The Invisibly visible life....and why I started this podcast

Hi, my name is Alison, and I created Invisibly Visible to be a supportive space for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and friends navigating the challenges of raising children with exceptionalities.

Creating this podcast is one of the most vulnerable things I have ever done. I know so many of you have walked a similar path—or may be walking it right now—living a life you never imagined for yourself or your family. I understand what it feels like to be lost, overwhelmed, and unsure where to turn. My hope is to remind listeners that they can do hard things, while also offering grace, building self-compassion along the way.

Invisibly Visible has become a purpose close to my heart: helping families feel seen, heard, and less alone. Through this podcast, I’ll share conversations and stories about surviving and thriving in parenthood while raising children with exceptionalities. My goal is to help build a community rooted in connection, resilience, and advocacy. And while this journey can be incredibly heavy, I also believe it’s important to laugh, find joy, and make room for moments of lightness along the way.

This first episode offers a snapshot of who I am—not only as a mother, but also as a professional in early childhood education and child development. Those roles have deeply intertwined throughout my journey. Having lived experience alongside education and professional training has given me strength, insight, and determination to support both my own family and the families I have had the privilege to serve.

I have always wanted to work with children. My first job was as a camp leader when I was 13 years old. I later graduated with honors from the Early Childhood Education program at Niagara College and knew I wanted to keep growing in my ability to support children and families. In 2006, I was part of the first graduating class of the Autism and Behavioral Sciences program at St. Lawrence College. Over the years, I have worked as an early childhood educator, instructor therapist, resource consultant, family services coordinator, and infant development consultant.

Through both my personal and professional experiences, I have learned that strategies that may seem simple on paper can feel incredibly hard for families living through sleepless nights, tantrums, self-injurious behaviors, burnout, and endless mom guilt. I have had to learn when to quiet the behavior therapist in me and simply be Mom. More than anything, I believe empathy and compassion are essential. Sometimes, feeling understood is what gives us the strength to keep going.

I am also a mom to three wonderful children, who are now 17, 15, and 13. I believe deeply in serendipity, intuition, and the signs that guide us when we need them most. All three of my children have faced more than their share of trauma and hardship. My youngest, Olivia, shines brightly and has grown into a strong, resilient, and passionate young woman. Olivia has a rare genetic deletion called 1q21.1. At this point, I know so much medical jargon that you might think I’m a general practitioner.

Throughout this podcast, I will share personal stories and reflections from my journey as a parent to a child with a rare condition and from the experience of watching her feel invisibly visible in the world around her. I don’t have all the answers, and I would never pretend to understand every path a parent of a child with special needs may face. But I do know isolation, confusion, frustration, joy, resilience, and hope.

That hope is what I want to offer you.

I want you to know that you and your child are not invisible. I see you. I hear you. And through this space, I hope we can continue learning, connecting, building resilience, and advocating for a more inclusive world—together.

Looking for more resources? Check out Child Development & Early Intervention

The power of sharing- you can't do it alone. Tried and true tips and tricks