Gli effetti del training sulle conversazioni madre- bambino in età prescolare su eventi del passato: implicazioni evolutive e cliniche

The present paper aims at discussing the possibility of improving training for caregivers, based on the research data, in order to increase those skills that, during conversations with a child about past events (reminiscing), appear to favour the emergence of various abilities. Indeed, many studies report how reminiscing, if carried out in an elaborate, conversational style that centres on emotions, performs important functions in the development of narrative, self-awareness and emotional competence. On this basis, other research carried out with mother-child dyads of pre-school age and typical and atypical development has shown that specific interventions to increase the quality of the caregiver's reminiscing result in improvement in the child's narrative and socio-emotive skills, with clinical implications. After a brief review of the research regarding the effects of reminiscing on development and the effectiveness of interventions carried out with the parents, the coding schemes designed for identifying more or less functional styles of conversation and two types of qualitatively different conversations are presented. Finally, some operating procedures for conducting training of elaborate and emotive reminiscing are suggested and commented upon.