INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE 
  The differences between the individuals that separate them from one another and make one as a
unique individual in oneself are termed as individual differences.
  Dissimilarity between persons that distinguish them from one another.
  Individual differences are one of degree, not one of kind.
  Their exist inter-individual and intra –individual differences.
  These differences can be observed in –physical traits, mental traits, motor ability, interest and
aptitude, differences in attitudes, emotional differences,
Determinants of individual differences 
  Heredity
   Environment
Heredity
Is the sum total of the physical and mental qualities that an individual inherits from his parents.
Environment
Is everything other than heredity that influences an individual‟s growth and development?
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION 
  Inclusive education means that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in
any area, become part of the school community. They are included in the feeling of belonging among
other students, teachers, and support staff.
Benefits of inclusion for students with disabilities
  Friendships
  Increased social initiations, relationships and networks
  Peer role models for academic, social and behavior skills
  Increased achievement of  IEP goals
  Greater access to general curriculum
  Enhanced skill acquisition and generalization
  Greater opportunities for interactions
  Higher expectations
  Increased school staff collaboration
  Increased parent participation
Benefits of inclusion for students without disabilities
  Meaningful friendships
  Increased appreciation and acceptance of individual differences
  Increased understanding and acceptance of diversity
  Respect for all people
  Prepares all students for adult life in an inclusive society
  Opportunities to master activities by practicing and teaching others
  Greater academic outcomes
  All students‟ needs are better met, greater resources for everyone.
Need for inclusive education. 
  Inclusive education (IE) is a strategy contributing towards the ultimate goal of promoting an
inclusive society, one which enables all children/adults, whatever their gender, age, ability, ethnicity,
impairment or status, to participate in and contribute to that society.
  Difference is respected and valued
  Education is the right of all children, and i.e. aims to ensure that all children have access to an
appropriate, relevant, affordable and effective education within their community
  IE is an approach which aims to develop a child-focus by acknowledging that all children are
individuals with different learning needs and speeds.
  Teaching and learning can become more effective, relevant and fun for all.
  IE is part of development, and development should be inclusive, i.e. Responding to the needs of real
people who are all different. As with all children, disabled children have a range of basic needs
which need to be met in order for them to benefit from education. These include nutrition,
acceptance, love and basic health care.
  Avoid discrimination and to promote positive identity in disabled children.
  As a catalyst for change i.e. provides not only school improvement but an increased awareness of
human rights which leads to a reduction of discrimination.
   by finding local answers to complex problems it empowers communities and can lead to wider
community development
Exceptional learners 
  Exceptional children are those children who deviate significantly from the normal ones.
  Children who show considerable deviation from what is supposed to be normal or average to their
group.
GIFTED CHILDREN 
Having Hurst
  “The talented or gifted child is one who shows consistently remarkable performance in any
worthwhile line of Endeavour.”
Characteristics 
The gifted child is
  Is an exceptional child
  Is superior in some ability or group of abilities
  Exhibits superior performance in the area or areas of his giftedness.
  Need not necessarily possess a very high IQ.
  He learns rapidly and easily ,and retains it without much drill
  He knows about many things which most students are unaware.
  Has rich vocabulary marked by originality.
  Gifted is not only in academics but also in other spheres viz.
   Music, dance, drama, mechanical work, games, sports etc.
Needs of exceptional children
  Need for knowledge and understanding
  The need for the creativity and ingenuity
  Need for the development of his exceptional ability
  Need for self –actualization or self expression.
Education of the gifted children 
  Separate schools
  Ability grouping
  Acceleration or double promotion
  Enrichment programmes
THE SLOW LEARNER 
A slow learner is a child who is unable to cope up with the work normally expected of his age group.
  I.Q. must be 70-90.
  Unable to deal with abstract materials
  Reasoning ability is inferior to that of the normal children
  Span of attention is relatively shorter
Characteristics  
A slow learner; 
  Feels difficulty in keeping pace with the normal school work
  His educational attainment falls below his natural abilities
  He falls far behind other children of his age in matters of study
  His span of attention and concentration are short and has short reaction time.
  Has got limited power of self –direction
How to cater the needs of slow learner
  Regular medical check-up and necessary treatment
  Readjustment in home and school
  Provision of special schools and special classes.
  Provision of special curriculum ,methods of teaching and special teachers
  Special  coaching and proper individual attention
  Provision for co-curricular activities, rich experiences and diversified courses.
  Rendering guidance service
  Controlling negative environmental factors
LEARNING DISABILITIES 
Dyslexia 
•  The word dyslexia originated from Greek language
        Dys-poor or inadequate, and
       Lexis-words.
•  Students with dyslexia may have
Difficulty with reading, spelling,
Understanding language to hear, or expressing themselves clearly when speaking or writing.
According to world federation of neurology
•  “A disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate
intelligence and socio-cultural opportunity. It is dependent up on fundamental cognitive disabilities
which are frequently of constitutional origin.”
The hallmark of dyslexia is underachievement in writing and reading skills.
Children are born with dyslexia.
 Dyslexia results from the differences in the structure and function of the brain.
Characteristics 
  Problems with reading, accuracy, speed, and comprehension.
  Repeated spelling errors.
  Reversal of orientation of letters, e.g., b-d, w-m etc.and sequence of letters in words, when read or
write.
  Errors in letter naming
  Difficulty in learning and       remembering printed words
  Cramped or illegible handwriting
  Difficulty in finding write words while speaking
  Slow rate of writing.
  Confusion about directions in space or time(right and left, up and down,etc)
The following steps can be taken for helping dyslexics children, 
  The teachers and the parents must be trained for diagnosing the dyslexics.
   Teachers must develop effective learning strategies for dyslexics.
  Those who are having persistent handwriting problems should be encouraged to join up their
writings.
Dysgraphia 
•  Is a learning difficulty resulting from the difficulty in expressing thoughts in writing and graphing
•  It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on
the paper.
Characteristics 
•  Poor writing skills
•  Illegible writing
•  Inconsistencies; mixtures of print and cursive, upper and lower case, irregular sizes shape or slant of
letters.
•  Unfinished words &letters
•  Inconsistent position on page with respect to lines and margins and spaces between words and letters
Strategies 
•  Encourage students to outline their thoughts.
•  Have students draw pictures of their thoughts.
•  Have students dictate their ideas in to a tape recorder and then listen and write them down later.
•  Practice keyboard skills.
•  Have a computer available for them to organize information and check spelling
•  Encourage students to talk aloud while writing.
•  Give and allow students to begin projects early.
Dyscalculia 
•  Word comes from Greek and Latin „counting badly’
•  Suffers specific arithmetic disabilities as result of damage to specific regions of brain
•  Can also occur developmentally as a genetically –linked learning disability.
•  Affects person’s ability to understand ,remember, and manipulate numbers and number facts
•  Refer specifically to the inability to perform arithmetic operations.
•  Occurs in people across the whole IQ range.
•  Difficult to differentiate between integers and letters
•  Confusion in reading ‘5’ and‘s’ and ‘0’ and ‘o’ etc.
Strategies 
•  Help to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses.
•  Parents, teachers and other educators work together to establish strategies.
•  Help outside the classroom.
•  Use graph papers
•  Begin with concrete examples