Singer Susan Boyle has revealed that she has a form of autism known as Asperger’s syndrome — a diagnosis she says came as a relief after years of believing she had brain damage.
Boyle, 52, had learning difficulties as a child, which she was told were the result of brain damage from oxygen deprivation at birth. She struggled in school and was bullied by other children.
“I have always known that I have had an unfair label put upon me,” Boyle said in an interview, published in London’s Observer newspaper.
“Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself,” she said.
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The church volunteer from a small Scottish town became a global sensation when she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables” on the TV competition show “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009. She has sold more than 14 million records around the world and recently released her fourth album, “Home for Christmas.”
The singer said she believed that she, and others, would have a better understanding of the struggles she experiences.
“I would say I have relationship difficulties, communicative difficulties, which lead to a lot of frustration. If people were a bit more patient, that would help,” she told the newspaper.
“Asperger’s doesn’t define me. It’s a condition that I have to live with and work through, but I feel more relaxed about myself. People will have a much greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do.”