In Australia, a trainer with Asperger's uses his experience to design programs for others on the autism spectrum

From The Whitehorse Leader in Australia:

A Vermont personal trainer with Asperger’s syndrome is using his experience to help others affected by the condition to improve their lives.

Jeremy Samson (pictured) began Time 2 Train last year and said it was the only program of its kind in Australia.

Asperger’s syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder and can affect a person’s co-ordination, confidence, memory and social skills - and that’s where Mr Samson’s program can help.

“I had one student who couldn’t use a skipping rope ... by the end of the program he could do 120 skips in 60 seconds,” he said.

Mr Samson said another student had described his memory changing from that of a “goldfish” to an “elephant”.

The highly-motivated 22-year-old said he studied health and fitness after completing school, where he had endured years of bullying because of his condition.

He said he didn’t think of Asperger’s as a disability, even though it was classified as one, and wanted to show others that they could also overcome the obstacles of the syndrome.

Mr Samson said he had based some of his training program on mental and physical exercises he practised throughout his childhood.

He said his big break came last year when he appeared on Channel 9’s Money for Jam after seeing an advertisement in the Leader asking for participants for the show. Mr Samson said since then, he had been contacted by people all over the country who were interested in the program, and he now trained about eight clients ranging in age from six to the 40s. Classes run in the eastern suburbs and Mr Samson has ambitious plans to take the program to schools, interstate and eventually overseas.