S09 | E09 Continual Growth as a Parent with Valerie Brooks

Valerie Brooks of Autistic Interpretations joins me today to share her journey, joys, and struggles as the parent of an adult with autism. She explains how community and connection has led to tremendous growth for both herself and her daughter, Jess. 

Val shows us the reality of her experience, from all the good times with her family, to advocating for her child throughout life, to the things she wishes she had done differently. Her humility is a great example to us of doing the best you can and continuing to learn as both a parent and an adult.

Being able to share her story and see the positive impact it has on the lives of others seeking to learn has given Valerie hope. Her message is that the future doesn’t have to be scary, even when you don’t know how or if things will work out. Parenthood isn’t easy, but there is always joy to be had, lessons to learn, and a better tomorrow to look forward to. Tune in!

About Valerie Brooks:

Based out of the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area, Valerie Brooks, BSN RN, is the founder of Autistic Interpretations, a social media community spanning a blog, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. A mother of three children, Valerie is the primary caregiver to her fully dependent, Autistic, and blind 34-year-old daughter, Jessica. Together, they glimpse into their lives, rich with family, poodles, and Southern cooking. Their posts reflect the joys and struggles of life with an adult autistic family member.

Having achieved her hard-won registered nursing designation and working in cardiac care, Valerie made the courageous decision to leave nursing to work from home and ensure Jessica would thrive. Through a steadfast commitment to sharing varied, authentic posts, Valerie has built an online community of more than 100 thousand subscribers. Val and Jess aim to share their version of “normal” to show that it is good.

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