Running Head: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES STUDENT PROFILE ESSAY

Individual Differences Student Profile Essay

Elizabeth Rosas
Dr. LueLinda Egbert
EDUC 205: Development and Individual Differences
Spring, 2015

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Individual Difference Student Profile Essay

Educators get a variety of students academically as well as culturally. Many educators
have all this variety in one classroom and needs to conform to all the different personalities.
While dealing with all of it at the same time as educators we need to make sure we equally pay
attention to the needs of each and every student. A struggling student will be a more challenging
part in a classroom, but may also be very rewarding once meeting that individuals students
needs. Observing Tom Peterson in his classroom brought about challenging issues with the
teacher, but she handled it very well.
General Information
Tom Peterson is a six and one month old white male boy. He currently lives with both his
parents and is the oldest of four children. During the morning Tom is generally at home with his
mother and siblings. He attends school from noon until three fifteen.
Physical Development
Tom has light brown eyes, dark blonde hair and has a light freckled skin color.
Physically Toms maturation is within his same age peers. He does not handle stress or react to
certain stresses as well as his peers. Tom uses glasses but he has good hearing. From my
observations Tom is right handed. He attends PE once a week at school as for other physical
activity he is a very active child at home. As for large and small muscle development Tom can
physically do anything any other child within his age group can.
Cognitive Development
Tom is an intelligent boy, who when dedicates himself to get the work done he can
complete it. His grades are between twos and threes and he is placed in a regular afternoon
classroom. Tom struggles focusing, understanding boundaries, is always behind and because of
his autism he has issues with all the above. Tom knows a lot of things that children in his own
age group do not, such as all dinosaur names, but he is still slightly behind academically than his
peers. Tom has a short attention span; he will participate in class activities but has difficulty
paying attention. Tom is more willing to focus on a subject presented only when he is interested

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in it. When Tom knows he is missing out on the next activity that he enjoys doing he will get
motivated to finish up quickly the previous activity to get to the next. As far as participation
goes he will at times participate but with little attention span. When Tom has questions, he needs
to ask the teacher, he will stand up and walk to the front of the class and ask the teacher instead
of raising his hand. Tom does not have very much of an initiative character unless he is in a very
small group of children. According to Piagets stages of Cognitive Development Tom is in a
preoperational stage. This stage is in which the child cannot yet perform mental operations, has
a rapid increase in language ability and engages in symbolic thought, but dominated by
perception.
Socio-emotional Development
Toms peers sometimes have a hard time getting along with him. Tom sits in one table
with one other boy because the rest of his peers have difficulty sitting next to him because of
how Tom reacts to specific situations. Tom interacts with adults on his own terms but when he is
upset there is no reasoning with him. At times when Tom is upset or frustrated he will run out of
the classroom screaming or he runs into the bathroom and throws him-self on the floor. Tom has
a hard time understanding that he is being naughty. Tom is very unsure of himself when writing
down what the teacher is writing on the board and completing the task he is very unsure of
himself and looks at another peers paper to see if he is completing it correctly. According to
Ericksons Psychosocial Stages a child at six years of age needs to cope with new social and
academic demands. While success will give them a sense of capability, failing will give them a
sense of inferiority.
Summary, Conclusions, and Implications
Tom is an intelligent boy, of my observations he can count up to ten easily. Tom
understands letters and knows how to write. Tom has a very hard time focusing which interferes
with what he can fully do academically. Toms academic standards can be very high with a lot of

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help and guidance. Tom is unaware that he is reacting different to situations that children his
own age would. He needs more one on one time and guidance from a professional.
Tom is not in a typical level of development in the general area in the way that if he is walking
from point A to point B he is looking around at everything around him and is not focused on
what he is doing.
Physically Tom can do anything any other child within his own age group. He can run
and play as any other child can. Tom cognitively is not at a typical developmental area because
he may think its ok to react to certain stresses in a violent manner while children his age will not.
Tom needs more one on one interaction to satisfy his specific needs. Toms strength is that he is
an intelligent child and with professional help he can react a lot better to situations.
This is what education is all about to teach and motivate students to do the best they can.
And not necessarily accomplishing goals that others within their age groups can reach, but what
that individual child can accomplish at the best of their abilities. Tom is taught day by day what
he should be doing and what is not appropriate and he will eventually get better at distinguishing
everything.