Susan Boyle Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome

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Susan Boyle has struggled throughout her life to attain the level of success she's reached, but there have always been personal and social elements to that struggle as well. However, the singer now feels great relief at being able to finally put a name to the difficulties she's faced.

Boyle revealed she has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome -- a form of autism characterized by difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication -- and claims to feel relief at finally having a proper label for her condition.

The singer, 52, told the Observer newspaper that she saw a specialist a year ago, who diagnosed her Asperger’s and her above-average IQ. Boyle states she had learning difficulties as a child, which she had been told were the result of brain damage due to oxygen deprivation at birth. Her learning deficiencies made her an easy target for bullying in her youth.

“I have always known that I have had an unfair label put upon me,” Boyle said in the interview, just published today, December 8. “Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself.”

Boyle goes on to offer her hope that others will be understanding of her condition, and of the same condition in others.

“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 Observer. “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."

Via: Entertainment Weekly