Children with disabilities engage less in physical activity and sports during their spare time compared to their peers without disabilities. Modern sports, contextual factors, and parents' fear of discrimination have been discussed as barriers to participation. The aim of this study is to describe parents' experiences of their child with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) participating in a PAP intervention. The intervention involved a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic (CAP), the Regional Sport Federation, and local sport clubs in the southwestern region of Sweden. A sample of 13 parents took part in semi-structured interviews, and qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis resulted in three main categories, including sub-categories. By being part of a collaboration, the parents experienced two different worlds coming together, the CAP and the sport world, and they were also aware of the collaboration's organisation and need for resources. In growing with sports, the parents described that treating the children with respect involved learning sports from the child's condition and creating a social space for them. Regarding individual motivation for participating in sports, the parents expressed that the children felt proud to be part of the PAP intervention and experienced a sense of belonging in the group with the other children. The study highlights perspectives for developing sports for all in local sport clubs and improving sports as part of the CAP care for children with NDD.

School of Health and Welfare Halmstad University Sweden

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