Things that make you go hmmm...

Okay, so I realize this may sound a little harsh, but why do many parents of special needs children feel the urge to "dress their child for the part", so to speak? I was at Target today, and walking down the aisle toward me came a mother and her daughter, who seemed to have several developmental, physical and emotional difficulties. She was dressed in, I kid you not, pink biker shorts and a tie dyed t-shirt that looked like it was from 1993. Now, I don't know the extent of this teenager's disability, or whether or not she was able to help choose her own clothes, but this stuff was clearly either very old or from Goodwill. Meanwhile, the mother was dressed very nicely in khakis and a polo shirt. It almost seemed like, since the child probably had no idea what she was wearing, the mother just put her in some old stuff lying around the house. My question is...why??? Why not splurge on your child and at least buy her some things that look normal, regardless of whether she knows what she looks like or not.
Thinking back on high school, I am reminded of some of the special needs kids. Many of them looked normal in every way, the only thing that differentiated them was the way they were dressed, usually like the girl in Target. Had their parents bought them some normal clothes, they probably would have fit in a lot better. Now, I know teenagers can be really really cruel, but knowing that, what better reason to help them in any way possible, and if all it takes is shopping at, say Target instead of Goodwill, why not??? Just a thought.