Wynston Browne has won Westport’s heart.
The Staples High School junior has non-speaking autism. But over the past 2 years — thanks to a communication device, a communication specialist, and the strong advocacy of his parents — he has found his voice.
His brilliant mind — locked away for years, when he was presumed to have an intellectual disability — is on display in many ways, thanks to his keyboard.
His kind, loving spirit will be seen soon in a film by Cynthia Gibb and Jill Johnson Mann. He stars in “Presumed Incompetent,” about a nonspeaking autistic teenager whose life mirrors his own.
Apraxia causes Wynston’s body to move erratically. He appear agitated and unfocused, though he is not. But he hears and absorbs everything.
Wynston Browne, during a break from the filming of “Presumed Incompetent.”
At last, he is able to express his intelligence. He wants to be challenged in school — not presumed to be stupid or incompetent, because he can’t speak out loud.
He wants to have friends. He wants to sit in the cafeteria and laugh with them, not be laughed at.
Nina Meehan is another one of the 30 million or so non-speaking autistic people in the world.
She is 18. It took her until last year to find a way to communicate. Now — through the Nina Foundation she started — she is on a mission to prove that autism is not a cognitive disability.
It is actually a motor skill disability. There is a disconnect between the brain, the mouth and jaw, and fine motor skills like writing with a pencil or typing easily on a computer.
The brain/body disconnect makes many movements for those affected by apraxia to appear erratic. It is difficult for them to have their brain make purposeful movement.
Nina lives in Fairfield. She and Wynston know each other.
On Sunday — Super Bowl morning — she asked her older sister Natalia (a trained communication partner) if she could see Wynston later that day.
Nina Meehan, with her sister.
Her father picked Wynston up in Westport. The teenagers hung out for a couple of hours, as Natalia assisted their conversations.
When Wynston’s father David arrived to pick him up, Wynston made it clear — gently, but forcefully — that he’d prefer not to go.
David said that dinner (and the Super Bowl) were waiting. He asked if Wynston wanted to say anything else before leaving.
Natalia raised the letter board. Wynston decisively and precisely poked at the letters.
“Would you be my valentine?” he asked.
Nina grinned from ear to ear, and rocked back and forth on the couch.
Natalia brought over the spelling board. Nina poked at the letters: “I would love to.”
Wynston Browne and Nina Meehan, on Sunday.
Wynston then made clear to his father that he really did not want to go. But he would.
Nina’s mother Raquel asked the teenagers if they wanted to FaceTime on Wednesday. Their body language made their delight emphatically clear.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Wynston and Nina!
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Wynston’s mother, Lynda Kommel-Browne, adds: “As we have heard from Wynston, we realize how important it is for autistics to have friendships, love and companionship.
“This is another aspect of autism that we must concede we all got wrong.
“Human beings are social beings. Even though non-speakers’ socialization may look different than neuro-typical socialization, that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy and crave friendship, companionship and love.
“Many families with non-speakers feel like their children have a 6th, 7th and 8th sense. Wynston is so gentle and loving most of the time.
“It makes me feel so sad that he and his cohorts have spent such a big part of their lives largely segregated from communities. I hope this shows that non-speaking autistics indeed want very much to be part of the community.”
