Baron-Cohen praises Susan Boyle for her "bravery" in revealing she has Asperger Syndrome
Written byADAM LUKE
Susan Boyle
The director of a pioneering Cambridge autism centre has praised singer Susan Boyle’s decision to reveal she has Asperger Syndrome.
Prof Simon Baron-Cohen said the Scot’s announcement will help improve understanding of the condition, and has called for more specialist clinics to be set up across the country.
At the weekend, Boyle, who shot to fame in 2009 on Britain’s Got Talent, spoke of her relief at the diagnosis after spending years believing she had suffered slight brain damage at birth.
Prof Baron-Cohen said: “I think it is brave of Susan Boyle to speak out like this, and I am sure her talking about the fact she has Asperger Syndrome will lead to greater awareness of the condition.
“It should provide inspiration and hope to others who also have a similar diagnosis that they can lead successful and fulfilling lives.”
Prof Baron-Cohen – cousin to actor Sacha Baron-Cohen – is director of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust’s (CPFT) Cambridge Lifespan Asperger Syndrome Service (CLASS) clinic, which has been providing specialist diagnostic assessments for adults who may have Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism for over 10 years.
It found a new home in September when a new building opened on the Fulbourn Hospital site, after the Autism Research Trust (ART) and National Autistic Society (NAS) received a grant from the N Sethia Foundation.
Prof Baron-Cohen added: “I am really proud of the achievements of the CLASS clinic in Cambridge and the partnership CPFT has with ART and NAS in our great new centre.
“The centre provides a vital resource for adults with an autism spectrum condition and their families.
“By being closely linked to autism research it also provides evidence-based standards of excellence in clinical practice.
“But there needs to be more clinics like it across the country so even more people can receive the help and support they need.”
Around one in 100 people in the UK have autism – this equates to just over 8,000 people in Cambridgeshire.
Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Health/Health-news/Baron-Cohen-praises-Susan-Boyle-for-her-bravery-in-revealing-she-has-Asperger-Syndrome-20131209125603.htm#ixzz2mzEp9NOi
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