Running Head: INDIVIDAUL DIFFERENCE STUDENT PROFILE

Individual Difference Student Profile

Matt Moxham
Instructor: Natalie Raas
EDUC 205: Development / Individual Differences
Spring 2015

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE STUDENT PROFILE

Recently I was able to observe a group of students who were in a positive behavioral
intervention and support (PBIS) class. Of these students, one stuck out in particular, so I
chose to focus on him and his interactions with others. I will be referring to him as Spock.
Spock is currently a freshman who is capable of functioning normally on a social level, but
appears to have ADHD which leads him to perform poorly in school and occasionally act out. In
the following essay I will be discussing Spocks general information, physical development,
cognitive development, socio-emotional development, and will then provide a summary of my
findings.
General Information
Spock is a Caucasian freshman boy in public high school. I was unable to determine his
actual age, but it is most likely somewhere between 14 15 years old. He displays what seem to
be traits of ADHD, particularly behavioral inhibition, and acts out in ways that align with those
of an individual with an emotional or behavioral disorder. I was able to find out that his
parents are divorced and that there is some sort of joint custody arrangement that has him
jumping from household to household. He also has an older brother who dropped out of high
school. I was unable to observe any family interaction, so I dont know much about how these
circumstances are affecting him. Spock attends school from 7:40 2:42, which is the standard
school schedule.
Physical Development
Spock has brown eyes, brown hair that is usually spiked up, and pale skin. He is fairly
tall compared to the other students his age, but just as skinny. He also has narrow eyes, and his
face is usually expressionless unless hes joking with classmates. In almost every way, he looks
like a typical freshman. Spock is completely right handed as he used it for writing, texting, and

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anything else he did in class. He is taking a PE class as an elective, so hes getting some physical
activity, and from what I observed, his diet consisted of school lunches and flavored water. I
didnt follow the student to his PE class because it wasnt during a time that I was at the school,
but from what he talked about, he is able to participate in the games that they do. Because of
this, Im going to assume his large muscle development is where it should be. He also texts and
plays games of the computer, as well as writes with ease, so his small muscle development is on
par also.
Cognitive Development
Although Spock is at school for the normal class hours and the school is trying to
implement inclusion as much as possible, some of that time is spent in special education classes
to help guide his educational experiences. He is in a communication class that focuses on
appropriate interpersonal interactions and self-esteem to help adjust the kids behaviors to be
more socially acceptable. Another class that he is in is essentially a study hour for his to
complete homework. This class allows the special education teacher to have more one on one
interaction with the students if they need help, or if they need to be reminded to stay on task and
complete assignments. Both of these classes implement behavior management strategies to
guise these students into functioning at a more proficient level with fewer outbursts.
Spock has made it very clear that he doesnt like either of these classes or school in
general. His attention span seems very short because he would work on an assignment for a few
minutes at the most, and then begin doing other things to occupy himself. He refused to
participate in class discussions in his interpersonal communication class, and displayed little
initiative and motivation to get assignments completed and turned in. The few times that he did

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE STUDENT PROFILE

do these assignments on his own, were when he thought they were interesting, or they were short
worksheets.
Based on his arguments and interactions with teachers, Spock seems to be in Piagets
formal operational stage. I think this because of his reasoning level during these arguments.
While some of the things may be extreme, the things he brings up to contradict the teachers show
a very functional level of processing and deduction that would allow him to come to these
results, regardless of how incorrect or outlandish they were. Some of his other interactions may
make it seem like he is further back in the stages because of how egocentric he can be. This
egocentricity ties into him not participating in the class discussions and activities because he
thinks he doesnt need it and hes too good for it. These words actually came out of his mouth
one day. I didnt see any of Spocks individual assignments, so I dont know how he performs in
Math, Science, and History, but he is literate and able to effectively communicate his ideas.
Socio-Emotional Development
Spocks social interactions are a tricky subject. While he is able to function and interact
with his peers and communicate in a manner that is socially acceptable to them, his interactions
can also be very hurtful. As was mentioned before, he struggles with behavioral inhibition, so all
of the crude and mean things he thinks of just burst out of him. He also has no remorse for the
things that he says to people because he feels that they are true, so he shouldnt have to
apologize. In some instances, these outbursts have led to punishments similar to a time-out in
his interpersonal class.
Spock displays blatant disrespect for the teachers he doesnt like, but will ultimately
listen to them if threatened with punishment, or if he realizes that they are right about what
theyre talking about. It seems similar to the interactions of any other freshman student, but the

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emotions are intensified cause his reactions to be intensified also. Spock seems to have a warped
self-image because of his lack of concern for how hes doing in school. He doesnt really seem
to care what other think of him. It seems like hes caught somewhere between Erik Eriksons
ego identity vs role confusion and industry vs inferiority stages. Spock is struggling with
acquiring the traits that our society has deemed productive, so he is technically inferior, which is
causing him to struggle with finding his identity in society. I personally think that his behavior
can be tied back to the family systems theory, and that if his teachers had more insight on his
family life, they might be able to better impact his interactions with others.
Summary
If Spock is to make it through high school, hes going to need continuing support from
his teachers. His current family situation is probably affecting his schooling in one way or
another. Although he is a very bright individual, his work ethic doesnt reflect that, which is
affecting his grades and may result in him repeating this year of school.
Conclusion
Spock is a typical student when looking at his physical and cognitive characteristics. He
looks like a freshman in high school, and he is able to perform the physical tasks that he is
required to, and participate in the physical activities that his peers do. Because his socioemotional interactions are atypical, he is receiving support from the special education department
at his school to help correct this. Although he still misbehaves in class, he is gradually
progressing towards needing little to no support.
Implications
Spocks biggest strength is that he isnt afraid to say whats on his mind, and he can
communicate those ideas affectively. Although those ideas may not need to be shared on

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occasion, if he can learn to discern between what should be shared and what shouldnt, this trait
can get him far in life. His biggest need is an understanding for the importance of school. His
teachers need to convey that importance in ways that hell receive so that he can overcome his
lack of motivation to complete classwork.
Spock needs to be taught how to stay focused until he has completed the task hes set out
to do, and how to appropriately interact with his peers. The interpersonal communication class
has the proper tools and teacher to assists with this goal, he just needs constant encouragement to
share and participate.
In conclusion, Spock is more than capable to control his ADHD and not let it affect his
attitude, but needs to find his own motivation to do so. He has rapidly been falling behind and
will have to live with the fact that he may repeat this year of school, but with the help from his
teachers, he will be able to change his stars and learn to perform well in school, and ultimately
carry those skills for the rest of his life.

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References
Hallahan, D., & Kauffman, J. (2000). Exceptional learners: Introduction to special
education (8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
McLeod, S. (2008, January 1). Erik Erikson. Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html
McLeod, S. (2009, January 1). Jean Piaget. Retrieved April 25, 2015, from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html