For families raising children with special needs, finding the right services and knowing where to turn for help can be overwhelming. For Dilcia Torres, that struggle is personal. As a mother of a child with autism, a community advocate, and a business and nonprofit leader, she has turned her own experience into a mission to help other families—especially those in the Hispanic community.
“I’m very passionate about serving families, and especially with special needs,” Torres said. “I work closely with my Hispanic community and with other members of the community who may feel overwhelmed or unsure about where to find help.”
A mission shaped by personal experience
Torres’ passion for advocacy comes from her own experience as a mother. Her 9-year-old son, Hector, has autism and is nonverbal. Raising him has taught her not only about the challenges families face, but also about the importance of persistence and compassion.
“Being the mother of a child with special needs has changed the way that I see service and advocacy,” she said. “It has taught me patience, persistence and compassion.”
When Torres first began searching for services for her son, she said she did not have anyone to guide her through the process.
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“I didn’t have a person to guide me to do everything—to go and look for help for programs,” she said. “Thank God, I’m a brave mom, so I fight for many years just to get my son with services and doing better and better.”
That experience became part of the reason she decided to help other families. She wants parents to know that they do not have to figure everything out by themselves.
Helping families find their way
Torres helps families navigate early intervention, special education, health insurance, medical services, and other community resources.
She has encountered parents who are afraid to approach their school district or simply do not know how to request evaluations and services for their children. In those situations, she helps them understand the steps and advocates alongside them.
“I tell them, you have to go to the neurologist, you have to go to the doctor, get a diagnosis, and then with that diagnosis, you can go to the school and ask for assessment, evaluations and services,” she said.
Her support often goes beyond simply providing information. When necessary, Torres said she will personally accompany families to social services offices or school districts.
“I take them and go with them and advocate for them,” she said. “I say, ‘Hey, listen. This family needs help. You have to listen to them. They have rights.’”
For Torres, advocacy means helping families gain the confidence to speak up and pursue the services their children need.
‘I cannot hide my son’
Torres believes communities also need to change the way they view people with special needs.
“I think we need to convince people that special needs is not aliens,” she said. “They are people exactly like us, different with differences.”
That belief is reflected in the way she raises her own son. Torres said there are times when people may worry about Hector’s behavior in public, but she refuses to let that keep him isolated.
“I cannot hide my son. I don’t want to hide my son,” she said. “I have to take my son and show the whole world to my son.”
She encourages other families to do the same.
“You cannot be afraid if somebody doesn’t want to see your son or your daughter,” she said. “You keep taking your kids and going wherever you want to go. They are not monsters.”
For Torres, inclusion begins when families feel confident bringing their loved ones into the community and when communities respond with understanding rather than fear.
Faith, community and service
Torres’ commitment to helping others also extends through her faith and her involvement with Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Newburgh. She also serves on the board of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. For Torres, serving the special-needs community is a joy, particularly because many families need not only guidance but also practical resources. Through the church, she is able to help provide assistance including food, clothing, shoes, school supplies, and other forms of aid.
At the church, she helps families find food, grants, information, and other support. She said people regularly reach out to her with different needs.
“Every week I have like five or 10 people looking for me and trying to resolve some situation for them,” she said. “I feel so grateful and happy to be able to do it.”
Whether a family needs help finding speech therapy, ABA therapy, educational services, food assistance, or another resource, Torres tries to connect them with the appropriate support. For her, serving families is not simply about offering advice—it is about helping them find the resources and support they need to move forward.
She also operates K.O.K. Solutions LLC, which helps families navigate the process of becoming first-time homeowners and find resources and programs available to them.
Empowering families to move forward
Looking ahead, Torres hopes to continue empowering families to recognize that they belong, that they have rights, and that they deserve opportunities.
“They are part of this world. They have rights. They deserve everything, and they can do it without being afraid,” she said. “They don’t have to think that they are alone. They have help. They have people who want to help them.”
Her work is rooted in a simple belief: families should not have to face their challenges alone.
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