Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder symptoms in school-age children born very preterm.
School-age kids born very preterm show clear ADHD and autism signals that both parents and teachers notice.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bröring et al. (2018) asked if kids born very preterm show more ADHD and autism traits at school age.
They compared parent and teacher reports from VP-born children to reports from full-term classmates.
What they found
The VP group had clearly higher scores for attention, hyperactivity, and social-communication problems.
Both parents and teachers saw the same pattern, so the leap is not just one adult’s view.
How this fits with other research
Sanchez-Joya et al. (2017) saw wide cognitive delays in VP preschoolers; Tinka shows those same kids now struggle with ADHD and autism traits in grade school.
de Leeuw et al. (2024) looked at all kids, not just VP, and found each extra neuro diagnosis piles on more behaviour issues. Tinka’s VP group lines up with that trend, giving a clear early-risk source.
Maciver et al. (2023) counted how many Scottish primary pupils have autism or other neuro needs. Tinka explains part of that rise: VP survivors entering mainstream class with hidden ADHD/ASD symptoms.
Why it matters
If a client was born before 32 weeks, screen for ADHD and autism even if they look ‘fine’. Use both parent and teacher forms; agreement is high, so you won’t miss the need for extra social, attention, or self-regulation supports.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add ADHD and autism rating scales to your intake packet for any client with a VP birth history.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Very preterm (VP) children face a broad range of neurodevelopmental sequelae, including behavioral problems. AIM: To investigate prevalence, pervasiveness and co-occurrence of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in school-age children born very preterm. METHODS: Using questionnaire and diagnostic interview data, parent and teacher reported symptoms of ADHD and ASD of 57 VP-children (mean age = 9.2 years) were compared with 57 gender and age matched full-term children using t-tests. Intra-class correlation coefficients quantified parent-teacher agreement. Correlation analysis investigated co-occurrence of ADHD/ASD symptoms. ADHD/ASD measures were aggregated using principal component analysis. Regression analyses investigated the contribution of perinatal risk factors, sex and SES to ADHD/ASD symptoms. RESULTS: VP-children showed higher levels of parent and teacher reported attention problems, social impairment and compromised communication skills. Fair to strong agreement was found between parent and teacher reported ADHD and ASD symptoms, indicating pervasiveness of observed difficulties. Co-occurrence of ADHD and ASD symptoms in VP-children was found. Lower gestational age was associated with higher ADHD and ASD symptom levels, male sex with higher ADHD symptom levels and lower SES with higher ASD symptom levels. CONCLUSION: School-age VP-children show higher levels of ADHD and ASD symptoms, and attention, socialization and communication difficulties in particular. Routinely screening for these problems is recommended in follow-up care.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2018.01.001