[OPINION] Wynston Browne: “Staples Can Do Better For Students Like Me”

Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting included a discussion of an upcoming evaluation of the Westport Public Schools’ special education program.

Several parents asked that the review be fully independent, and devoid of any financial ties to the district. They advocate for a transparent review of administration, leadership and governance of special education, overseen directly by the BOE, led by a steering committee that includes parents with lived experience, to ensure a “credible and effective” process.

One student also addressed the BOE. Staples High School senior Wynston Browne — a non-speaking student who communicates by spelling — made a strong case for systemic change in the Special Education department.

Wynston spoke about the need for genuine collaboration, individualized access, and a commitment to “presumed competence,” so all students can fully participate in the decisions that shape their education. He typed this message, shown on a screen:

I would be interested in addressing the Board. The most important idea that I would like to express is that at every PPT [Planning and Placement Team meeting] my input was ignored.

My name is Wynston Browne, and this June I will become the first non-speaking autistic student who communicates by spelling to graduate from Staples HS with a fully credited diploma.

I am proud of this accomplishment and excited to continue my education in college, pursuing the broad range of subjects that inspire and challenge me.

Wynston Browne

While I celebrate this milestone, I must also speak honestly about the barriers I faced along the way. I have always entered my PPT meetings and educational discussions with a collaborative mindset. As the first speller in my district, I was consistently willing to demonstrate my abilities to my entire educational team, from paraprofessionals to administrators and even the superintendent. My goal was never to fight the district, but to work together to create an educational experience that reflected my true abilities and learning needs.

Unfortunately, despite advocating consistently and providing clear evidence of what accommodations were necessary for me to access the curriculum successfully, most of my requests were denied or delayed, even when they required no additional staffing or financial burden.

Wynston Browne and his date, Nina Meehan, before Staples’ senior prom.

One of the greatest barriers I faced was the lack of presumed competence. My outward physical movements, due to severe apraxia, do not reflect my intellectual ability. I have repeatedly explained that presuming competence is the foundation of understanding spelling and non-speaking autism.

This became especially clear in subjects like geometry. When I was denied accommodations that supported my ocular planning challenges, my grades suffered. Yet when I demonstrated how materials could be organized in a way my brain could process, my grades became As. That success was not accidental. It was evidence that individualized access works.

Next week, Wynston Browne will become the first non-speaking autistic student who communicates by spelling to graduate from Staples. 

I experienced similar challenges in Spanish. Although I demonstrated fluency, I was placed in a B level class and denied access to a Spanish-speaking Communication and Regulation Partner (CRP). This left me feeling underestimated, dismissed, and intellectually stifled.

A CRP is not simply someone supervising typing. It is a partnership built on trust, rhythm, and skilled inquiry. Like ballroom dancing, success depends on being in sync. The way questions are asked directly impacts my ability to access and express higher level thinking. I do not struggle with intelligence! I struggle with motor planning and access to proper communication support.

When I am not challenged appropriately, “doing busy work” or placed in classes that aren’t reflective of my true abilities, I become fatigued which causes dysregulation. So being underestimated does not support my learning; it limits it.

Three years ago, Wynton Browne starred in a movie, “Presumed Incompetent,” about his journey. He holds a film poster with his parents, David Browne and Lynda Kommel-Browne.

My hope is that Staples HS will do better! That Staples HS will reflect on my experiences and make the necessary changes that benefit all students. Students like me deserve collaboration, individualized access, and educational decisions guided by demonstrated ability rather than disability stereotypes or outward appearance.

These supports are not special treatment. They are necessary steps toward an equitable education and toward schools to recognize and nurture the competence already present within every student. After all, it is our civil rights.

“06880” has chronicled Wynston and his journey several times. To read 2 stories, click here, and click here. For a short film starring Wynston, click here. (The password is Chance.) For a movie about the spelling movement, click here. In 2023 — shortly after he began using a spelling device — Wynston was a guest on our “06880” podcast. Click here to see (and note: His communication skills have increased dramatically since then).

Wynston Browne, with (left) his Communication & Regulation Partner Elisa Feinman, and Mayim Bialik, star of “Big Bang Theory.” She hosted Wynston and his parents at her Los Angeles home, when Wynston filmed “Days of Our Lives.” She invited him onto her “Breakdown” podcast.