Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Research in Developmental Disabilities journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/redevdis Physiological characteristics, self-perceptions, and parental support of physical activity in children with, or at risk of, developmental coordination disorder Kemi E. Wright ⁎ , Bonnie J. Furzer, Melissa K. Licari, Ashleigh L. Thornton, James A. Dimmock, Louise H. Naylor, Siobhan L. Reid, Stephanie R. Kwan, Ben Jackson School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, WA, Australia ARTICLE INFO Number of reviews completed is 2 Keywords: Developmental Coordination Disorder Movement proficiency Physical activity Physical fitness Parent support Self-perceptions ABSTRACT Children with low movement proficiency have been identified as having poorer physiological and psychosocial outcomes; however, the varied measurement approaches used to assess these out- comes have varied resulting in conflicting evidence regarding the presence and magnitude of differences compared to Typically Developing (TD) children. Additionally, there has been limited research into the role of parental support for physical activity (PA) in this group. We compared children with varying levels of movement proficiency on physiological characteristics and self- perceptions regarding PA. In addition, these children’s parents were compared on physiological characteristics and support of their children’s PA. Children (N = 117) aged 6 to 12 years, along with their parent/guardian, participated in this study. Children were classified according to the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 test (Typically Developing (TD) = 60; At Risk = 19; Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) = 38). Children’s PA, muscle strength, cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF), body composition, and self-perceptions regarding PA were as- sessed, with parents assessed on CRF, body composition, and PA support. Compared to TD children, children with DCD had lower PA (p = 0.036), predilection (p ≤0.001) and adequacy (p ≤0.001) regarding PA, higher body fat percentage (p = 0.019), and received less logistic support (i.e., transportation) from their parents (p = 0.012). TD children had increased muscle strength compared to the DCD (p ≤ 0.001) and At Risk (p ≤ 0.001) groups. Results indicated that, relative to TD children, children with DCD have multiple physiological deficits, receive less parental logistic support for PA involvement, and report lower scores on psychological constructs that are predictive of PA involvement. What this paper adds? The study provides a comprehensive, three-group approach to assessing variables that influence physical activity, including objectively-measured physiological factors, psychosocial factors, and levels of parental support. Our results highlight that children in the DCD and At Risk groups differ not only from Typically Developing children but also from each other, with children with DCD experiencing deficits across multiple domains. This study highlights the importance of appropriately identifying whether children have, or are at risk of, low movement proficiency, in order to better address the deficits experienced by these children. These findings https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2018.05.013 Received 30 August 2017; Received in revised form 11 April 2018; Accepted 20 May 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: Kemi.wright@uwa.edu.au (K.E. Wright). Research in Developmental Disabilities xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0891-4222/ © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Wright, K.E., Research in Developmental Disabilities (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2018.05.013