At age six, most young children are entering first grade, but not for the extraordinary 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.
But he has his father to thank for this incredible feat. At just 10 months old, Beckford’s father, Knox Daniel, discovered his son’s unique learning capability while he was sitting on his lap in front of the computer.
With the keyboard being the child’s interest, Daniel said: “I started telling [Joshua] what the letters on the keyboard were and I realized that he was remembering and could understand.”
“So, if I told him to point to a letter, he could do it… Then we moved on to colours,” Daniel added.
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.
“Since the age of four, I was on my dad’s laptop and it had a body simulator where I would pull out organs,” said Beckford.
In 2011, his father was aware of a programme at Oxford University that was specific to children between the age of eight and thirteen. To challenge his son, he wrote to Oxford with the hopes of getting admission for his child even though he was younger than the age prescribed for the programme.
Fortunately, Beckford was given the chance to enroll, becoming the youngest student ever accepted. The brilliant chap took a course in philosophy and history and passed both with distinction.
Beckford was too advanced for a standard curriculum; hence he was home-schooled, according to Spectacular Magazine.
Having a keen interest in the affairs of Egypt throughout his studies, the young genius is working on a children’s book about the historic and ancient nation.
Aside from his academic prowess, Beckford serves as the face of the National Autistic Society’s Black and Minority campaign. Being one with high-functioning autism, the young child helps to highlight the challenges minority groups face in their attempt to acquire autism support and services.
Last month, 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.
BMAN Low Income Families Education (LIFE) Support was established to create educational opportunities for children from low-income families so that they have a hope of positively contributing to a thriving society.
Beckford will further hold a live mentoring session with teenagers and his father, Daniel, will facilitate a mentoring session with parents at the Father And Son Together [FAST] initiative event in Nigeria in August 2019.
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.
Described as one of the most brilliant boys in the world, Beckford also designs and delivers power-point presentations on Human Anatomy at Community fund-raising events to audiences ranging from 200 to 3,000 people, according to National Diversity Awards.
For a super scholar whose brain is above most of his peers and even most adults, Beckford, according to his father, “doesn’t like children his own age and only likes teenagers and adults.”
Parenting a child with high-functioning autism comes with its own challenges, his father added.
“[Joshua] doesn’t like loud noises and always walks on his tip toes and he always eats from the same plate, using the same cutlery, and drinks from the same cup,” he said.
He is, however, proud of his son’s achievements and believes he has a bright future ahead.
“I want to save the earth. I want to change the world and change peoples’ ideas to doing the right things about earth,” Beckford once said of his future.
It’s that time of the year again Beautiful Minds families…Summertime! Dr. Ifeanyi Ufondu lends us his recommendations for this year’s best and most fun summer camps for 2019. Summer camp can be a fun and exciting experience for children and adults with autism. Families can search for accredited summer camps on the American Camp Association website – they have thousands of listings, and there is an option to specify that you are looking for a camp serving children or young adults with autism.
Beautiful Minds Inc. is committed to promoting inclusion of children and adults with autism across all programs and organizations for families. Leading the Way: Autism-Friendly Youth Organizations is a guide to help organizations learn to integrate youth with autism into existing programs, communicate with parents, and train their staff. Please feel free to share this guide with any camps, sports programs, or other youth organizations your son might be interested in.
If you are looking for funding or financial assistance, many camps will offer tuition/fees on a sliding scale relative to your income. You can also find Family Grant Opportunities on our website.
Another option to consider is requesting an Extended School Year (ESY) program through your child’s school district or at the next IEP meeting. If there is evidence that a child experiences a substantial regression in skills during school vacations, he/she may be entitled to ESY services. These services would be provided over long breaks from school (summer vacation) to prevent substantial regression. This is usually discussed during annual IEP reviews but if you are concerned about regression, now is the best time to bring it up with your child’s team at school. Some children attend the camps listed in our Resource Guide as part of their Extended School Year (ESY) program.
Another good resource is MyAutismTeam, a social network specifically for parents of individuals with autism. Join more than 40,000 parents from all parts of the country and find parents whose children are similar to yours or who live near you, get tips and support, ask questions, and exchange referrals on great providers, services, and camps for your child.
Families can also reach out to the state’s Parent Training and Information Center to find additional information and support in their local areas.
By Daphne Charles
In May 2019, Mansfield Independent School District in Mansfield, TX will be electing several new school board members. Running for Place 3 is Dr. Ifeanyi Ufondu vs. Randall Canedy. As a lifelong educator from Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Ufondu wants to bring a fresh and innovative perspective to the board and looks forward to building with community and the district. I posed the question to Dr. Ufondu, “What would you say is the most important issue you would like to tackle in the district and sum it up in a few words?” His response was this…
For our students and district staff, we must harness their strengths and challenge their weaknesses. We as board members, mentors, family and educators must align together and discover their brilliance, on the meandering road to their hopes and dreams. In order to do so, STRONG LEADERSHIP is a must!
– Dr. Ifeanyi Ufondu
The United Educators Association of Texas mailed each candidate a platform questionnaire and asked that they answer candidly. Below is Dr. Ufondu’s questionnaire and he asks that you take the time to read and review and remember him at the polls for MISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLACE 3. How will you vote?
United Educators Association School Board Candidate Questionnaire
DR. IFEANYI UFONDU, MISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLACE 3 CANDIDATE
1. Please provide any personal background information you would like
to share with the employees of Mansfield ISD.
My name is Dr. Ifeanyi Ufondu aka “Dr. U” and I am running for Place 3 of the Mansfield ISD Board of Trustees. My wife Nicole and I, are Los Angeles, CA natives who relocated to Mansfield, TX in 2005 strictly by design. After discovering our eldest son Neiko had been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, I researched the nation’s top school districts for kids with learning disabilities and discovered Mansfield ISD was cutting edge and ahead of its time… and the rest is history! I am an Educational Psychologist, lifelong Educator, Special Education Advocate and owner of Beautiful Minds Inc.- Advocacy & Special Needs Solutions. I hold a Baccalaureate and Master’s graduate in Educational Psychology from California State University, Long Beach and a Baccalaureate and Master’s graduate in Higher Education with an emphasis in Curriculum Development from Howard University. As a Ph.D. graduate at the University of London Kings College, my dissertation entitled “The Affect of Mitigating Race, Class and Gender on the Academic Success of the Young, Black Male: A Cross Cultural Ethnography” propelled my career into the arena of Special Education, and what better district to operate in than MISD?
As a former middle school English teacher and high school administrator in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is the second largest district in the nation with over 600,000 students and over 1,000 schools and 200 independent charter schools, I excelled as a professional leader and mentor. I have also been a presenter of more than forty engagements, at national and international venues including Paris, the United Kingdom and Spain, and have been a guest on numerous radio programs. I have authored more than a dozen academic papers on hegemony, special education, minority education, globalization, and race, class, and gender in the U.S. public school system and abroad. I have served as a member of the International Honour Society at CSULB, Howard University, the Universite de Paris- Saint Denis, and the University of London’s King College.
2. What qualifications do you have that would make you an effective
trustee?
As a successful business owner of Beautiful Minds Inc. – Advocacy & Special Needs Solutions, a firm that represents “AT-RISK” students, parents, and economically disadvantaged communities in accessing the educational system and its resources in order to meet the academic and social needs of individuals with learning disabilities and behavioral disorders.
For the past seventeen years, I have employed over thirty-three employees, and handled a budget exceeding 5 million dollars annually. I am court-qualified as an expert in transition planning, vocational assessments, I.Q. assessments relevant to urban and At-Risk students in education, special education, and school evaluation, as well as other related areas. As the principal of Beautiful Minds Inc.- Advocacy & Special Needs Solutions, I am called upon by school administrators, attorneys and individuals from around the country to represent them. I also provide consultation to school administrators on issues such as special education, behavior management and over-representation of minorities in special education, as well as, to attorneys in cases involving schools and the education of children with learning and developmental disabilities.
3. Before running for the school board, how have you been involved in
the district?
First, as a parent of two children who have attended and graduated from Carol Holt Elementary, Cross Timbers Intermediate, T.A. Howard Middle School, Legacy and Summit H.S. respectively. My wife Nicole and I currently have our youngest son, Jackson, who is a Gifted & Talented student attending Carol Holt Elementary.
Secondly, as a former member of the Cross Timbers Intermediate PTA, where my role and duties where to actively participate in our students daily scholastic and extra-curricular activities on campus.
Finally, as an Educational Psychologist and Special Needs Advocate, I have represented both students and parents of children with developmental and behavioral disorders in cooperation with MISD ARD/IEP committees in order to attain special financial and scholastic accommodations for students and families in need.
4. As a board member, what would you see as the board’s role in
providing competitive salaries and benefits for its employees?
As a board member, I strongly assert that our role collectively is to ensure that district is transparent, responsive to the values, beliefs and priorities of our community, and that we assiduously seek competitive salaries and benefits in order to retain and sustain the talent we employ. I would like to research other successful, comparable districts and ascertain what they have done to provide competitive salary and benefits packages, while pushing our teachers and administrators to strive for greater academic and social success in their schools. As a former teacher and administrator, I know how exciting and rewarding it can be to provide an excellent education and mentorship to students, and most times at the expense of your own family and personal self. I know what it feels like to go above and beyond, professionally, mentally, physically, emotionally and financially for our students, and not feel appreciated by students, staff and parents. I know first hand, that teaching is the most over-worked and underpaid profession, and their responsibility is to shape the minds of our future, all while sacrificing their all… not for monetary profit, rather personal, selfless gain. It is our duty as board members to continuously to support our district employees and show gratitude for their significance.
5. What three issues do you think are the most important facing MISD?
Please explain.
Transparency: The number one issue facing the school board, most school boards, throughout the country is Transparency. As a MISD parent myself, I sense there is no pellucidity in how the board operates, what their goals are, how tax money is being spent within the district, what special committees get funded versus others, etc. As a former teacher, I would always question what side the district boards sat on, or if they actually fought for the concerns of those on the front line. I believe a special, informal monthly dialogue between, not only teachers, administrators, and board members, but also open the meeting up to other district employees such as maintenance, janitorial, athletic, and para-professionals and select student leaders to join in on the discussion.
Technology: In the growing age of technology and social media, as a board, it is our duty to stay ahead of the curve. As we rapidly continue to move away from using pencils and textbooks to Ipads and Smartboards, we must be financially and physically prepared to tackle the continuously changing technology our students and staff need to compete. We must be able to staff IT personnel who can install, monitor and repair said technology. We must not only listen to the needs of our staff, but also adhere to the advice of student leaders on what is technologically new and fresh. I also assert that the district should look into investing in a more advance Wi-Fi system that operates at a faster speed and greater reach with less buffering breaks in active time in order for our students to continue to be academically efficient.
Continued Growth: It is simple! The greater our district success the more our reputation grows. That means more families will want to come and relocate from throughout the state and beyond… just as Nicole and I did in 2005. With approximately 6,000 people moving to Mansfield every year, at least 1/3 will be students in MISD. We have to be prepared to handle the growth and it will be our proven leadership that determines how successful we remain.
6. Please discuss any other issue you feel is relevant to your campaign
for the MISD School Board.
As an Educational Psychologist and Special Needs Advocate, I would like to be the voice of the overlooked parent(s) of a Special Needs child(ren). I would like to shed a light on the unfortunate invisibility that some of our Special Needs students face and make available resources and support they may not know was previously and currently available to them and their families. I would like to be their hope and their difference on this board. Thank you.
VOTE FOR IFEANYI UFONDU
MISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES – PLACE 3
Bullying. A word that has only gained in intensity and power despite its frequent use. Everyone is outraged by bullying. It’s the hot topic at parent meetings and “zero tolerance for bullying” has become every school’s catch phrase.
And rightly so. Consistent bullying is intolerable and can lead to horrific situations and leave lifelong wounds, especially on the heart of a small child, unequipped to make sense of a situation that would baffle most adults. We have all read the stories, horror stories really, of children and teenagers who take their own lives as a result of prolonged, systematic bullying.
We read these stories and try to convince ourselves that these things couldn’t touch us on such a devastating level.
We tell ourselves that a child who is bullied so badly that they take their own life must not receive the necessary love or attention at home to overcome the bullying by their peers. A child who would take their own life must not have really been taught how great their worth was, how precious and irreplaceable they were. However, if we are honest, we know that this is not always the case. It’s far more complex than that. A child who is terrorized daily on the playground may have vulnerabilities in other areas already and may not have the capacity to cope with or process the trauma they are enduring.
Sometimes the most loving home in the world can’t save a child who has been made to feel so utterly worthless.
It is frightening to acknowledge that sometimes the most secure home isn’t enough.
Bullying is intolerable.
Schools should have a zero tolerance policy. These words instill confidence, the idea that something is being done right, but is there substance behind them?
Sometimes a concern about bullying is met with something frighteningly similar to victim blaming. “I am sorry but your child isn’t like other children. I’m sorry but your child doesn’t read social situations very well. I am sorry but…”
In essence, I’m sorry but somehow your child has brought this upon himself.
The bottom line is that these “I’m sorry but” comments are essentially contradictory to the idea of having a zero tolerance for bullying policy in the first place. These comments in fact, contribute to bullying rather than lead to finding a solution. The message given is that children could avoid being bullied if they would just conform to a standard notion of normal. If they could manage to become just like everyone so as not to stand out in any way.
Is this what we want for our children? It isn’t what I want for mine. The answer to bullying is not conformity or eliminating differences or the very things that make someone an individual. As my children grow, I don’t want to teach them to blend in and not stand out. I want to teach them to stand up and be who they are and were created to be, even if who they are is a little bit quirky, a little bit different.
We can try to teach ourselves and our children courage, empathy and hard things like how to stand up for someone who is being hurt or made fun of. We can try to help them understand that a person is allowed to be different.
It’s important to keep teaching children that there are obvious differences we see at once. Founder of the nation’s leading Special Needs advocacy agency, Dr. Ifeanyi Ufondu, Ph.D. states, “We must remember to teach and educate our children that we don’t bully a child who has a different skin color or who speaks with an accent. We must remember to teach them not to make fun of someone who uses a wheelchair or has a visible disability. Must must diligently show them that those with differences are just that…DIFFERENT! It’s cool to be different!”
It’s also important to teach our children and perhaps ourselves, that there are less obvious differences as well. Disabilities or syndromes we don’t see or understand fully because a child seems “normal” on the surface. The little boy who is bright and engaging but obsesses over one thing and repeats himself constantly. The child who is sitting quietly in class and suddenly has a series of noticeable vocal or motor tics. A child with sensory issues who has trouble processing the light, feel, noise, and speed of the world around them and experiences meltdowns or shutdowns. All of these things may seem funny to classmates until someone sits down and explains to them what is actually happening to the child experiencing these things.
That that child may just think a little differently and understand and experience the world a little differently. Most importantly, that there is room in the world for everyone and it’s ok to be a little different. It’s not a bad lesson to take with us as we go through life.