The Start of Something Bigger
In 2003, two teachers found themselves working closely together, connected both by their classrooms and by Silvia’s young son, Matthew, who has autism. Silvia had just moved to the area with no support system and an urgent need to find the right services for her son. Margaret, who specialized in working with neurodiverse children like Matthew, began working with him a couple of days a week at home, building daily living skills, communication, and confidence. Spending that much time together created a deep bond between Silvia and Margaret, and with that, a shared looming concern.
One afternoon, after years of working with Silvia’s son, Margaret gently asked the question so many families quietly carried: What was Matthew’s long-term plan? Silvia answered honestly—at the time, keeping him home felt like the only option. As Margaret moved into community work, she became frustrated by just how limited the choices were for individuals with special needs. The turning point came when she sat down with Silvia and her husband and asked, with urgency, “Where is Matthew going to live?”
The question caught them off guard. They had carefully planned for their other children, but not for Matthew—because families like theirs had no other viable options. Even the thought of sharing responsibilities with other parents felt unstable. Margaret’s voice was steady as she insisted that failure was not an option, and Silvia knew in her heart she was right.
As the years went on, the needs within the special needs community only grew. By 2008, the recession hit hard and schools cut extended year programs that families relied on so they could continue working. There were almost no inclusive activities for children or adults with special needs, leaving families isolated and exhausted. Silvia and Margaret realized they couldn’t wait for the system to fix itself.
One day, while on a bench at Orlando’s Mathews Park, ironically, they talked about everything they had seen—every barrier, every exhausted parent, every child who deserved more. That park bench became their turning point, the moment they asked the question that would guide everything that followed: If we could create anything, what would we build?
They began with a simple goal
They began with a simple goal: to meet the most urgent needs facing special needs families by creating meaningful programs that offered connection and support. As interest grew, a small circle of friends, teachers, and therapists formed the “founding sisters” and laid the groundwork for what would become OCA. Today, OCA serves children, teens, and adults across the lifespan through vocational, companion and life-skills programs along with inclusive recreation, arts, Special Olympics training, and behavior therapy. With a multidisciplinary approach that focuses on each person’s strengths, OCA builds real independence, whether that means tying shoes, making friends, or learning job skills, and has grown into a community where individuals and families can grow, belong, and thrive.
