DOI: 10.21764/maeuefd.1965499 ISSN: 1302-8944

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

Elif Elumar-Efe, Zekeriya Alperen Sağdıç, Sunagül Sani-Bozkurt, Aras Bozkurt
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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.

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