Singer Susan Boyle Reveals Diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome

Singer Susan Boyle has revealed for the first time that she has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.

The Scottish singer rose to international fame after appearing on Britain's Got Talent in 2009. The mezzo-soprano addressed previous reports claiming that she had brain damage and said that it was something else, E! News reported.

In an interview with the Observer, Boyle said that she went to see a specialist in Scotland last year. The doctor then told her that her IQ was above average and that she has Asperger's.

"It was the wrong diagnosis when I was a kid. I was told I had brain damage," Boyle told the paper. "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."

Asperger's is defined by the National Autistic Society as having "similarities with autism, [though] people with Asperger syndrome have fewer problems with speaking and are often of average, or above average, intelligence". Additionally, people with Asperger's may have "specific learning difficulties" but do not usually have the "disabilities associated with autism".

Boyle has sold approximately 19 million albums and was the first British female artist ever to have a number one album on the album charts of UK and US simultaneously.

"Asperger's doesn't define me," she told the Observer. "It's a condition that I have to live with and work through, but I feel more relaxed about myself. People will have a greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do."

Boyle also commented on her diagnosed condition, saying, "It will not make any difference to my life. It's just a condition that I have to live with and work through."

"I think people will treat me better because they will have a much greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do," she added.