Waar ben je thuis?
Is a personal quest and passionate pamphlet about caring for forgotten and vulnerable groups within our society, then and now.
While Aaltje van Zweden looks out of her window one morning in Amsterdam, a thought suddenly occurs to her: what if you are in danger and no one does anything? She's never wondered that before. Aaltje does not fully understand why this is so acute and decides to investigate. It turns out that a Jewish family was deported and murdered from the house where she temporarily lives during the Second World War.
As the mother of a child with autism and an intellectual disability, the following question quickly arises: what exactly happened to those kinds of children during the war? As Aaltje makes more and more shocking discoveries, the world comes to a standstill due to the pandemic and she sees up close that vulnerable people are the first to suffer when a society comes under pressure. Still.
Aaltje van Zweden makes a painful link between past and present. People with disabilities were and are often placed outside society, while they have a lot to offer us – if you are open to it. She takes us on her personal quest and writes a passionate pamphlet about caring for forgotten groups. Where are you at home? van Aaltje van Zweden is her personal search for a place for vulnerable people, then and now.
““’A journey of discovery that is as personal as it is historical, exciting and passionate. Aaltje van Zweden writes like no other about lives that are taken from her heart.’””
De kracht van muziek
In the Power of Music you can read how you can stimulate a child's development with music
Music stimulates emotional and cognitive development. Music triggers emotions and can connect people. This makes it an excellent tool for making contact with children and young people with autism.
In The Power of Music, the authors discuss their own experiences, inspiring case descriptions, recent scientific research and the unique properties of music. In addition, various techniques and working methods are discussed. This publication provides insight into how music can be used.
Not only can it be used in a clinical setting or in education, but it is certainly also interesting for parents who want to know more about how music can be used as a means to stimulate their child's development.
In collaboration with: Prof. dr. dr. Erik Scherder, Tony Bloemendaal, Prof. dr. dr. Rene Khan, Prof. dr. Rutger Jan van der Gaag and Kees Momma.
Om wie je bent
With ‘Om wie je bent’, Aaltje van Zweden wrote a penetrating book about her own history and that of her son Benjamin, who has autism.
As an eighteen-year-old student, Aaltje meets a boy in an Amsterdam disco. He invites her and her friend for an evening in the Concertgebouw. To her surprise, she sees Jaap van Zweden, the youngest concertmaster, walking down the stairs, violin under her arm. Sparks fly and less than a year later they get married. Her husband's career takes off and they enjoy a varied life with their two young children. In her third pregnancy, however, Aaltje suspects that something is wrong, but it is only months after the birth of their son Benjamin that he is diagnosed with autism. Memories of her unsafe childhood with an alcohol-addicted father resurface. Through this confrontation, she finds the strength to face the problems surrounding her youngest son. And Benjamin is the one who teaches her to accept life as it is. In her book, Aaltje van Zweden tells in a moving and inspiring way how she manages to combine the different worlds in which she lives. As the wife of one of the world's most famous conductors, mother of four and champion of the recognition of autism.
“With ‘Om wie je bent’, Aaltje van Zweden wrote a penetrating book About Om wie je bent: ‘I am impressed by Aaltje’s very intense history and by Benjamin’s story. This will comfort, inspire and empower many people.””