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Susan Boyle in her dressing room at the Music Hall on July 4 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Susan Boyle has revealed she is suffering from Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.
The Scottish singer who shot to worldwide fame in 2009 with her jaw-dropping performance on “Britain’s Got Talent” was diagnosed last year but has now decided to reveal her news publicly for the first time.
Speaking to the Observer newspaper, Boyle said: “It was the wrong diagnosis when I was a kid.
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“I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself.”
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Susan Boyle sings ‘I Dream a Dream’ on ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’
Asperger’s has an impact on social and communication skills. It also hinders the ability to form relationships and behave appropriately in certain social situations.
“I went to seek a diagnosis from a Scottish specialist,” she told The Observer. “Nobody told me to. I thought I had a more serious illness and couldn’t function properly.”
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She also reveals she was bullied at school, with other children calling her “Susie Simple.”
Boyle, 52, became globally famous after the video of her singing “I Dreamed a Dream” went viral with over 100 million hits within days.