Orienting to shared memories and the reminiscing of parents and their children with language disorders

Objective: Parent–child reminiscing is known to be facilitative of a child’s cognitive and language development. However, little research exists examining the reminiscing of preschoolers with language disorders. This article examines the interactional and symbolic challenges that parents and children with language disorders face during reminiscing. Method: Two small groups of parent–child participants – one including children with a diagnosed disorder impacting language function and one with typically developing children – were recruited. Reminiscing conversations were elicited, and qualitative methods of analysis were employed to describe patterns of interaction related to the accomplishing of mutual orientation. Results: Reminiscing interactions are framed as occurring in negotiations between topics and in negotiations within a topic. Parents and their children with language disorders faced greater challenges in aligning expectations and mutually orienting to shared understandings of past experiences. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these challenges can support parents in reminiscing and in recognizing learning opportunities.