This time last year, 11-year-old Joshua Lee had been out of school and isolated for two years after being turned away by four separate provisions for autistic children. Now, he's attending school full-time and has thousands of people following him on TikTok.
Joshua and his family had gone on a trip from their home in Leeds to the infamous Wakey Wines earlier this year when they decided to make their very first TikTok with owner Mohammed Azar Nazir. They were left in disbelief when the video, which shows Joshua with his Prime and sweets purchases, went viral with 2.5 million views.
Joshua has autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), which means everyday demands and expectations can cause him extreme anxiety. But his newfound social media fame (his account currently has more than 17,000 followers) has enabled him to build a space to express himself and build his confidence, and raise awareness of what it's like to have PDA.
"It's been a really positive thing so far, and something Joshua really enjoys doing," said Joshua's dad Oliver. "We're a world away from where we were.
"It's still hard sometimes, and sometimes he doesn't want to go to school like any kid, but he is really enjoying school too. He has a feeling of purpose and belonging now - it was so soul-destroying when he was out of school and so damaging for his mental health."
Joshua spent two years between the ages of nine and 11 being home-schooled because four schools with specialist provisions in Leeds had told his parents they couldn't meet his needs. They were over the moon when he was finally offered a place at a school in North Yorkshire for September 2022 after a long assessment process.
He started slow to get him used to being back in the classroom - but is now heading off to school full-time, and is even on the school council. Joshua has always wanted to be a YouTuber, and Oliver said the confidence he's gained from being with his peers again has helped on his TikTok journey (which is closely monitored by Oliver and mum Rebecca).
They make all sorts of videos under the handle 'thesquashmonster' - that have involved Joshua's love of the Prime energy drink and Wakey Wines, his favourite Greggs-themed outfits, and through those, expressing himself and how autism and PDA affect his everyday life.
"We run it for him and take it step by step - it helps him channel his energy," Oliver said. "It's given him a lot of confidence.
"Recently we put together a video celebrating autism. He's using the platform to highlight PDA and autism to show them what it's like and how it is everyday. But his message is mostly about not being afraid to be yourself and being quirky.
"It's also been really nice for me and him to have something to work on together. We had the comments turned off at first to protect him from any bullying - but we realised that a lot of people who wanted to comment were parents or kids with autism who could see themselves in the videos."
Joshua had previously been particularly struggling at school when he was around year three age. He was diagnosed with autism with elements of demand avoidance, and Oliver told LeedsLive previously that he was so stressed at school he was becoming violent and sometimes hurting himself.
Oliver and Rebecca have previously spoken out about their disappointment about the council not being able to find Joshua a school place in Leeds. Speaking in August, Oliver said "Joshua's situation has exposed the massive hole in the education system for kids like him with complex autism. What is there for them is very limited."
Leeds City Council has told LeedsLive previously that "the local authority is committed to work in partnership with parents and in the best interests of children. We strive to meet the provision needs of children with SEND and aspirations of parents and we take the concerns of parents seriously.
“PDA is a clinical diagnosis and therefore we are led by our clinical partners in their use of diagnostic terminology. Our statutory processes, consultation with specialist and mainstream settings and provision offer is not restricted by a diagnostic framework."
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