Introduction Developmental coordination disorder is a common disorder of childhood. Little is known about adolescence, however, and research typically reflects professionals’ and parents’ perspectives. This study explored how life is experienced by teenagers with developmental coordination disorder from their own contemporaneous perspective. Methods The study was guided by the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis and a reference group of older teenagers with developmental coordination disorder. A total of 16 interviews were carried out with nine teenagers aged 13–15 years over a 2-year period, offering the opportunity to examine changes in their experience over time. Accounts were subjected to a systematic process of ideographic, inductive and interpretative analysis. Findings Themes revealed were: ‘Doing everything the hard way’; ‘I didn’t want to be seen as anyone different’; ‘I’m an intelligent person but I can’t even write’; ‘Right help, right time’ and ‘Making sense of the diagnosis’. Self-efficacy was a strong recurring theme, influencing participants’ motivation for and participation in daily activities, and affecting teenagers’ sense of resilience, agency, ambition and identity. This article describes the development of a conceptual framework illustrating patterns and connections that occurred across the study themes. The conceptual framework is offered as a novel means of illustrating the complex interaction of factors representing the lived experience of teenagers with developmental coordination disorder. Conclusion This study furthers understanding of developmental coordination disorder in adolescence. The conceptual framework is firmly grounded in teenagers’ experience and illustrates the complex interaction of factors influencing teenagers’ lives. The study suggests avenues for intervention and research, and highlights the need for interventions that build teenagers’ self-efficacy to promote positive futures for teenagers with developmental coordination disorder.
Experiences of adult siblings of those with developmental coordination disorder (DCD): a qualitative study
