Autistic and proud black achievers who keep going strong

Stephen Wiltshire…Sara Paxton Artworks

Stephen Wiltshire

Stephen Wiltshire is an architectural professional and autistic savant of Caribbean descent and raised in London, he was mute until the age of three.

Seen as having an interest in art, at the age of five he was sent to Queensmill School in London – a school that specializes in educating children with autism.

Wiltshire can observe an object or subject once and replicate it accurately.  In 2014, he drew the Singapore skyline in one week from memory after a short helicopter ride.

Wiltshire is a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the art.

He is also the owner of a gallery on the Royal Opera Arcade.

Wiltshire has been the focus of documentaries such as “Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain” and books about prodigies.

Joshua Beckford

Living with high-functioning autism, the child prodigy from Tottenham was, at the age of six, the youngest person ever to attend the prestigious Oxford University.

He received a certificate of excellence after getting distinctions in all his courses which were part of an online learning platform for gifted children

Now 13 years, the young scholar who has dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon was recently listed in the top 30 most remarkable people in the world with Autism who have impacted society.

At the age of three, Beckford could read fluently using phonics. He learned to speak Japanese and even taught himself to touch-type on a computer before he could learn to write.

The wonder child was appointed Low Income Families Education (L.I.F.E) Support Ambassador for Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network in Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and the United Kingdom.

In 2017, Beckford won The Positive Role Model Award for Age at The National Diversity Awards, an event which celebrates the excellent achievements of grass-root communities that tackle the issues in today’s society.

The young boy also raises funds for three autism charities (two in Africa and one in the U.K.) and is celebrated for his campaigns to save the environment. He recently wrote the poem Saving Mother Earth at the TEDx International Conference in Vienna.