The study examined low school achievement in a group of early adolescents born preterm, who had participated in a prospective longitudinal study from birth through 12 years of age. Multivariate analyses were used to compare adolescents with low school achievement, of normal-or-above intelligence, to adolescents with no achievement problems. Significant group differences were found in a number of domains in early adolescence, including verbal comprehension, attentional processes, social competence, self-perception, maternal responsiveness, and ratings of problematic behavior. Biological and social factors in infancy were associated indirectly with school achievement. A comparison of differences between groups with newly emergent and persistent achievement problems indicated that the persistent group had lower IQ scores and was lower in neonatal organization. There was some overlap between children with achievement problems and children with behavior problems; however the low achievement group was less cognitively competent and showed poorer attentional skills.
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