THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SELF-REPORTED ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN - PREDICTION TO ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS AND ADAPTIVE FUNCTIONING IN 5THGRADE

In an earlier study of an epidemiologically defined sample of first gr ade children, primarily between the ages of 5 and 6, self-reported anx ious symptoms proved relatively stable and were significantly related to adaptive functioning. In the present study we follow that cohort of first graders longitudinally and assess the prognostic value of self- reports of anxious symptoms in first grade with respect to anxious sym ptoms and adaptive functioning in the late elementary school years or at about age 10. First grade anxious symptoms were found to have signi ficant prognostic value in terms of levels of anxious symptoms and ada ptive functioning in fifth grade.