Running head: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES PROFILE

A Study on Disability
Mitchell Young
College of Southern Idaho
EDUC 205
12/7/16

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Individual Difference Student Profile
Studying a group of children who struggle with disabilities or with diverse
cultures gives one an idea of how to teach in different ways. However, one thing that
every teacher understands is that teaching in groups can be less effective than teaching
one on one. Studying one child with a specific disability not only is more effective, but it
helps the teacher know what that child needs.
For this individual differences student profile, I wish to focus on the things I have
learned from studying one individuals general information, physical development,
cognitive development, and socio-emotional development. The disability that comes
with Kevin is a learning disability having to do with how he understands information. He
essentially takes a longer than normal time to understand specific concepts.
General Information
Kevin is sixteen years old and will be turning seventeen this December. He is the
youngest child in his family. He has an older sister who is twenty-five, an older brother
who is twenty-three, and an older sister who is eighteen. He is the only child still living
with his parents. He also has a pet dog that is less than one year old. Kevin spends most
of his time with their dog that he named, Montie.
Physical Development
Kevin has blue eyes and curly, brunette hair. He is a Caucasian with all sorts of
different ancestry, ranging from England, Finland, Scotland, Germany, and Ireland.
Kevin is just over five feet tall and is rather short for his age as compared to his peers.
Part of the reason his height is shorter than those around him is because he has a form of
scoliosis. Kevin has struggled with being bullied in schools because of his scoliosis and

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also because of his size. Nutritionally, Kevin enjoys eating home cooked meals; he just
eats a larger portion size meal than is recommended. A consequence of this is Kevin is
heavy for his age. Kevin is right hand dominant in everything he does. He has no
struggles with hearing or vision.
Cognitive Development
Kevin has encountered many obstacles in school. Up until he was thirteen, he
attended public schools. During this time, his teachers and mother noticed he was
struggling in school not only with grades, but also with understanding what the teacher
was trying to teach. After many observations and studies done by his doctor, they
concluded that Kevin just took longer than other students to learn.
In school, he was given an individual education plan (IEP) to help him along with
his learning and this changed how many of his peers treated him. If one were to ask
Kevin about his IEP, he wouldnt say he has a learning disability or that anything is
different about him and he is right. His peers, however, did not see it this way and they
made it known in very violent ways.
As a result, Kevins parents enrolled him in a charter school. At the charter
school, the teachers and peers were different and treated him much better. Teachers also
worked one on one with Kevin and saw that he was indeed learning the material. His
Zone of proximal development, as introduced by Lev Vygotsky, was equal to his peers,
yet time would limit his learning. With this change his grades improved and he is now
much happier. In class, he is one of the more quiet students, but he participates when
called upon. He does well with each subject as he is given time and attention from
teachers and aides as well.

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In particular, he excels artistically with drawing. Kevin is indeed learning in ways
he hadnt before. Currently, he is the acting president on the schools student council.
From where he was before, all of his teachers report massive improvements.
Socio-emotional Development
Kevin enjoys, more than anything, spending time with friends and family. He is
rather laid back in his demeanor and just enjoys time with his peers. His friends enjoy
him and believe he is a good influence as a student and friend. This is also apparent to
his teachers as they have watched him. He shows a great deal of care for his peers and
treats them all with respect.
Kevin understands his own identity. He knows where he does well and where he
needs help. Just like most people, he likes to stick to what he knows well and struggles in
uncomfortable situations. As he is reaching the end of high school, he is beginning to see
that he needs to explore career paths. College is a part of his plans as he wants to further
his computer-programming abilities and turn them into a career.
Summary of Major Findings & Recommendations
Kevin is functioning as should be expected, or even better than expected. In the
school he is currently attending, he is exceeding expectations in most of his subjects. I
believe he is currently at the formal operational stage of Piagets stages of cognitive
development as he is able to think symbolically and solve abstract problems.
Additionally, he is able to employ logical reasoning and internal reflection.
With his website designing skills and also his expansive knowledge of computer
language, he often uses hypothetic deductive reasoning as well.

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Although his cognitive skills are blooming, his physical abilities continue to be a
struggle. He can still participate in physical games and sports, but the strain on his back
affects him daily. Only time will tell how well he adapts, as he grows older.
In conclusion, college may be included in his list of struggles to overcome.
College is much different than high school, and it involves so much more selfmotivation. As a result, it will be a test of his ability to seek help from professors to
overcome his struggles with learning. Despite the learning curve he has had to adapt to,
however, his future looks very bright.

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References
Berk, L. E., & Meyers, A. B. (2015). Infants, children, and adolescents. Pearson.