It seems most of the reactions on this thread are directed at the Mother. Well and good.
But you have summed up the problem with this picture. It is a Class Photo. The teacher could have stood behind the student, and the other students could have moved closer to the edge.
Out of CONSIDERATION.
But I guess there are plenty of so- called conservatives who equate consideration with special treatment or emotionalism. Too bad.
You summed it up pretty well.
The people who insist this child didn’t deserve to be included with the other children probably wouldn’t say the same things about a child without disabilities.
What if we took the kid who is in the middle of the group, and had him switch places, to be the one singled out for banishment from the group? Would they be okay with that? And if they discovered the reason for singling him out was because his favorite toy was a water gun, would they join in ostracizing him too? I doubt it. I think their disdain is reserved for kids in wheelchairs, women on feeding tubes, and others they view as less than.