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Runninghead:INDIVIDUALDIFFERENCESSTUDENTPROFILE

IndividualDifferenceStudentProfile
JillRatto
Instructor:TraceyMeyerhoeffer
EDUC205:Development/IndividualDifferences
Spring2013

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IndividualDifferenceStudentProfile
Childrenaredifferentandunique,withtheirownspecialtalents.Theseunique
qualitiesmakethemwhotheyare.Whilethesestudentsmaynotbegiftedandtalented
inschoolsubjects,theyaregifted.IhadtheopportunitytointerviewAbbyiswhogifted,
butnotinthewaymostdefineitbecauseAbbyhasa
physicaldisability
.Inthis
individualdifferencesstudentprofile,Iwillbediscussingherfamilybackground,
physicaldevelopment,cognitivedevelopment,andhersocialemotionaldevelopment.
GeneralInformation
Abbywasadoptedintoherfamilywhenshewaseightyearsoldsheisnow11
th
yearsand8monthsold.HerbirthdayisAugust8
.ShewasadoptedfromaBulgarian

orphanage.Herfamilyconsistsoffourbrothersandtwosisters(theyalsohaveadogand
acat,whichshetoldmeIneedtoputinmypaper).Allofhersiblingsareadoptedas
well.Herbrothersagesare8,9,14and18hertwosistersare16yearsold.Allofher
siblingsarebattlingadisability.HermomstayshomewhileherdadworksatUPS
freight.
Ontheschoolsdays,Abbywakesupat7oclock,getsready,andthenwalkswith
herbrothersandsisterstoschool.Thereshewilleatbreakfast,andhelpherbrothersget
theirbreakfaststoo.MondaythroughThursday,Abbygoestoschoolfrom8a.m.
through4p.m..Aftershegetsbackfromschools,shegetsssnackthengoesstraightto
workonherchores.Onceshegetsallherchoresfinished,shethanbeginstoworkonher
homework.Oftentimes,aftereverythingisfinished,shewillwatchTVoramoviewith
herfamily.

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PhysicalDevelopment
Abbyisabout46withlongbrownhairandbeautifulbrowneyes.Overher
prettyeyes,Abbywearsglassesandsheislefthanded.ForthemostpartAbbys
physicalmaturation
isnormalforherage.Whileshelooksthesameasherpeers,her
physicaldevelopment
islessthanthosearoundher.Shehastowearabraceonherright
legbecauseherrightlegisnotstrong.
WhenIinquiredabouthereatinghabits,hermothertoldmethattheywere
normal.Duringtheweekdays,sheeatsbreakfastandlunchatschool.Hermomtoldme
theytrytohavedinnerasafamilyasoftenaspossible,butwitheveryonesbusy
schedules,theyonlyeattogetherabouthalfthetime.AsIwatchedherinP.E.,shewould
doallthethingstheotherkidsdid,butshewasalittleslower.Hersmallmuscle
developmentseemstobenormalshecancutpaperandwritenormally.
OnFridays,shehasphysicaltherapytoworkonmakingherlegstronger.During
thewinter,theonlyexerciseshereallygetsisfromhertherapyandP.E.,butduringthe
summer,sheisalwaysoutside.Shelovesbeingoutsideinthesunsheplaysonher
swingset,inherswimmingpool,orwiththeirbasketballhoop.Overall,shedoesntlet
herlegstopherfromhavingfun.
CognitiveDevelopment
Beingfromanothercountry,AbbyknewnoEnglishwhenshecametoAmerica.
Nowthatshehasbeenherforayear,sheknowsaboutusasmuchEnglishassomeone
th
herage.Abbyisinthe5
grade,butsheisrarelywithherpeersintheclassroom.She

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st
goestothe1
gradeteacherforreadingandsheoftenattendstheresourceroomto

receivethehelpsheneeds.
WhenaskingabouthergradesIwouldsaysheisaboutaverage,butitwashardto
st
tellbecausesheisgradeddifferently.Thegradesshegetsarelikethegradesfor1

gradeshegetseitheranincompleteoracomplete.Sheisntuptoherclasslevelinmath
yet,butshereallylovesmath.Whensheiswithherclass,shehasahardtimepaying
attention,becausethecurriculumistoohardforher.Althoughthecurriculumishardfor
her,shealwaystriesherbestandwhenherpeersseethatsheisstrugglingwithan
assignment,theygotoherdeskandtrytohelpher.
AccordingtoPiaget,Abbyisinstagethesecondstageofcognitivedevelopment,
whichisthe
Preoperational
stage.
Stagetwoofcognitivedevelopment
isoneinwhich
thelackoflogicaloperationsforceschildrentomakedecisionsbasedontheir
perceptions.ItisevidentthatAbbyisinstage2becauseshehasahardtimereverse
operations.Shealsotendstofocusontheperceptualaspectofaneventtotheexclusion
ofothers,whichiscalled
Centration
.
SocioemotionalDevelopment
WhenIaskedifAbbyfeltlikeshefitinwithherpeers,shesaidthatshedid.
ThenwhenIwastalkingwithhermom,hermomsaidthatshewasntsurehowmuch
timesheactuallyspendswithkidsherage.IaskedAbbywhoshesatwithatlunchand
shesaid,WhenImmadIsitbymyself,butforthemostpart,Isitwithmyfriendsor
sometimesIsitwiththeyoungerkids.FromwhatIobserved,sheinteractedwellwith

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herpeers,andthoseyoungerthenher.Sheseemstofitinbetterwiththoseyoungerthan
herbecausetheyareatthesamestagesofdevelopment.
Abbyseemstobeoperatinginstage4ofEricksonstheoryofpsychosocial
development,the
IndustryversusInferiority
stage.Thisisillustratedbythefollowing
exampleIobservedduringmathclass.Ifshehappenedtogetaproblemwrong,Abby
becameveryfrustrated.Whentheteacherexplainedthatheranswerwasclose,Abby
responded,butitstillisntright.Whenshedoesntunderstandsomethingorgetan
answerright,shebecomesalmostdepressedbecauseinhermindsheisafailure.
Forthemost,Abbyseemstohaveagoodselfesteem.Abbysometimeshasa
hardtimebecausesheisplacedindifferentclasseswithdifferentagegroups.Whenshe
st
iswiththe1
graders,shefeelsmorecomfortablebecausetheyareatthesamestagein
th
emotionaldevelopment,butwhensheiswiththe5
graders,sheisnotascomfortable

butsheisatthesamestageofphysicaldevelopmentastheyare.Inall,itisdifficultfor
Abbybecauseshedoesntseemtofitintoanygroupwell.

Summary,Conclusions,andImplications
Abbyisntatthesamelevelasherclassesmates,butattheratesheislearning,she
willsoonbe.IlookathowAbbyistalkingnow,andapersonwouldneverguessthatshe
hasonlybeenspeakingEnglishforayear.Inall,IbelieveAbbysloveoflearningwill
helphercatchuptoherclass,sothatshewillbeabletolearnwiththem.

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WorkCited
Parsons, Hinson, SardoBrown. (2001).
Educational Psychology: College of Southern
Idaho.