Parenting stress in parents of children with developmental coordination disorder.
Most parents of kids with DCD feel clinical-level stress, and boosting their sense of competence is the fastest way to bring it down.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Heald et al. (2020) sent surveys to parents of school-age children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).
They asked about parenting stress, how capable parents felt, and child behavior problems.
What they found
Two out of three parents scored above the clinical cutoff for parenting stress.
Low parental competence and child behavior problems were the biggest predictors of that stress.
How this fits with other research
Callanan et al. (2021) already showed a fix exists. Their parent-coaching program (PCRI-EI) cut stress and raised competence in families with mixed delays. The 2020 survey simply flags who needs that help.
van den Heuvel et al. (2016) explain why behavior problems show up so often. Teachers rated children with DCD as four to seven times more likely to have emotional or behavioral issues than peers. The same child behaviors teachers see at school are driving parent stress at home.
Liao et al. (2025) add a warning: high stress makes parents drop out of treatment. If we do not treat parent stress first, the child may miss services.
Why it matters
When you see a child with DCD on your caseload, screen the parents for stress right away. A quick questionnaire takes two minutes and tells you if they are above the clinical line. If they are, fold parent-competence goals into the behavior plan or refer to a brief coaching program like PCRI-EI. Lowering parent stress protects the whole family and keeps treatment on track.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects around 5% of children but is often not detected by clinicians. AIMS: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether parents of children with DCD report clinically-significant levels of parenting stress, and to assess a number of factors contributing to this stress, based on evidence from research into other neurodevelopmental disorders. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A survey was completed by 174 parents of children aged 5-12 years with DCD (parents age M = 42;3, SD = 4;11), comprising measures of the child's motor difficulties and behavioural problems, the parent's perceived competence in the parenting role and perceived levels of social support, and parenting stress. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Two thirds of parents reported clinically-significant levels of stress. Multiple regression analyses revealed that all variables except for level of motor difficulties were unique predictors of parenting stress. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The study highlights the need for greater awareness of DCD by bringing attention to the impact it can have on the whole family. Providing targeted interventions, particularly addressing parents' perceived competence in managing their child, could reduce parenting stress and improve parents' wellbeing. This in turn could influence their parenting and, therefore, child outcomes.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103695