The main event in May was the first anniversary of Hajo’s death. I had been thinking about the preparations for this day, which was very important to me, for quite some time. I am now very happy that we put together a lovely programme for the day and that I was able to bring people together in his memory.
We marked the first anniversary of Hajo’s passing with a visit to his grave in Torrskog. There, we struck his singing bowl three times.
Following this, the Advisory Board of the Hajo Seng Academy was formed and held its first meeting.
The Hajo Seng Academy was then officially opened.
Following the opening ceremony, visitors and neighbours of the Dalsland Studio gathered to reflect on the year that has passed since Hajo moved on with the cranes.
Opening of the Hajo Seng Academy
The event marks the first anniversary of Hajo Seng’s death and the opening of the academy dedicated to him. Its purpose is to carry forward and develop Hajo’s legacy and his ideas, particularly in the areas of autistic ways of thinking and self-organisation. The three-hour event (in German), which was recorded, includes a moment of silence in memory of Hajo at 4.39 pm (the time of his passing), talks about his life and work, insights into his skills workshops, and the introduction of the academy’s advisory board.
Here is a summary of the event
1. Who was Hajo Seng?
Andreas Hieronymus, Hajo’s long-term partner, gave an account of Hajo’s eventful life and his development:
Early life and formative influences:
Born in Singen am Hohentwiel, he took his A-levels in 1982. His youth was shaped by Freiburg’s autonomous and punk scene, which sparked his interest in self-organisation. He lived in two worlds: a mystical, fairy-tale world and the real world.
Career and self-discovery:
- Met Andreas in Freiburg in 1986.
- Moved to Hamburg, where he worked in disability support.
- Studied mathematics, the history of science and astronomy (though he was also interested in astrology and Asian philosophy) – an early manifestation of his rational and spiritual ways of thinking.
- In the mid-1990s, he discovered a special connection with non-verbal autistic people, which led him to wonder whether he himself might be autistic.
- He was diagnosed with autism whilst suffering from severe depression, which marked a significant turning point in his life.
- The move from the unstructured IT sector to a stable position at the University Library of Hamburg marked for him a new beginning in a world of self-organisation.
A pioneer of the autistic self-advocacy movement:
- Hajo is regarded as a veteran of the autistic self-advocacy movement and a valued colleague.
- He has developed an understanding of autism that moves away from a deficit-oriented perspective towards an approach focused on abilities and potential.
- His PhD thesis (2021) summarises the different stages of his life and developed an insider’s perspective on autism, viewing it as a strength rather than a deficit.
‘Time granted’ and his passing:
- Between 2013 and 2022, Hajo received two cancer diagnoses, which he used productively as ‘time granted’.
- He passed away in May 2025; Andreas sees the Academy as a continuation of his promise to carry on Hajo’s legacy.
Hajo’s philosophy:
- Autism should be understood in terms of perception and thought, not behaviour.
- He often viewed autism as a problem of translation between thoughts and language, as well as a tension between perception and communication.
- The quote “Becoming ‘I’ from ‘you’” describes his concept of relationships.
- His approach was ‘bottom-up’, peer-oriented and consistently focused on resources and potential. He accepted people just as they were.
- The Hajo Seng Academy aims to carry these principles (bottom-up, peer orientation, resource orientation) into the future and develop them further.
2. Opening remarks on the founding of the Academy
- Georg Teunissen (Hajo’s supervisor): He agreed to act as patron. He emphasised Hajo’s significance as an “expert in his own field” and his work, which challenged the prevailing deficit model. Hajo had given a voice to autistic people and highlighted the complexity of autistic patterns of perception and ways of thinking. The Academy offers valuable opportunities for knowledge, understanding and inclusion.
- Michael (autSocial Board Member): Shared a personal story about his encounter with Hajo, who helped him recognise himself as a “structural thinker”, even though Michael saw himself as a “visual thinker”. To him, Hajo was someone interested in relationships and pure curiosity, not in achievement. Michael emphasised the inspiration he received from Hajo to “unmask” himself and use his voice to advocate for the interests of autistic people. He said that founding the Academy on the anniversary of Hajo’s death was something “valuable and important”.
3. Insights into Hajo’s workshops and autistic ways of thinking (Imke & Thomas)
- The discussion focused on the “Autistic Skills Workshops” developed by Hajo and the insights gained from them.
- Origin of the workshops: Hajo conceived the workshops early on as a “safe space” for autistic people to explore their own ways of thinking, abilities and interests. This was a response to the pathologising and derogatory description of autistic interests as “repetitive” or “meaningless”. The workshops were not tied to Hajo personally, but were intended to be passed on.
- Evolution into SIAM workshops: A formalised version of the workshops was developed for young adults on the autism spectrum (SIAM workshops). Currently, there are monthly online workshops on various topics (relationships, work, leisure, spirituality). These workshops facilitate “deep talk” and generate participatory research findings.
Key takeaways from the workshops (clusters):
Perception and internal processes:
- Thinking is structured, written, visual and highly pattern-oriented.
- Clarity emerges when there are enough ‘pieces of the puzzle’.
- Thinking is often fast, but energy-intensive.
- Autistic thought processes are more conscious, more taxing and require more time for filtering and establishing coherence.
- Incoherence is perceived as stressful and requires a great deal of energy to process.
- There are various modes of thinking (visual, pattern-based, auditory, verbal) which, ideally, must harmonise to enable creativity. Stress can lead to disharmony and mental blocks.
Sensory input and the environment:
- Noise, bright lights, smells and crowded spaces cause mental blocks.
- Unclear rules, questions asked too quickly or in rapid succession, and general communication overload impair information processing.
- Slowing down helps considerably.
- Discussion: People with autism are seen as society’s ‘canaries in the coal mine’, the first to suffer from sensory overload, but neurotypical people also benefit from a slower pace and less pressure.
Special interests and thinking styles:
- Special interests generate a sense of ‘flow’, deep concentration and sustained motivation.
- Understanding goes beyond mere knowledge; a sense of becoming one with the subject emerges.
- Important for self-perception, a sense of competence and self-confidence.
- Discussion: Hajo deserves credit for ‘reclaiming’ special interests as a strength. Losing access to special interests can cause ‘autistic depression’. The question of whether special interests should become a career is an individual one; pressure can undermine them. A suitable framework is often more important than a direct link between career and interests.
Communication and interaction:
- Complex thinking often clashes with expectations of brevity and simplicity.
- ‘Reading between the lines’ and implicit messages are perceived as overwhelming.
- Interaction with neurodivergent individuals is often perceived as more intuitive and less barriered (‘double empathy problem’).
- Discussion: The challenge of translating multidimensional thoughts into sequential language is energy-intensive and becomes more difficult under stress. The ability to express oneself precisely and with nuance is often undervalued. Talking with one another rather than about one another, believing one another, and understanding different perceptions are essential for successful communication.
Word Cloud:
- A visual summary of the key terms from the workshop, with larger and more central words appearing more frequently (e.g. ‘thinking’, ‘structure’, ‘visual’, ‘clear’, ‘intense’, ‘energy’, ‘time’, ‘autism’, “communication”, ‘enjoyable’). The word “enjoyable” was highlighted as particularly apt for describing the feeling of flow when thinking in the right environment.
4. The Advisory Board of the Hajo Seng Academy
- Members: Simone, Nadine, Imke and Andreas form the core group. Further members are currently being approached.
- Purpose: To further develop and support the Dalsland Studio and the Hajo Seng Academy, and to ensure that Hajo’s principles and research (particularly regarding ways of thinking) are upheld through a form of quality management.
- Future plans: Internationalisation, structured communication (e.g. via mailing lists for members unable to use Zoom), early planning, next brainstorming session in November.
5. Conclusion and Outlook
Andreas thanked the participants for the candid and open discussion. He emphasised the significance of the commemorative day and the hope of carrying on Hajo’s legacy. Simone presented the ZAKakademy, which will be offering ‘workshop camps’ on autistic skills at the Dalsland Studio in Sweden – a direct collaboration with the Hajo Seng Academy. Michael proposed a series of three workshops to give external participants an insight into the work of the SIAM seminars. Those present expressed a desire to continue working together and to share the content developed with the wider community. The event concluded with thanks to all those present and the opportunity to sign up for newsletters to receive further information.