Individual Differences in Development

Individual Differences

Everyone has a different environment and different parents. They have different genetic material due to different heredity and environment. Even if we are in the same environment, their interaction with each other is different. Even if two glasses are the same height and filled to the same level, if they are struck against each other, the damage to both will be different. Because their interactions will be different every time.

We All Have Different Characteristics

We should not confuse individual differences with generational differences. In generational differences, there is a gap of at least 10 years between individuals. In individual differences, the gap is 1-2 years. So, if one child speaks at 1 year old and another cannot speak even at 2 years old, this is due to individual differences. If they still cannot speak at 3 years old, this is also an individual difference, but if they say "mom, dad" at 4 years old but cannot form sentences, this is no longer an individual difference but a developmental problem. Due to growing up in different environments, we all have different characteristics. In particular, individual differences should be used correctly in education and training. When explaining a topic or something, people's individual differences should be taken into account. In this way, educational activities proceed more effectively. The biggest mistake parents make is not considering individual differences. They look for the characteristics of other children in their own child or make comparisons. We should not look at it from this perspective; individual differences between children can vary by 1-2 years. We are talking about ages, yes, but these are not sharp boundaries. For example, we say infancy is 0-2 years, but a 2-year-old child can do very different things. We say it takes 5-6 years to play games collaboratively, but a 2-year-old child can also do this. We consider this an individual difference. For example, if a baby born weighing 1 kg does not gain weight, there is a problem. But if they gain even a little weight, their development is normal. It is wrong to compare them to a chubby baby. A child at the primary school level is drawing like a painter, but if they do not build upon it, the score their teacher gives them cannot increase. If their classmate started drawing from "Cin Ali" and progressed to drawing landscapes by building upon it, their score will increase.