Discussion with Dale Brown: Susan Boyle’s Autobiography Discusses her Experience with Learning Disabilities.
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
Do you remember when Susan Boyle won the “Britain’s Got Talent” competition in 2009? The media focused on the surprise of her beautiful voice. It came out of a 47 year old, unemployed woman who did not meet cultural appearance standards. The video of her tape went viral.
Her video inspired me for the same reasons it inspired almost all of the 300 million people who watched it. But I also saw a fellow adult with a learning disability. I saw her social awkwardness, her uncoordinated movement, and her inability to “get” the non-verbal signals of the judging panels. After she sang, she walked off the stage, not realizing that she was supposed to stay to hear from the judges. They had to call her back.
In her autobiography Susan Boyle: The Woman I was Born to Be; My Story, Boyle explains “…one day, we had to make the journey to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children so I could have something called an assessment.”
“My ability to learn seemed to follow a different pattern from the other children,” she says. She learned to read, but had difficulty writing her letters. “It was as if there was a lack of coordination between my brain and the hand doing the writing, and that made me the slowest in the class. It took a long time before I could write properly.
She says she took medication for her hyperactivity. And she described her social skills problems. “At playtime, I didn’t understand the hierarchies that operated in the playground. I was naturally outgoing and I didn’t know why some of the other children didn’t want to be my friend….If I was excited, I laughed a bit too noisily; if I was sad or angry, I was straight into tears or tantrum.”
Her experience seemed so similar to the stories people with learning disabilities that I wanted to communicate with our community.
After her video went viral and she became famous, she suffered a breakdown (according to the Guardian and Observer 2011). However, she came back from that setback and has since produced two albums, “I Dreamed a Dream (2009) and “The Gift (2010)” which sold 14 million copies. A musical about her life will open in New Castle next year and tour for at least six months.
What are your thoughts? Did you think she might have a learning disability when you saw her video? How do you think her learning disabilities impacted her? And how does her experience (and choices about presenting or not presenting her learning disabilities) impact us?
Dale Brown is a contributor to LD Resources. Here are some of her contributions
Bio
www.ldresources.org/2004/12/dale-susan-brown/
Making Employment a Reality
www.ldresources.org/2005/02/making-employment-a-reality/
Auditory Perceptual Problems – My Story
www.ldresources.org/2003/11/auditory-perceptual-problems-my-story/
Learning to Work: A Story by A Learning Disabled Person
www.ldresources.org/2004/11/learning-to-work-a-story-by-a-learning-disabled-person/
Learning Despite Learning Disabilities
www.ldresources.org/2003/11/learning-despite-learning-disabilities/
Marketing Your Disability
www.ldresources.org/2005/01/marketing-your-disability/
The Handicap That Had No Name
[...] learning disabilities – Google Blog Search « Cop Beats Minor Disability Student In School Over Dress Code [...]
I saw the video and certainly saw her social awkwardness but I did not immediately think “learning disability.”
There are many people who are socially awkward for a variety of reasons, only some of them having to do with learning disabilities. And, there are many people with learning disabilities who are not socially awkward and are acutely aware of social cues, norms, and feedback.
That doesn’t mean that folks with and without learning disabilities might not relate to Susan’s social awkwardness, I know I certainly did. But, I didn’t relate because I’ve experienced it (although I have at times), I related empathetically: I felt for her and feel for anyone who goes through something like that.
Of course, in Susan Boyle’s case, she voluntarily and willingly entered the contest and went for it. A kid in school has no choice.
I was glad to read your article about Susan Boyle’s experience on British television. It clarified the reasons behind her on-stage behaviors. And what was so striking to me was the contrast between her incredible singing voice and her “unusual” onstage behaviors. Now I understand her behaviors in light of her learning disabilities, which you clearly pointed out in your article. Even though she was way out of her comfort zone, she turned out a great performance; and since that initial performance, I’m glad to hear she is getting asistance in improving her appearance and in moving on with a successful career.
Lenny
Thank you Lenny and Richard. I agree with you Richard that many people with LD are not socially awkward. But there was something about her behavior that made me feel she had a perception issue, rather than an experience issue. I didn’t say anything about it online until I read her autobiography, where she actually shared her experience. It means a lot to me that you both commented. It is good to hear from you.
Dale, and Richard,
In my experience, professional and personal, many (if not most) people with Learning Disabilities don’t have perceptual differences that lead to social difficulties. And, I’ve met those that do.
It seems to me that some aspects of some peoples’ processing differences (LD) can directly lead to social problems. I’ve also seen the opposite, where the person who struggles with print is amazingly astute and sharp socially.
Then there’s the larger group (my opinion) of students with learning disabilities who because of spending so much time in unsupportive school situations, develop secondary disruptive behaviors or feelings of low self worth that leads to social isolation or anxiety for example.
Dale,
Enjoyed your blog. I guess it shows that if a person with a disability makes it to adulthood, has a dream, and thr courage to act on it, the public recognizes and celebrates his or her success. I recently published a murder mystery that includes characters with a range of disabilities. I have not mentioned that fact in initial marketing. I am looking forward to seeing what happens.
Pat
Hey Pat, it is good to hear from you. I agree with you! And good luck with your book. Your encouragement to me and others makes a real difference in the world.
Dale,
I thought something was wrong because of the way she was dressed and reacted to questioning at the onset. . .You truly are an insightful woman and gifted too!!! I wish you closer and I’d invite you to speak in my classes . . .I do that to impress upon my students that although some of us are handicapped or have a disability, the other part of the brain takes over and we often end up in the genius or near-genius category . . .I think that’s where you are . . .Keep on doing what you’re doing, it works . . .Now, call Obama and help him out too!!!!
Regards,
John Garot
This is wonderful! Can this be posted on FB? Many international grassroots dyslexia/ADHD groups would love this!
Nira, glad you enjoyed Dale Brown’s post on Susan Boyle.
Many other LD and ADHD sites are linked to LD Resources and I have put Dale’s post up on my FB wall. LD Resources doesn’t have its own Facebook page but feel free to make a link from yours.