Ping to post 161. It’s a very good post that will give you some insight.
The parents aren’t asking for their child to be singled out and made the center of attention. That’s what was inadvertently done with the class photo. They’re asking for people to stop doing that. Just include him as a member of the class.
If any other child was separated from the class, for having red hair, or being the son of outspoken conservatives, there would be an uproar. But somehow it’s acceptable to do this to a disabled kid, because he should get used to being treated that way. Sure, he should learn to deal with adversity, but the other children and adults should learn not to impose adversity on others just because they can. They need to learn that even people with disabilities deserve respect.
I’m glad that your MIL learned to deal with being bullied. I would hope that someone had a talk with the other kids about bullying. This kid will eventually learn that a segment of society rejects him because of his disability. I can’t blame his parents for trying to postpone that lesson. While he’s young, and developing what will probably be lifelong perceptions about people in general, it would be nice if he wasn’t segregated from his classmates. And it would be nice if the other kids were taught how treat each other with respect.
Tell me where it states how this child feels about the picture. Anywhere? At all?