Joshua Beckford is a British-Nigerian child prodigy and autism advocate who became the youngest person ever to attend Oxford University at age six. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, his remarkable intellectual abilities were recognized from a very young age.
Early life and education
- Birth and family: Born in 2004 in the UK to Nigerian parents, Joshua was adopted by Knox Daniel and his wife. His adoptive father, Knox Daniel, was instrumental in nurturing his talent.
- Astounding early abilities:
- 10 months old: He could identify letters and numbers on a computer keyboard.
- Age 2: He was fluently reading using phonics.
- Age 3: He was learning Japanese and Mandarin and taught himself to touch-type on a computer.
- Oxford University: In 2011, at just six years old, his father enrolled him in an online learning platform for gifted children at Oxford University, a program intended for students ages 8 to 13. Joshua completed courses in philosophy and history, earning distinctions in both.
- Home-schooled: Due to his advanced intellect and a preference for interacting with teenagers and adults rather than children his own age, he was home-schooled.
Advocacy and activism
As an individual with autism, Beckford uses his platform to raise awareness and support others with the condition.
- National Autistic Society: He has been the face of the National Autistic Society’s Black and Minority (BME) campaign, which highlights the challenges faced by minorities in accessing autism support services.
- Global ambassador: He serves as the Low-Income Families Education (L.I.F.E) Support Ambassador for the Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network across several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and the UK.
Later life and career goals
- Awards and recognition: In 2017, he was named Positive Role Model of the Year at the UK’s National Diversity Awards. He was also recognized as one of the Top 30 Most Extraordinary People in the world by the Illumination Foundation of North Carolina.
- Future aspirations: Beckford has stated his ambitions to become a neurosurgeon and an astronaut. He has already gained some experience by practicing surgical procedures using a Microsoft Surgery Simulator.
- Entrepreneurial and charitable work:
- He co-authored the book Beyond Limitswith his father, which chronicles their journey and breaks down barriers related to autism.
- He has worked on a project to build a school for children in Kaduna, Nigeria.
- He is also writing a children’s book about ancient Egypt.
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