complex communication needs and their families in Mexico City. The Bridge School and Cisco Systems, Inc., are providing technical support. The presentation highlights project goals, the use of videoconferencing for clinical planning across distances, and documents preliminary outcomes for the children in Mexico City and their families, as well as CATIC staff. It also describes how consultations from international experts in occupational therapy and vision became part of the program. The presenters will discuss how other international collaborations (e.g., between staff in Poland and Romania) are being carried out and what strategies are most helpful for achieving successful collaborations that benefit children with complex communication needs and their families.
