Autistic music therapist and singer Swara Swami

Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people

08/07/23

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17m

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As a young autistic girl, Swara Swami could sing before she could speak. Now Swara is a music therapist and singer who advocates for mental health and autism awareness on her social media.

Swara has her Bachelors in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and is currently doing her Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lesley University. She has worked with several well-known Indian musical artists as part of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, where she also performed on a Grammy-nominated album.

During this episode, you will hear Swara talk about:

What it was like growing up as an autistic girl in India
How neurodivergence is viewed in India
What inspired her to become a music therapist, and the challenges she has faced working in the music therapy field
Her experience as a student who has studied and lived in several different countries
Her singing experience, including her performance on a Grammy-nominated album
Why she advocates for autism and mental health awareness

Follow Swara on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

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*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*

Previous Episode

The Autism-Friendly Cookbook - with Lydia Wilkins

July 24, 2023

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51m

Lydia Wilkins is a freelance journalist and author based in the UK who covers disability and social issues. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Metro, The Independent, Refinery 29, The Daily Mail and PosAbility Magazine. She writes a newsletter on Substack discussing the intersection between feminism and disability culture. Her debut book, "The Autism-Friendly Cookbook," was published in November 2022. She is also an ambassador for AccessAble, an organization providing access guides across the UK.

During this episode, you will hear Lydia talk about:

Her experience working as an autistic journalist
What inspired her to write "The Autism-Friendly Cookbook," and how her book makes cooking more accessible for autistic people
How clear communication skills are both critical and underrated
The difference between asking informed questions and expecting emotional labor from people with disabilities

Content warning: occasional swearing, a reference to suicide

Limited-time giveaway! Beyond 6 Seconds is also giving away a copy of "The Autism-Friendly Cookbook" to two of our listeners in the United States! Check out my post on Twitter (pinned post) or Threads on Monday, July 24th, 2023 for more information. Up to two winners will be chosen at random. Valid for US addresses only. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EDT on Friday, August 4, 2023.

"The Autism-Friendly Cookbook" is also available for purchase on the Jessica Kingsley Publishers US and UK websites, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Waterstones.

Find out more about Lydia and her work at LydiaWilkins.co.uk, subscribe to her Substack newsletter The Disabled Feminist, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player!

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!

Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!

Next Episode

Trans and autistic inclusion at work – with Nate Shalev

August 21, 2023

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23m

Nate Shalev is a leading expert and advisor on inclusivity helping to create workplace cultures where both businesses and people thrive. They were named a LinkedIn Top Voice and have been highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Nate earned a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University and an MA from New York University. They are the founder of Revel Impact, a consultancy that specializes in social impact and diversity, equity & inclusion.

During this episode, you will hear Nate talk about:

How they realized that they are autistic
The intersections between their transgender and autistic identities
Some of the negative experiences they had at work, which led them to start their own business
The training and advising they do at companies to help build inclusive practices and open up communications between managers and teams
How to be a good ally to your trans and autistic coworkers
Creating work systems that can benefit everyone

Learn more about Nate's work at RevelImpact.com and on LinkedIn.

This episode is sponsored by Misfit Media: a podcast about queerness, disability, fatness and more with a focus on personal experience, knowledge and intracommunity topics. Tune in every Sunday for bite-sized episodes, in which the host Delta talks about all sorts of things ranging from being non-binary, neurodivergence or living in a fat body. Misfit Media is available at anchor.fm/misfitmedia and wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player.

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes.

Support or sponsor this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds!