An autistic boy with a natural talent for drumming has been taking talent shows by storm.
12-year-old Nick Meek has been performing to audiences as part of X Factor-inspired talent show, Autism’s Got Talent.
Nick, who finds crowds of people and noisy places unnerving as part of his condition, has managed to perform in front of up to 600 people, showing off his skills at the Teeside version of the event in September 2015.
The young drummer, who chews mints and sweets in stressful situations to fight off sensory overload, wowed Judges at the Teeside competition and has since decided to audition for Autism’s Got Talent in London.
“We were just so pleased it was such a positive experience for him – if it had been talking in front of hundreds of people, he wouldn’t have done it, but playing drums in front of 600 people, he was fine,” said Nick’s mother, Louise.
“Music is my life, I love all kinds of music but I’m really into thrash metal like Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold at the moment,” Nick told reporters.