>>> WELCOME BACK.
APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH.
AND THIS MORNING WE HAVE A
SPECIAL STORY FOR YOU.
A BROTHER, SISTER TEAM FROM
RICHMOND VIRGINIA, SPREADING
JOY, LAUGHTER AND KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT THE DISORDER THAT AFFECTS
MORE THAN 70 MILLION PEOPLE
WORLDWIDE.
>> THEIR TIKTOK VIDEOS ARE A
GLIMPSE INTO LIFE WITH AUTISM.
THEY HAVE RACKED UP TENS OF
MILLIONS OF VIEWS.
FIRST THEIR INSPIRING STORY.
>> YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT
ISLAND, WHAT THREE THINGS WOULD
YOU BRING WITH YOU?
>> HOT SAUCE.
YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH HOT
SAUCE.
>> HOT SAUCE LOVER.
SPORTS FANATIC AND TACO BELL
ENTHUSIAST.
28 YEAR OLD RYAN MAGUIRE IS A
STAR ON TIKTOK.
>> YOU WENT TO TACO BELL WITHOUT
ME THE.
>> DID YOU WANT TO GO?
>> YEAH I WANTED TO GO.
>> TOO LATE NOW.
>> RYAN WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
AUTISM SPECTRAL DISORDER.
HIS SISTER STARTED SHARING
LIGHTHEARTED VIDEOS OF HER
BROTHER JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
>> HOW DO I LOOK?
>> HER FIRST POST WENT VIRAL
OVERNIGHT.
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?
>> YOU DON'T LIKE IT?
>> NO.
>> BRITTANY CONTINUED TO SHARE
MORE VIDEOS OF RYAN.
FANS QUICK FALLING IN LOVE WITH
HER BROTHERS BRUTAL HONESTY,
QUICK WIT AND JOYFUL REACTIONS.
>> OOH, THE WHITE NEW YORK
KNICKS SOCKS.
>> WHAT STARTED AS FUN TURNED
INTO A PLATFORM FOR AUTISM
AWARENESS.
NOW MORE THAN 3 MILLION
FOLLOWERS CHEER ON THE MAGUIRE
SIBLINGS.
HOPING TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES,
BRITTANY HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT
WHAT IT WAS LIKE GROWING UP WITH
AN AUTISTIC BROTHER.
>> ONE QUESTION I GET A LOT IS
HAVE WE ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE?
THE ANSWER IS NO.
OBVIOUSLY NOT.
>> RYAN DEALS WITH COMMUNICATION
CHALLENGES AND ANXIETY.
>> THERE WILL JUST BE SOME
MOMENTS WHERE I WOULD JUST BREAK
DOWN IN TEARS BECAUSE I DID NOT
KNOW HOW TO RELATE TO HIM.
I DIDN'T KNOW -- I DIDN'T KNOW
HOW TO TALK TO HIM.
>> BUT THE VIDEOS BECAME A
LIFE-CHANGING GIFT FOR THE
SIBLINGS.
THE FUN RECORDS HELPED FORGE AN
INCREDIBLE BOND.
>> I FEEL LIKE TIKTOK HAS
TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED OUR
RELATIONSHIP.
I LOVE BEING AROUND HIM.
I AM BLESSED TO BE HIS SISTER.
HE LIGHTS UP EVERY SINGLE ROOM
THAT HE WALKS INTO.
>> LIGHTING UP ROOMS AND
SPREADING A MESSAGE OF
ACCEPTANCE.
>> ONE THING Y'ALL NEED TO
REMEMBER ABOUT AUTISM, OKAY?
LISTEN CAREFULLY.
AUTISM IS NOT AN ILLNESS.
AUTISM IS HOW THE BRAIN
FUNCTIONS.
>> YOU'RE DIFFERENT, BUT YOU'RE
NOT LESS.
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
NOW YOU NEED TO POST THAT ONE.
TIKTOK.
>> SPREAD THAT MESSAGE.
WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE HIM DO
IT.
THE DYNAMIC DUO, BRITTANY AND
BRIAN.
GOOD MORNING.
YOU ARE ON THE "TODAY SHOW."
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> YES WE ARE.
WE ARE.
>> SO EXCITING.
BRITTANY, I MEAN, COULD YOU HAVE
IMAGINED HOW THIS WOULD TAKE
OFF?
THIS LITTLE VIDEO WITH YOUR
BROTHER MAKING FUN OF YOUR FACE
MASK.
BECAME A SENSATION.
>> HONESTLY NO.
BUT ITS BEEN SUCH A REWARDING
EXPERIENCE AND ITS BEEN
BEAUTIFUL FOR THE BOAST OF US
AND WE'RE JUST SO BLESSED TO
HAVE WHAT WE DO.
YEAH IT'S A GOOD TIME.
>> IT IS A REAL GOOD TIME.
>> YOU WALKED IN OUR STUDIO AND
YOU LIT THE PLACE UP.
YOU WERE JUST SUNSHINE.
SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHEN
PEOPLE SEE YOU ON THE STREET NOW
WITH YOUR 3.4 MILLION FOLLOWERS.
>> 3.4 MILLION.
>> IS THAT CRAZY?
SO WHAT DO THEY SAY WHEN THEY
SEE YOU?
>> WHEN THEY FIRST SEE ME, IT IS
LIKE WHOA YOU'RE THAT RYE GUY
FROM TIKTOK.
AREN'T YOU THAT GUY FROM TIKTOK?
IT BLOWS MY MIND.
>> DO YOU LIKE IT?
>> I LOVE IT.
I LOVE IT.
>> WHAT DO YOU SAY BACK?
>> I GO, "YES I AM."
I SURE AM.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE
COMFORTABLE BEING IN PUBLIC AND
YOU TALK ABOUT ANXIETY.
HAS TIKTOK CHANGED THE WAY YOU
FEEL.
>> I HI.
IT REALLY HAS.
AND IT REALLY HAS EASED MY
ANXIETY LEVEL.
>> LIKE THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF IT,
RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT
ZONE A LITTLE BIT.
>> YEAH.
I'M STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT
ZONE AND INTO THE FIRE.
>> INTO THE FIRE.
>> I LIKE THAT.
>> INTO THE FIRE.
THE WATER'S WARM.
EVERYONE LOVES YOU.
YOU ARE A SENSATION.
WHAT HAS IT MEANT FOR THIS
RELATIONSHIP?
>> ITS MEANT EVERYTHING.
HONESTLY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN KIND OF
LIKE THE WINNINGBEGIN OF THE VID
WERE KIDS.
IT WAS HARD TO PROCESS AND
UNDERSTAND WHEN I'M TRYING TO
LEARN WHO I AM TOO.
SO TIKTOK BROUGHT US TOGETHER
AND GAVE US A WAY TO BOND AND TO
FIND SOMETHING WE BOTH ENJOY
LIKE HAVE IN COMMON AND
EVERYTHING.
HE'S A BIG SPORTS GUY AND KNOWS
A LOT MORE THAN I DO.
>> IT HELPED US BOND MORE.
>> HELPED ME GET A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE
LEARN ABOUT AUTISM WHEN THEY SEE
THE VIDEOS?
>> WELL, WHAT THEY LEARN IS, THEY LEARN WHAT AUTISM IS.
THEY LEARN WHAT AUTISM IS.
AND THEY LEARN WHAT AUTISTIC --
>> HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
>> HOW I WANT TO BE TREATED.
>> SAID YOU ARE A HUGE SPORTS
FAN.
WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER ONE FAVORITE
BASKETBALL TEAM?
>> KNICKS.
>> IT IS?
>> IT IS THE KNICKS.
LOVE THE KNICKS. >> I THINK THE KNICKS LOVE YOU.
>> I THINK THE KNICKS LOVE YOU.
WHAT DID THEY LOOK WHAT THEY
LEFT.
>> WHAT DID THEY LEAVE?
>> OH, NEW YORK FOREVER.
NICE.
OOH WHAT'S THIS?
>> WHOSE JERSEY IS THAT?
>> OH, MY BOY DEREK ROSE.
>> DEREK ROSE YOUR FAVORITE?
>> YES.
>> I THINK HE MIGHT HAVE SIGNED
IT TOO.
>> HE SIGNED IT?
>> LOOK AT THAT.
>> CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING
ELSE?
>> WHAT'S THAT?
>> DEREK, I FEEL LIKE HE MIGHT
KNOW YOU.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE MONITORS.
AND HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.
>> HEY WHAT'SUP RYAN.
IT'S D ROSE.
I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOUR TIKTOK
VIDEOS FROM AFAR.
>> AND I LOVE 'EM.
THANKS FEEDBACK BEING A FAN.
ON BEHALF AFTER THE CARDINAL
DREAMS FOUNDATION WE WOULD LIKE
TO INVITE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO
THE KNICKS/NETS GAME TONIGHT.
MAKE SURE YOU WEAR THE JERSEY
AND DON'T FORGET, BE SAFE.
>> ARE YOU BUSY TONIGHT?
AND CAN YOU GO TO THE KNICKS GAME.
>> DERRICK ROSE.
>> YOU ARE A BIG MAVERICKS FAN.
RYAN TOLD YOU.
>> LOVE THE MAVERICKS?
>> SHE LOVES 'EM.
>> WANT TO THANK THE KNICKS
AGAIN FOR THE SWAG BAG AND THE
INVITE.
Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT TIME AT THE
GAME.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE MESSAGE
YOU ARE SPREADING.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND BRITTANY YOU WROTE A
BEAUTIFUL ESSAY ABOUT YOUR
RELATIONSHIP.
WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO READ
IT.
IT IS ON TODAY.COM.
>> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
>> WE HAD A BLAST.