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BARELY VISIBLE
Mothering a Son Through His Misunderstood Autism

For any parent who has ever struggled with a child’s difficult or peculiar behavior, this candid and compelling memoir about raising a child on the spectrum offers reassurance that you are not alone—and a path forward is possible.

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NOW AVAILABLE!

testimonial

A heartfelt and skillfully written memoir that stands out for its unvarnished honesty and authentic voice, Somers shows us how the ever-exhausting world of parenting is on overdrive when raising a neurodiverse child, achieving this with sharp observations and clear delivery to her readers.”
Readers’ Favorite Review

Book

About the Book

When your child is diagnosed with autism, a million questions come to the surface and fear sets in. The discovery that they are high functioning comes as a relief—it may enable them to disguise their shortcomings.

 

Or it may create additional problems.

Barely Visible is not a heroic tale of a champion parent. It’s a candid memoir of one mother’s struggle with the gray space between her son appearing one way on the surface, yet being quite different beneath it. Walking that fine line between when to say something and when to bite your tongue, hoping your child can handle life on his own, requires tremendous foresight and energy. How do you convince others to “cut your child some slack” when the kid they see looks like every other kid they know? How do you explain away behavior that, at face value, looks like the result of bad parenting? And how do you prevent others from discriminating against your child once you do disclose their disability? 

Chronicling a journey spanning twenty-three years, Barely Visible is a mother’s admission of guilt, for choosing to ignore her son’s diagnosis initially; acceptance of defeat, for rarely knowing the right thing to do; and an acknowledgment of love—not only for her son, but also for herself.

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testimonial

Kathleen's raw vulnerability and honest portrayal of her experience shines a light on the challenges faced by families touched by autism. A poignant must-read for its insight and authenticity."

Linda Burger, Immediate Past chair of Disability Belongs

About the Author

KATHLEEN SOMERS, a debut author, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, and works as a freelance graphic designer and copywriter. She is a passionate observer of humanity who believes in the power of connection that comes from each of us sharing our individual stories, and the importance of authenticity when doing it. Having spent 24 years guiding her son through a disability most can’t see has not made her an authority on the topic. It’s having been the student to all that he has taught her that has brought her closer than anything ever will. When Kathleen isn’t busy with her career as a creative, she is out on her bike finding new roads to explore, or spending time with her son, opening his eyes to everything the world has to offer, both big and small. She lives with her family in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

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Bio
testimonial

A moving, beautifully rendered account of a mother's journey accepting her son's disability, and the ultimate triumph of the heart, where love wins and letting go begins."

Diana Kupershmit, Author of Emma's Laugh: The gift of second chances

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EVENTS & MEDIA

10.24.24 

Guest appearance on Inside the Asperger's Studio podcast, hosted by Reid Miles

03.10.25

Guest appearance on Autism Blueprint podcast hosted by Janeen Herskovitz

03.18.25

Guest appearance on Autism Parenting Secrets podcast hosted by Len Arcuri

03.26.25

Guest appearance on Cover to Cover podcast hosted by Mary Elizabeth Jackson

04.01.25 / LAUNCH DAY!!

Barely Visible is available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and anywhere you buy your books!

Read my essay for Women Writers, Women's Books, an online literary magazine

Guest appearance on Anderson Center for Autism's 1 in 36 podcast hosted by Eliza Bozenski

Guest appearance on Conversations LIVE with Cyrus Webb

04.04.25

Read my essay, "The Unreal Reality of Being a Writer" in The Shit No One Tells You About Writing weekly newsletter.

05.04.25

Book signing with fellow She Writes Press author, Jenny Briggs, at Barnes & Noble, Plymouth Meeting, PA  /
1:00 – 3:00pm

06.07.25

Multicultural Book Fair  /  1:00 – 3:00pm
Yeadon Public Library, 809 Longacre Blvd, Yeadon, PA 19050

06.29.25

American Library Association Conference

Indie Author Showcase  /  2:30 – 3:30pm
Philadelphia Convention Center

Events
testimonial

Somers remains unflinching in her love for her son, leaving readers
with the hopeful advice that ‘life has a way of working itself out.’”

Booklife review

testimonial

A reflective and humorous journey that should resonate with any parent."

KIRKUS REVIEWS

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Order your copy today.

AVAILABLE IN PRINT AND E-BOOK

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Contact

Join my mailing list

I would love to hear from you!


Feel free to share thoughts about my memoir or details of your own journey with a child on the

spectrum by using the form below—or email me directly at info@kathleensomers.com.

Publicist: Crystal Patriarche, BookSparks
Crystal@BookSparksPR.com
(480) 650-1688

© 2024 by Kathleen Somers

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