What is the Hajo Seng Academy?

Inclusion, diversity, self-determination

14 May 2026 marks the first anniversary of the death of Hajo Seng, founder of Dalslands Studio. In memory of him and his work, his long-time companion and partner founded this academy.

The Hajo Seng Academy was founded out of a desire to keep Hajo’s thinking, research and way of being alive in this special place – and to pass them on. Here, people on the autism spectrum and their allies find a space where their experiences are taken seriously, their strengths are brought to the fore, and new perspectives on daily life, work and education are allowed to emerge – supported by a sense of community, peer-to-peer support and the tranquil expanse of the Dalslands Studio.

Background & Advisory Board

Hajo Seng – Life, Thought, Work

Dr Hajo Seng was born on 31 January 1963 in Singen and followed a path that took him from a special school to grammar school and eventually to a degree in mathematics, astronomy and the history of science. From childhood, he experienced what it means to think differently, to perceive things differently – and to be different. In the mid-1990s, at the age of around 30, he suspected that he was autistic. It was not until later that he received a formal diagnosis.

This realisation was not the end, but the beginning. Hajo Seng became one of the leading voices of the autistic self-advocacy movement in the German-speaking world. In 2002, he established his first connections with autistic communities; in 2003, he founded an early self-organised support group in Hamburg; and in 2005, he was involved in the founding of Aspies e.V. In 2008/2009, he initiated the autWorker project and began his pioneering skills workshops – a research format which he explored in greater depth as part of his PhD at the Institute for Rehabilitation Pedagogy.

Hajo Seng’s work represents a paradigm shift: away from a deficit-oriented approach towards the recognition of the autistic experience as a distinct form of human existence – with specific strengths, ways of thinking and modes of perception that need to be made visible and reinforced. His research combined systematic perspectives on lived experience with neurobiology and neuropsychology, thereby creating a foundation for an approach to autism education that thinks from the inside out.

Together with his partner Andreas Hieronymus, Hajo Seng founded Dalslands Studio in Dals Långed, western Sweden – a seminar and retreat centre by the water that combines neurodiversity, critical thinking and interaction in a natural setting. On 14 May 2025, Hajo Seng passed away after three years of serious illness.

The Academy as a living legacy

The Hajo Seng Academy was founded by Andreas Hieronymus – on the first anniversary of Hajo’s death and as a concrete continuation of his thinking and work. It is not a memorial, but an active place of learning: inclusive, resource-oriented, and based on mutual respect.

At its heart lie the core beliefs that Hajo Seng championed throughout his life:

• Autism as a variant of the human condition – not a deficit, but a difference with its own dignity

• Raising awareness of autistic abilities – understanding and utilising ways of thinking, modes of perception and strengths as resources

• Self-determination and social participation – in education, work and everyday life

• Peer support and community – autistic people supporting and empowering one another

The Academy collaborates with experienced professionals from the autistic self-advocacy movement – including autSocial (Hamburg) and the ZAK PEER-Academy (Hanover) – and builds upon the concept of skills workshops, which Hajo Seng developed and researched from 2009 onwards.

One place, one spirit

Dalslands Studio is more than just a venue. It is the tangible result of a shared vision of life: a place where one can pause, reflect and connect – away from the noise and hustle and bustle, right in the heart of the Swedish countryside, offering space for both retreat and interaction.

The Hajo Seng Academy carries this spirit forward: as a place of learning, empowerment and genuine connection – in the spirit of Hajo and for all those who wish to continue his legacy.

The Advisory Board of the Hajo Seng Academy complements the existing background information by ensuring the connection between Hajo’s thinking, the practice at Dalslands Studio and the diverse lived experiences of autistic people.

The Advisory Board of the Hajo Seng Academy

To shape the Academy into a vibrant, evolving place of learning, a small, effective advisory board will be established. It will advise the Academy’s management on matters of principle, reflect on the programme and working methods from different perspectives, and strengthen links with self-advocacy groups, academia, practitioners and families.

The advisory board works independently and in a critical yet constructive manner. It ensures that Hajo Seng’s core principles – autism as a variant of the norm, a focus on resources, peer work and research into everyday life – remain visible and are further developed in the Academy’s day-to-day operations.

Roles of the Advisory Board

• Advice on the content and focus of seminars, workshops and retreats

• Feedback from the perspectives of self-advocacy, academia, practice and family members

• Support in collaborations with organisations, projects and research institutions

• Contribution to quality development and the Academy’s ethical guidelines

The Academy’s management retains responsibility for the specific programme design; the Advisory Board acts in an advisory capacity and works through dialogue.

Composition: diverse perspectives, small group

The advisory board is intended to deliberately bring together different perspectives on autism whilst remaining manageable in size (around 5–7 people). The planned members include:

• autistic researchers and members of the autism self-advocacy community

• representatives from self-organised autism communities

• experts in education and vocational training with a focus on autism

• Parental and family perspectives

• People working in integration support, counselling or inclusion policy

• Artistic and cultural voices that resonate with Hajo’s work on thinking styles

Some members will be based in the German-speaking context, whilst others will contribute international experience and networks. Meetings may take place at Dalslands Studio or online, tailored to the needs and accessibility requirements of those involved.

An advisory board in the spirit of Hajo Seng

With this advisory board, the Hajo Seng Academy is being deliberately developed in a bottom-up manner: people from the autism movement, as well as from practice and research, are actively involved in shaping it. In this way, the Academy remains not a static ‘monument’, but a place where Hajo’s ideas can continue to be tested, scrutinised and further developed together.

The Academy is a project of Dalslands Studio, founded and directed by Dr Andreas Hieronymus, Fabriksvägen 7, 66695 Dals Långed, Sweden. Contact: office@dalslands-studio.eu