"The clumsiness is always present": Parents perspectives of their adolescents with pDCD

Aim: This study elicited the perspectives of parents of adolescents with probable Developmental Coordination Disorder (pDCD) of the implications of DCD on their adolescents' daily-life and the parents' coping strategies and future concerns. Methods: Using a phenomenological approach and thematic analysis, we conducted a focus group including 7 parents of adolescents with pDCD aged 12–18 yrs. Findings: Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) Manifestation and implications of DCD; Parents described the performance challenges and strengths of their adolescents; (b) Discrepancy in perceptions of DCD: Parents described a gap between them and their children's, and between the parents themselves, in their views of the child's difficulties; (c) Diagnosis of DCD and strategies for overcoming its implications: Parents' expressed the pros and cons of labeling and described strategies they used to assist their children. Conclusions: It appears that adolescents with pDCD continue to experience performance limitations in daily-life activities, and psychosocial difficulties. Yet, parents and their adolescents do not always view these limitations in a similar manner. Therefore, it is important that clinicians obtain information from both parents and their adolescents'. These results may assist in developing a client-centered intervention protocol for parents and adolescents. •pDCD persists in adolescence, and affects participation and psychosocial well-being.•Parents are concerned about their adolescents' ability to be independent in the future.•Perception of the adolescents' difficulties differed between parents and children.•Parents raised more concerns relating to executive function than motor-related functions.•Parents and clinicians are not sufficiently familiar with DCD.