Navigating Life In His Own Lane - Car enthusiast Huang Kaisong loves reading up on new cars, collecting diecast model cars, and playing racing games. While his journey has not always been a smooth sailing, Kaisong has always navigated life in his own lane.

Kaisong was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at four years old. As a child, he found it hard to socialise with others. Being painfully shy, he did not know how to mingle with his peers. This led to him being bullied when he attended mainstream Primary School, up until Secondary 1. In Secondary 2 he transferred to Pathlight School where he excelled,topping his school for the O Level examinations.

The challenges during his education journey did not stop there. Kaisong attended Temasek Polytechnic and struggled with the curriculum being so technical and different to what he’s done before. Team projects and socialising were particularly tough areas for him. However, he focused on his strengths and graduated with a Diploma in Mobile and Network Services,and now enjoys fixing computers for friends, relatives and church missionaries.

He believes that People with Disabilities should be given the opportunities to contribute meaningfully to society. An area he mentioned is also a highlight of his life, which was going through National Service in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). “I was fearful beforeen listing. I was posted to the counselling branch at the HQ and everyone was friendly over there. It was a very smooth and enriching 2 years,” he explains. Another one of his proudest moments is maintaining his current job for more than 4 years. As a Quality Reviewer at a financial institution, he checks on his colleagues’ work, and ensures excellence in his own field.

His journey would not be the same without the encouragement of his peers and family members. His older brother is his pillar of support, and they enjoy meals together and fun activities such as bouldering and rock climbing. With this support system, Kaisong focuses on playing to his strengths, such as singing at Dinner and Dances and even performing at the Asia Pacific Autism Conference 2019.

Kaisong’s life has had a number of roadblocks, but with his will to succeed and a supportive family behind him, there’s nothing he can’t achieve. Once a shy, timid boy, Kaisong is now amore sociable person who seizes every opportunity to discover and hone his full potential.