Autism and ADHD in pictures, is the subtitle. Using seemingly simple drawings, recognizable situations are explained in a striking way, including how someone with ADHD and/or autism thinks or acts.
Kirsten has now been working at the Dignitas hospice in Hoorn for a number of years, before which she guided countless clients in healthcare. “Then terms were always thrown around. Such as ‘a disturbance in your executive functions’. What is that? During conversations with clients, I started making drawings using a stick figure to better explain situations. I noticed that it often worked. ‘Can I have that?’ I was sometimes asked. And I noticed that photos were taken of the drawings I used during presentations.”
‘Accessible to all’
Through an acquaintance who previously published a book, she came into contact with a publisher from the healthcare field. “More to see if I could bundle the drawings for myself or for some former colleagues.” The publisher was immediately enthusiastic and suggested publishing it. And so her own book – richly filled with 130 drawings and additional texts and explanations – suddenly appears in front of her. And it can be found in various (online) stores. “The layout has been kept fairly simple, the drawings in black and white. I think it is important that it is accessible to everyone.”
She knows what it’s like. She was diagnosed with ADHD ten years ago. “I think it is nice for a client if someone says to you: ‘I understand how you feel’. People with ADHD and/or autism have difficulty regulating stimuli. Emotions such as sadness, mourning, but also happiness are much more intense .”
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