Predictive Value of the Global School Adaptation Questionnaire at 5 Years of Age and Educational Support at 7 Years of Age in Very Preterm Children.

OBJECTIVE To assess the Global School Adaptation (GSA) questionnaire of children's abilities and classroom behavior administered to teachers of very preterm children at 5 years of age as a predictor of the need for educational support (grade retention, special class, learning support) at age 7. STUDY DESIGN 858 very preterm children ( 45 (15.4%) [OR: 7.5 (5.02-11.21)]. The need for educational support was associated with male sex; a low parent socioeconomic level; lower birth weight, birth head circumference, or gestational age (28-30 weeks of gestation); severe neurological complications; patent ductus arteriosus ligation; and the use of therapy services at 5 years. After adjustment, only the GSA score was associated with educational support at 7 years [OR=0.86 (0.84-0.88)]. A ROC curve analysis of the GSA performance revealed an optimal cut-off at 48, with a sensitivity of 70.8%, a specificity of 73.5%, and an AUC of 0.79. CONCLUSIONS Using a cut-off score of 48, the GSA at 5 years may be a useful tool to identify preterm children at risk of school-based learning difficulties.