My Son’s Autism Milestones: Gym, Buses and Handphones

It’s been a while since I talked about my youngest son C with autism, and what’s been happening with him.

So here goes.

Three things happened in these past three months that has meant new milestones reached for him.

Autism Milestone #1 – Attending Gym Sessions

One was him attending free gym sessions of 45 to 50 minutes, up to twice a week at a local fitness studio.

There, instructors-in-training for certification offer pro bono gym instructions and guidance to persons with disabilities from age 15 and up.

We were really fortunate to have found this for him. Though it meant a half-hour drive each way when we bring him there, it’s worth every gallon of petrol. And, occasionally (if nearby car park lots run out), being fined for illegal parking!

Granted, the studio space isn’t big (as you can see from the picture above). Also, when the roster is full, that results in a lot of sweaty bodies packed into a confined space the size of a badminton court.

Granted too that the instructors aren’t yet fully qualified, and several (from what I’ve observed these past three months) don’t always seem to know what they’re doing. Fortunately, these instructors-in-training are regularly rotated, so my son won’t always get the same trainer.

Interestingly enough, after his initial reluctance to attend (he’s generally reluctant to try ANYTHING new), my son got used to showing up; he even seemed to look forward to it.

But wait! If you’re thinking he’s finding the activity helpful or he enjoys lifting weights, I’ll have to burst your bubble.

It’s About People Not Dumbells!

What C looks forward to has nothing to do with lifting weights and everything to do with the buddies (as the instructors there are called) he gets. You see, my son’s 15 this year, traditionally an age when boys seek out older boys for role modeling. As a fair number of the buddies there are young men less than ten years older than my son, he looks forward to opportunities during these gym sessions to interact with them.

And as the often-frazzled parent, I am really grateful we get this brief time apart. I still hover at discrete corners of the studio (to observe him), but at least I can catch a break. Because caregiving special needs persons will often exhaust one’s patience and kindness rapidly.

In contrast, these buddies spend just 50 minutes or so per session with special needs clients like my son. So it’s not hard for them to be kind and patient with him. And they are.

For that alone I am grateful, even if they don’t always appear to know what they’re doing. And since the gym doesn’t charge me a cent, I have no reason to complain.

Autism Milestone #2 – Taking Public Buses Alone

The second thing that’s happened these past three months was C taking the bus home from school all on his own.

While he did do it once in 2025 on the last day of school, this month he’s been really doing it more and more on his own. I can tell you that, despite the fact he turned 15 a couple of weeks ago (an age where kids should already be going places like school on their own), it’s no mean feat for a boy like C.

Even though his name was supposed to mean, among many things, adventurous, my son is anything but. That seems fine when he was under 10. He’s not anymore, and these last five years, especially as he transitioned from primary to secondary education, there have been several things he needed to mature into that to this day he still struggles with. From motor skills (poor penmanship being the stickiest point) to executive function (tidying his room), my son continues to put us, his caregivers (my wife and I), through our paces each and every day.

Which is why I need to remind myself regularly that none of these daily living skills most of us take for granted are easy feats of achievement for anyone with special needs. And C’s no different.

Autism Milestone #3 – His First (Non-Smart) Phone

The third thing that’s happened recently? C finally got his own handphone.

Given this country’s infatuation with phones, it’s a coup we were able to keep him from having one for as long as we have!

For the longest time, C has been telling us about the phones he sees his friends carry in school daily. Even now, when schools are starting to clamp down on allowing the use of them during school hours.

Granted it’s a cheap basic phone, with no Internet capabilities, and meant purely for him to make/take calls and SMS-es from his family members. We had to set the bar low first in order to make sure he’s able to take good care of it. Then and only then would we consider giving him a more powerful phone.

Was he disappointed at what little his new toy could do? Absolutely. But it’s also precisely because of that that we see him not paying much mind to the device and continuing with his life like he didn’t even have it. Which again is exactly what we wanted this “milestone” to be for him.

A non-event.

Turned out to be a wise decision since his phone screen went static within three weeks! Good thing we only paid thirty bucks for it.

What Lies Ahead

Three months. Three weeks. Three milestones.

This brand new year of 2026 is certainly shaping up nicely for C and us. May it continue so as its second month lands tomorrow.

It may be premature, even obnoxious, for me to say this, but I wish to believe it. So maybe saying it aloud — a case of “believe it til you become it” — will help make my wish come true.

So here goes. (Maybe you can join in and say it with me)

This is going to be a good year!

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