Society considers strangeness as frightening, especially if it is sudden, loud, hostile, or violent. So, this belief may be applied to individuals with disabilities, such as Jessy, and they may be discriminated as a result. Clara mentioned that in the seventies, children like Jessy are called psychotic and there was a misconception that autism and schizophrenia was the same. There was little known about the different conditions, which made it more difficult to recognize and distinguish disorders from one another. In addition, Clara described an experience when a religious acquaintance told them there are still church rituals to cast out demons and that they should exorcised Jessy; thus, suggesting that people with disabilities are evil. It …show more content…
Despite certain limitations because of her autism, Jessy is able to pay taxes, take care of her home, and sustain employment. So, with the proper care and support, people with disabilities can also live a meaningful and productive life. Although there were limitations in rehabilitation during the 20th century, the support Jessy received from her family and friends were especially important during her journey. Because of her family, friends, and psychologists, Jessy became more competent and independent as she gradually learned to restrain her behavior and became more socially aware. Due to her autism, Jessy has impairments in social interaction, communication, and imagination, so she is in a world of her own. However, Clara described an instance in which Jessy showed progress of interacting with the real world and slowly exiting her self-absorbed world. Jessy became more aware of others besides herself, such as personalizing presents that are appropriate to each recipient, such as cat portraits for her sister who love cats. Therefore, support from her family and her homestay friends contribute much to her improvement, suggesting that interaction with others is beneficial for Jessy’s