Jessica Lust
Parents’ perceptions of received care and Empowerment of parents of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
Aim: To identify relationships between aspects of processes of care and feelings of empowerment in parents of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Background: Enhancing parent empowerment, the feeling of being in control over decisions and actions that effect the wellbeing of their child, is important in increasing the ability of parents to support their child and cope with its problems after receiving the diagnosis. In the present study we will analyze the relation between different aspects of processes of care and feelings of empowerment among parents of children with DCD.
Method: Parents of children with a DCD diagnosis filled in the Family Empowerment Scale (FES) and the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-NL) self-report questionnaires. Spearman’s rho will be used to analyze relations between the MPOC- and FES subscales. Multiple regression was used to identify the the most important predictors for empowerment.
Results: Parents (96.4% mothers) of 83 children (78.3% boys) with DCD completed the questionnaires. Preliminary analyses show that on average, the participants often felt empowered about taking care of their family. Parent’s perceptions of the extent to which professionals provided specific information about their child, were enabling and showing partnership, and provided coordinated and comprehensive care for the child and family were significantly related to their degree of experienced empowerment both with regard to their family and with regard to their child’s services. Multiple regression entering all five MPOC subscales showed that the scale Enabling and Partnership was the sole significant predictor for empowerment. Within this scale the items ‘provide opportunities for you to make decisions about treatment’ and ‘listen to what you have to say about your child’s needs for equipment, services, etc.’ seem the most important in predicting empowerment.
Discussion: Preliminary analyses suggest that it is the extent to which parents perceive to be actively involved in their child’s care, particularly in decision-making and in eliciting parental input, concerns and opinions, by health care professionals that is related to feelings of empowerment.
