1 Running Head: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE

Individual Differences Student Profile Essay Sheena Wesner Instructor: Dr. Egbert EDUC 205: Online

2 INDVIDUSUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE Individual Differences Student Profile Essay Every student comes with a unique set of needs and challenges. There are many different things a teacher has to consider when determining what is appropriate for a particular student. A teacher needs to be able to efficiently evaluate their students so they can provide them with the best education possible. Teachers must to take into consideration a students physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development to determine if he/she is at a typical level compared to his/hers peers. In this essay, I will discuss these three areas as they pertain to one particular student who has a physical disability. General Information Grace is a white female about ten years and three months old. She lives with her mother, stepdad, her full biological older sister (who is 12), and two younger half-brothers (2 and 5 years old). She sees her biological father every other weekend for one day. Grace is in fifth grade and attends the local intermediate school. She does not go to a daycare or babysitter. When she arrives home from school she is kept on a strict routine. She has to finish any homework, do her chores, and go to any church or 4H activities she may have. Physical Development Grace has light brown hair and blue eyes, and she does not have any noticeable birthmarks. When she was five years old and in her last month of kindergarten, she was in an accident and was run over by a riding lawn mower. She lost most of her left foot, and her growth plate in her knee was severed. She has been through numerous surgeries and will need more as she grows because of the growth plate. She wears a prosthetic foot with a brace that goes up to her knee.

3 INDVIDUSUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE The first year after her accident she was small for her age because her growth was stunted. However, she has made tremendous progress and her physical development has caught up to her peers. Grace is right handed; and she is in excellent physical health. She has no vision, hearing impairments (hearing loss of deafness), or chronic health problems. Grace is at an acceptable level of physical fitness. She can walk, even without her prosthetic, and she can run for short distances. Graces mom keeps her on a strict diet because she does gain weight easily. Her large muscle development is average for her age, and she has no limitations on her small muscle development. Cognitive Development Grace is in a regular classroom. She is a good student; however she does struggle with reading. She does very well in math and science. She is bright and caring and always willing to use her helping skills in the classroom. Grace is very motivated when it comes to her school work and does not need a lot of assistance. She also responds well to positive reinforcement. She loves to participate in her class and in activities at her church. It can be hard for to keep up with the other kids, but she always tries. Graces moral reasoning is that of someone that is very sympathetic and caring. According to Piagets theory of cognitive development, Grace is in the third stage, called the concrete operational stage. Parsons, Hinson, Sardo-Brown, (2010). In this stage a child is able to find logical solutions to concrete problems. Grace is also, according to Piaget, in the autonomous morality stage. Parsons, Hinson, Sardo-Brown, (2010). In this stage children realize that rules can be changed. I was able to determine this by asking her if it was okay for a mother to steal food for her baby. She said that it was ok if there was no other way for the

4 INDVIDUSUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE mother to get the food. Noting that stealing is wrong, she agreed that it was more wrong for the baby to go hungry. Socio-emotional Development Grace has positive interactions with her peers. Her friends truly love her and are very accepting of her disability. She is also very good at communicating with adults. Graces selfesteem has improved a lot over the years. She does have her good and bad days; however she does have more good ones than bad. She can struggle with her self-concept from time to time because her body is different from her peers, although she has come a long way with accepting herself. According to Parsons, Hinson, Sardo-Brown (2010), Eriksons theory of psychosocial development describes the relationship with others in the formation of ones own identity. Ericksons theory has eight stages. Grace is in stage four. This stage is the Industry vs. Inferiority stage and includes children ages six to eleven. Children in this stage develop a sense of competence. Although she is in the later part of stage four, she has not yet grown out of this stage. Summary, Conclusions, and Implications Grace is a very caring, intelligent, and determined young girl. She has overcome obstacles that most of us cant even imagine. It has been a joy for me to get to know her and spend time with her. She is an inspiration to children and adults. Grace is at a typical level for a child of her age, when it comes to her physical abilities. Although, considering the extent of her injuries, some accommodations have to be made for her to be able to keep up with her peers.

5 INDVIDUSUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE Cognitively, Grace is doing very well, and she has not let her injuries affect her school work. She is smart, capable, and a very logical thinker. Grace also loves to do math. It is her favorite subject. Graces socio-emotional development has come a long way, but will always be a work in progress. She is learning to accept herself the way she is and has a very good support system to back her up. Grace's strengths are resilience, her positive attitude towards life, and her giving and kind nature. She needs emotional support to be able to deal with children that are mean or might tease her. She also needs to know that she is needed because she loves to help other people. As Grace goes into Jr. High and High School, I would make sure that all of her teachers are aware of her situation so they can make the appropriate accommodations for her. I would make sure she has access to somebody that can help talk her down when she is having a hard time with her self-concept so she does not become depressed. Graces peers are also very important to her, therefore she should be placed with children that will not make fun of or make her feel bad about her disability. Gracesoptimal learning style is visual. Because of this, she should be placed with a teacher that uses a lot of visual aids when teaching. She is also very good in math and should be placed in an excelled math program so she does not become bored in class. Grace can also use some extra help in reading. Placing her in a small reading group with students her age would be of great benefit for her. Having her set some short term goals on improving her reading scores can also be of benefit. In conclusion, when a teacher takes into consideration a students physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development, they can gain greater understanding on how to teach that

6 INDVIDUSUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE particular student. Each student is different. Because of this teachers need to be flexible in their approach so that every student has the opportunity to become successful.

7 INDVIDUSUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE Citations Parsons, Hinson, Sandro-Brown (2010). Educational Psychology. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.

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