A longitudinal exploration of assistive technologies and educational technologies in special education: Reflections from a half century

Abstract

This study provides a longitudinal exploration of assistive and educational technologies in special education, reflecting on 60 years of research (1965-2025). The field lacks a review that bridges broad bibliometric structure with deep pedagogical substance. We address this gap by integrating a systematic review of 334 Scopus publications with a multi-method triangulation using bibliometrics, t-SNE, text mining, and social network analysis (SNA). Bibliometric findings briefly confirm a recent, rapid acceleration in research and a significant geographical imbalance, with the USA dominating the field (39%). The thematic analysis, which forms the core of this study, reveals a clear conceptual journey. The research evolved from foundational, parallel themes (1965-2010) to a consolidated hub (2011-2021) centered on "special education" and "educational technology". This hub recently "fractured" into highly specialized, applied topics (2022-2025) like "adaptive learning technologies," "accessibility," and "autism spectrum disorders". Six triangulated themes were identified, including: (1) the foundational AT-Special Education nexus; (2) the critical role of teacher training, self-efficacy, and TPACK; (3) the pivot to inclusive pedagogy via UDL; (4) a distinct focus on autism; (5) support for sensory impairments ; and (6) the new frontier of AI, VR, and e-learning. This study maps the field's maturation from foundational concepts to solving complex, practical challenges.

Keywords

• special education
• individuals with special learning needs
• assistive technology
• educational technology
• edtech.

Supporting Institution

Anadolu University

Project Number

2304E022

Ethical Statement

Ethical review and approval were waived for this study because it is a systematic review based on the analysis of publicly available secondary data and does not involve human or animal subjects. Based on Academic Integrity and Transparency in AI-assisted Research and Specification Framework, the authors of this paper acknowledges that the paper was proofread and reviewed with the assistance of DeepL and Anthropic’s Claude (Versions as of May 2026), complementing the human editorial process. The human authors critically assessed and validated the content to maintain academic rigor. The authors also assessed and addressed potential biases inherent in the AI-generated content. The final version of the paper is the sole responsibility of the human authors.

Özel eğitimde yardımcı teknolojiler ve eğitim teknolojilerinin boylamsal bir incelemesi: Yarım asırdan yansımalar

Abstract

Bu çalışma, 60 yıllık bir araştırma dönemini (1965-2025) temel alarak, özel eğitimde yardımcı ve eğitim teknolojilerinin boylamsal bir incelemesini sunmaktadır. Alanyazında, geniş kapsamlı bibliyometrik yapıyı derin pedagojik içerikle ilişkilendiren bir inceleme eksikliği bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışma; Scopus veri tabanındaki 334 yayının sistematik incelemesini bibliyometri, t-SNE, metin madenciliği ve sosyal ağ analizi (SAA) yöntemlerini içeren çoklu yöntemli bir üçgenleme (triangülasyon) ile bütünleştirerek söz konusu eksikliği gidermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bibliyometrik bulgular, son dönemde araştırmalarda yaşanan hızlı ivmelenmeyi ve ABD’nin alana hakim olduğu (%39) belirgin bir coğrafi dengesizliği kısaca doğrulamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın özünü oluşturan tematik analiz ise net bir kavramsal dönüşümü ortaya koymaktadır. Araştırmaların; temel düzeydeki paralel temalardan (1965-2010), "özel eğitim" ve "eğitim teknolojisi" odaklı konsolide bir merkeze (2011-2021) evrildiği görülmektedir. Bu merkez yakın zamanda (2022-2025) "uyarlanabilir öğrenme teknolojileri", "erişilebilirlik" ve "otizm spektrum bozuklukları" gibi son derece uzmanlaşmış, uygulamalı konulara ayrışmıştır. Üçgenleme yöntemiyle belirlenen altı ana tema şunlardır: (1) temel nitelikteki Yardımcı Teknoloji (YT)-Özel Eğitim ilişkisi; (2) öğretmen eğitimi, öz-yeterlik ve Teknolojik Pedagojik Alan Bilgisi'nin (TPAB) kritik rolü; (3) Evrensel Tasarım Rehberliği (ETR) aracılığıyla kapsayıcı pedagojiye geçiş; (4) otizm üzerine belirgin bir odaklanma; (5) duyu yetersizliklerine yönelik destekler ve (6) yapay zeka (YZ), sanal gerçeklik (SG) ve e-öğrenmeyi kapsayan yeni ufuklar. Sonuç olarak bu çalışma, alanın temel kavramlardan karmaşık ve pratik sorunların çözümüne doğru geçirdiği olgunlaşma sürecini haritalandırmaktadır.

Keywords

• özel eğitim
• özel öğrenme gereksinimi olan bireyler
• yardımcı teknoloji
• eğitim teknolojisi

Project Number

2304E022

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