Autism Fitness Group Gold Coast: Who Am I, and Is Slim Gym Right for Your Son, Daughter or You?
If you’ve Googled “disability personal trainer Gold Coast” or “social group for autistic teens Logan”, you’ve probably got a few questions. Mostly: who is this bloke, and will he 'get' my kid?
So I’m going to interview myself. Fair warning, it might wander a bit. That’s the ADHD.
Who are you?
I’m Jase. I’m a personal trainer, an Allied Health Assistant, and I run Slim Gym, a small group fitness and social program for teens and adults with autism and other disabilities. I cover Coomera, Helensvale, Oxenford, Pimpama, Beenleigh, Eagleby and the surrounding areas.
I’m also AUDHD. Autism and ADHD together. I found out there was some sense to how my brain worked, finally at 45. I’ve spent my whole life feeling like I pushed at the world and the shove came back different to what I expected. Turns out my brain was just working in a world built for other brains. Finding that out explained a lot, including why I’m good at this work. (and messing with myself with a compliment in public)
How did you end up in the disability space?
By accident, really. I started as a personal trainer, and I was never the big buff trainer. I was morbidly obese when I started, and honestly I’ve drifted back that way while I focus on the business, which annoys me (I'll fix it... I have before). But the clients I attracted were interesting. I was intrigued by the different social and economic circles I was now able to engage with as a PT (very different to the birds and feathers I'd narrowed myself to in my youth), curiously, lots of people from healthcare and academia (not who I would have thought would pay for my time while I was growing up), and a few clients with intellectual disability and global delay. I was patient, friendly and a bit of a goof, so i guess they were comfortable with me.
Then in 2019 a mum introduced me to her 14 year old son. He’s autistic, and he was struggling with anger. I had no idea what I was doing. When it got hard, I realised, if not me, then who? So I bought a few short courses. There were some hard moments ... ASD parents know right ... those moments once he was comfortable enough with me to let loose... I was a PT in a gym with multiple eyes on me, constantly analysing what type of PT I was (this is real... people walking for an hour on a treadmill... gym people are their entertainment lol). I not only had to be good enough for this young fella; I had to not look crap doing it ...LOL coz we all know everyone looks AMAZING interacting with ASD... so... I chose what was more important BTW 2026 This young fella is still working with me ... He has also recently been promoted to an assistant for a couple of the group sessions. He has responsibilities and knows he is a part of making the other guys feel included. One thing I have learned helping other people is it feels good and it allows you proof of the value others see in you, I’m so happy to extend that to him, and hopefully to more of the guys and girls in the future.
What do you actually do?
I adapt.
I don't write out a playbook and say this is what we are doing ... because IYKYK 'Autism' 🤷♂️
I adapt... Bobby says today 'ABC' is a NO, Johnno looks like 'DEF' would piss him off, and Mike just needs space to sit on his phone
I adapt
I provide the comfort and proof that this IS their space, they can be themselves and everyone has their version of a social battery and an itemised count of spoons
I’m a personal trainer on paper, but most of the people I work with don’t really come for the fitness. Whatever the goal says in the plan, what they want is mates. They want someone to show them they matter outside their family. So the fitness is the vehicle, and the friendship is the point. What I've seen anecdotally with the guys I've worked with so far is having a space where they can just be, where weird is the norm, where a dwindling social battery is given a chance to recharge when needed, where the other people show and act like they like them, where they are able to help the others, where the 'work' is usually actually fun .... They get to relax enough to allow in new growth
Do you have friends you can sit on your phone in silence with for an hour or more? Is that the chicken or the egg? I have guys I can remove the phone 'until' ... I have guys that don't need it in the group (but it is a lifeline everywhere else). I also have guys that used to prioritise the phone over ALL and EVERYTHING but we have slowly implemented rules in group environments.
Social connection is weird. You can’t force it, but with autism you can’t just wait for it either, because these guys aren’t going to walk in and start hugging each other.
So I set the platform up so it can happen. I make things a bit harder for one guy and a bit easier for another. (Some are aware of this and some are not) Some are there to win, some to beat their high scores and some I encourage to help the others become as good as them.
I set up games and situations where they have to work with each other.
One of 'MY' favourites is a boxing warm-up game called Knee Attack. You try to tap the other guy’s knee, and you don’t want him to tap yours. It works because there are specific rules. It works because personal space rules have changed for this game. It works because they have chosen to allow it to. It works because it is fun. Within a few minutes they’re laughing, chasing each other and talking, without anyone having to say “go make friends.”
I don't always do this on the first session (ya know... I adapt)
I see this as one of my easiest games to give them the space allow them to let friendship in. I see it on repeat, going from personal space to hi fives and shoulder taps within 10 minutes.
Autism fitness group Gold Coast: what does a session look like?
A few ways to work with me:
Small group sessions. Soft cap of 6, hard cap of 8. If it’s a new group, it’s more like 2 or 3 until I know everyone. I only go to 8 with guys I’ve worked with for years. (or adding 1 at a time)
One on one home visits. I come to you.
Mobile gym. Cables and squat racks on a trailer. I can bring it to a park, a driveway, wherever works.
Social events. Discos, weekend meetups, School hols (even if you are 24), chess, snakes and ladders, bowling, whatever helps to make being social easier. I also do other things ...
Entrepreneur group for AuDHD and ASD/ADHD adults (18+)
Plenty of brains like ours are good at things the world doesn’t know how to pay for. So I run an entrepreneur group for AuDHD and ASD/ADHD adults, 18 and over, to help turn those brains into some dollars.
It’s not a get rich quick thing. It’s the basics of getting from A to B: working out what you’re good at, what someone might pay for it, and what the first small step looks like. Same as the fitness groups, I adapt it to the people in the room.
If that sounds like you, or like your son or daughter, send me a message.
What’s the captain program?
Well, honestly, a cheeky bugger whose last name was Cook convinced me to make a Captains program ... I built on his idea lol.
It’s how the guys level up. After a year in the group, you’re promoted to Captain with one stripe; after two years, it’s two stripes, and so on. There are responsibilities of being a Captain. You have to make the new guys feel welcome; different games have captain role expectations, and you know you have earned a level of respect. As you might guess, I also adapt to the individual... maybe more responsibility for them would be beneficial, maybe it wouldn't. Maybe I need them to do 'their thing' so they know their stuff is an important part of the group, or maybe they come to me with an idea they think would be an improvement
We’ve got a guy on three stripes now, so I’m working out what comes next. Everyone gets a shirt every Christmas with the nickname the group gave them. The guys asked for the shirts. They’re proud of them; I was just wearing mine, and they asked if they might get theirs at the Xmas party. I asked them all if they wanted it, and they all said they were proud to have the shirts, and I love that. So I try to make the shirts cool (So I get to feel good that they still want them muahahaha)
What do parents worry about before they meet you?
Mostly this: “I’m not sure he’ll fit in a group, because he usually doesn’t fit in.”
My job is to help him fit. It’s also to help the other guys help him fit. Do you know how good it feels to make someone feel the way you once wished someone had made you feel? (Yeah, I had to read that twice when I was editing)
That’s what the group does for each other.
It proves they matter because they just helped another bloke. That is a part of the Captains Program
Do you work with OTs, physios, psychs and speech therapists?
Yes, and for me it’s a necessity, not a bonus.
I’m an Allied Health Assistant (Level 2 therapy assistant). I support therapy; I don’t replace it.
I’m the bloke who helps with the homework. I’m covered by my own insurance, and I welcome the higher level allied health professionals working in with me. There’s a whole alphabet of acronyms and hurdles between getting from A to B, so I try to make that part easier.
When a PDA brain pops up (pathological demand avoidance, or persistent drive for autonomy, depending on who you ask), I’m not guessing my way through it. A psych or behaviour support practitioner in a clinic only gets part of the picture. They don’t usually see one of my guys with his mates, in a noisy group, on a bad day, and I do. So I pass on what I’m seeing out here, and they help me understand what’s going on underneath and what actually helps. Their info makes me better, mine helps them, and between us he gets more out of life. On my own, I only ever see half of it.
It also works in practice. If your physio wants some flexion, I’ll add it to the group. If your OT wants practice in a real world environment, we’ll do those tasks with peers. If your speechie wants practice and comfort in front of people, we play Simon Says.
I also run a networking group for providers, so it isn’t one sided. Listening to people with more education than me makes me better for all my guys, not just the one we’re talking about.
Will it look different every time?
Yes, and that’s on purpose. If you came to watch a session and thought, “that’s not for my kid,” you’d probably be right. What I’m doing is built for the three or four people in front of me. If yours joined, it would change, because I’d adapt it for them too. It’s hard to show that from the outside.
Who is it for?
Young teens through to adults. Age matters less than where someone’s at. If it’s safe and it suits the group, a 40 year old and a 15 year old can train together. The one thing I’ll say is that some of the younger ones do better when they’ve done a bit of work with their OT or psych first, so they’ve got a few coping strategies. I’m looking after a whole group, and it wouldn’t be fair if I always spent the entire session on one person.
What are your qualifications?
Certificate IV in Fitness and Personal Training
Allied Health Assistant (Level 2 therapy assistant)
Diploma in Weight Management
Rehab and disability specific short courses
lived experience
Blue Card and NDIS Worker Screening (Yellow Card)
CPR, first aid, etc
loads of disability specific upskilling
Is Slim Gym NDIS registered, and what does it cost?
I’m not NDIS registered yet, and I’m working towards it. I work with self-managed and plan-managed participants.
Group sessions are a flat $25 per session, which covers face to face time, non face to face time and travel.
How do I get in touch?
Everything’s on the website, so jump on there and send me a message. Txt is best as I wont answer calls while I am with someone and emails get lost 0412163317 or fill in this form Tell me a bit about your son or daughter, or about you. We’ll have a chat and see if it’s a fit. And if it’s not, I’ll tell you honestly.
FAQ
Do you offer autism fitness groups on the Gold Coast?
Yes. Slim Gym runs small group fitness and social sessions for autistic teens and adults across Coomera, Helensvale, Oxenford and Pimpama, and into Logan around Beenleigh and Eagleby.
Is there a disability personal trainer in Logan?
Yes. I run one on one home visits and group sessions in Beenleigh, Eagleby and surrounding areas.
Can I use self-managed or plan-managed NDIS funding?
Yes. Slim Gym works with self-managed and plan-managed participants. We’re not NDIS registered yet, so we can’t take agency-managed funding.
How much do group sessions cost?
$25 per session, flat rate. That covers face to face, non face to face and travel.
How many people are in a group?
Small groups. Soft cap of 6 and hard cap of 8. New groups start at 2 or 3.
What ages do you work with?
Young teens through to adults. It depends on the person and the group, not just the age.
Do you do home visits?
Yes, one on one in your home, or I can bring my mobile gym to you.
Is it just fitness?
No. The social side is the main thing. Games, discos, weekend events and the captain program are all about helping people feel like they belong.
Can an AUDHD trainer really help my son or daughter?
I can’t speak for every trainer. I can say I get it because I live it, and I’ve been doing this for nearly seven years.
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