Brittany McGuire never expected TikTok to have such a life-changing impact on her life, but with 3.4 million followers and the kind of relationship she’s always wanted with her brother, that’s exactly what happened.
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When she was a child, it was difficult for Brittany to relate to her autistic brother, Ryan. As much as she tried to relate to his love of sports, because he was a sports fanatic, it wasn’t the best way for them to connect.
“Growing up, I didn’t understand how to relate to him,” Brittany said. “He loves sports – he is a walking encyclopedia of sports trivia. I would try to talk about sports, but I knew so little and he knew so much. At times, I felt like a bad sister because I couldn’t connect to him.”
When Brittany first joined TikTok, she didn’t have any plans to include Ryan in them. As a dance coach for a local high school, she originally used it as a way to keep up with the viral dance trends her students loved so much.
Then, a single video changed everything.
One day, Brittany decided to put on a skincare face mask, leaving her with a pink, unusual looking complexion that Ryan didn’t like. She found his reaction amusing, so she decided to share it, thinking that others would agree… and she was right! The video went viral!
As fun as it was for Brittany to see everyone appreciating Ryan’s reaction, it also sparked conversations around autism, something that only increased as they began regularly posting videos together.
Some comments seemed to genuinely want to learn more about his disorder, but others came across, as Brittany puts it, “intrusive and offensive.”
“Many people ask what’s wrong with Ryan and my knee jerk reaction is to say that nothing is wrong with him,” she said. “But instead of firing off witty replies, Ryan and I make TikToks. I don’t think people realize that some of the things they have said are offensive and most people are genuinely curious about Ryan and autism. So we help them gain a better understanding.”
One important message that Ryan hopes people remember is that autism is a disorder not an illness. Meaning, as he says, “autism is how the brain functions.” In other words, just because his brain works differently, doesn’t make him less valuable than anyone else.
“The moments of us hanging out together truly give insight into what he likes and who he is in a way that facts about autism cannot,” Brittany said. “It allows Ryan to show all his sides, such as when he signed at my grandmother’s memorial because she always enjoyed watching him sign.”
In sharing these moments with Ryan, whether they’re serious and educational or fun and silly, they’re playing an important role in dismantling misconceptions that many have about this disorder. And, in doing so, Brittany herself has come to better understand her brother.
@tacobellqween My heart posting this 🥺 #fyp #viral #siblings #autismacceptance #tacobellqween #TheAdamProject #TurboTaxAlphorn ♬ BRENT MORGAN What Dreams Are Made Of – Brent Morgan
“Making TikToks brought us closer together and helped me to better understand him,” she said. “I feel more patient with him and it has become a fun way to bond. We only film when he’s up for it and if he’s not in the right mindset we film another day. But often, he’ll ask to make one.”
Brittany’s TikTok has created such a huge, loving community of people, and this iconic duo couldn’t be more grateful.
“Through TikTok, Ryan shares his story with the world and helps others better understand autistic people,” Brittany said. “But for me, having something we do together that helps us bond and spend time together is priceless and what I always hoped we’d share.”
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