A qualitative analysis of parent's reminiscing with their child with autism: Motivations, enablers and barriers

Abstract

Parent-child reminiscing is a critical learning process associated with many cognitive developmental outcomes, including language acquisition, memory development and socio-emotional functioning (see Waters et al., 2019 for review). Many of these developmental outcomes are compromised for autistic children. However, only a few published studies have examined parent-child reminiscing for neurodiverse families (Faust, 2009; McDonnell et al., 2021; Raman, 2022). Moreover, none have qualitatively explored parents’ experience of and goals for reminiscing. Thus, we know little about how reminiscing might differ for children with autism or their parents. This study aimed to explore parents’ experiences of reminiscing with their child with autism, including their goals, motivations, and barriers and enablers to their participation in a three-session reminiscing intervention. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with five parent-child dyads before and after a three-session reminiscing intervention. All children had a prior diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used reflective thematic analysis (RTA) (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2020) to explore and generate themes from pre- and post- intervention interviews related to motivations, goals, challenges and benefits of reminiscing with a child on the autism spectrum. Findings highlight the significant influence of emotional states on conversation engagement, the challenges autistic children face in understanding conversational structure and narrative retelling, and the unique motivations parents have for reminiscing, including reminiscing as a tool for emotional regulation, preparing for and understanding social situations, and fostering a positive relationship. Participation in the intervention provided insights into the benefits and challenges of reminiscing, with parents emphasising the need for individualised support and flexibility. Our findings contribute to a small but growing body of research on parent-child reminiscing in autism, offering practical implications for future interventions. Our approach highlights the importance of aligning intervention goals with parents’ needs to enhance their effectiveness. Future research should explore parents’ motivations across larger, more diverse samples to inform autism-specific reminiscing interventions further.