Evaluation of a Web Platform Aiming to Support Parents Having a Child with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Brief...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Occupational Therapy
• Digital Health

Background:

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects children's motor skills, impacting daily functioning.
• Parental support is crucial for managing DCD, yet accessible resources are often limited.
• Web platforms offer a potential avenue for delivering scalable parental support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a web platform on parental knowledge and skills for children aged 5-12 with suspected or diagnosed DCD.
• To assess secondary outcomes including parental self-efficacy, child's strengths and difficulties, and occupational performance.

Main Methods:

• A randomized pilot trial (NCT03141333) involving 28 parents of children with DCD.
• Intervention group (n=15) accessed a web platform with resources, forums, and virtual interactions for three months.
• Control group (n=13) received access only to resources; outcomes measured pre- and post-intervention using validated questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The intervention group demonstrated improvements across all measured outcomes (parental knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, child functioning, occupational performance).
• These improvements did not reach statistical or clinical significance (p values ranging from 0.08 to 0.41).
• The study highlights a need for further investigation into the effectiveness of such digital interventions.

Conclusions:

• Current web platforms for parents of children with DCD require further evaluation to determine efficacy.
• Future research should focus on optimizing platform usability and exploring novel outcome measures for digital health interventions.
• Enhanced digital support strategies may be necessary to achieve significant outcomes for families affected by DCD.