Meet Joe Cox | Autistic TikToker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joe Cox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. I personally think Tucson, Arizona is an awesome city and has a lot to offer people–that is, if you are looking in the right places. Tucson has its quirks that I really can get into and nothing would ever make me want to leave this beautiful city behind, unless of course, I got a job in Los Angeles or something like that. That’s my ultimate goal–move to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter for a sitcom or movie. Graduated from the University of Arizona in August 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Television. Thank goodness I graduated pre-pandemic! It’s impacted who I am today because I’m using that film and television knowledge as a resource whenever I make TikTok content or content for Instagram.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Of course! What sets me apart from others and what I’m most proud about is the fact that from January 2022-September 2023, I was a civilian Tucson Police Volunteer for the Tucson Police Department doing data entry at their downtown Tucson headquarters into their computer crime database. I’m really proud of that because I was commended by the Chief of Police, Chad Kasmar, in a small ceremony last November 2022. I even have the framed certificate hanging in my bedroom! The award says that I helped increase autism awareness at the Tucson Police Department, and I’m extremely proud of that fact. How I got to where I am today professionally was through my YouTube channel. It was not always easy. One source of stress was the anticipation of waiting for that week’s video thumbnail. I suck at graphic design, so I used to PayPal these graphic designers I hired through Reddit $5 each week for the thumbnail. Sometimes it wouldn’t arrive till late, sometimes it would arrive the day of shooting/editing the video, and sometimes it took forever for the thumbnail to arrive. This put a lot of stress on me, as you can probably imagine. One way I overcame that challenge is just before I deleted my YouTube channel permanently last August 2022, I e-mailed my graphic designer and told him that I would be deleting my YouTube channel forever and that his services would not be required anymore, It felt freeing, and then I moved on to TikTok! One lesson I’ve learned from my roommate is don’t focus on how many people click the “like” button on TikTok, focus on the fact that I’m actually getting views and engagement. Another lesson is don’t feel bad if the number of views on TikTok isn’t looking too good that day. Be happy I’m getting views at all, as he has said to me in the past. What I want the world to know about me and my story is that autism awareness is a very good thing and we certainly need more of it in the world today. I want people to understand that people with autism are just like you and me, we just have different everyday struggles with how we manage stress/anxiety.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my best friend to a very cool, hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the Casas Adobes area of Pima County called Chef Alisah’s Restaurant. This restaurant even appeared pre-pandemic on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives!” This is a wonderful Bosnian restaurant that also serves Mediterranean cuisine. I’ve been there twice pre-pandemic! One thing I would definitely recommend getting there would be the lamb kebabs with rice. They’re really good! And their baklava is the best!! (Baklava is a Bosnian or Middle Eastern flaky pastry filled with chopped nuts and syrup). For drink–I personally don’t drink alcohol as it would interact very badly with my medications I take for anxiety/depression. One of my favorite places to visit, however, in Tucson would be the University of Arizona campus, as I frequently spent time there as a student from 2011-2019. We would probably take a walk on the University of Arizona Mall, and then have lunch at the Student Union. Another place that is worth checking out in Tucson would be a little-known gem. It’s called the Ignite Sign Art Museum, and it basically shows off the history of neon signs in Tucson. It’s pretty cool! I’ve never been, but I hope to go there in the not-too-distant future. I would definitely take my best friend there as a can’t-miss attraction. Then I would take my best friend for a late-afternoon coffee at Main Gate Square just near the University of Arizona campus to Scented Leaf Tea House & Lounge.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d really like to dedicate my shoutout to my old friend and classmate from the University of Arizona, Emma Berkley. You see–before I ever made TikTok videos about my autism, I used to make YouTube videos about autism, or autistic video blogs (weekly “vlogs”). She really appreciated watching them and was sad when I decided to delete my YouTube channel permanently last August 2022 due to a combination of being frustrated, stressed, and angry about other likes, comments, and views that other autistic creators were getting that I wasn’t. Emma would always enjoy my weekly topics about autism and really liked my videos. Thanks, Emma, for getting me to where I am today!

Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@joe.cox90?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe.cox27/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-cox-aa26a715a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.dk.cox90/

Other: Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/joedkcox90

Image Credits
Joe Cox