Impact of Assistive Technologies to Inclusive Education and Independent Life of Down Syndrome Persons: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the lifespan of people born with Down syndrome (DS) has increased. They now outlive their parents and rely on their relatives who usually sacrifice their own families to care for their disabled siblings. To reduce the pressure on families and the wider community, it is crucial to prepare DS people for independent life from early childhood. Emerging technologies can significantly support the process of acquiring the skills that are necessary for solving real-life problems at home and work. To assess their impact and estimate how much they are implemented in inclusive education, a review of 564 papers published after 2015 was done using the PRISMA review model. After gradual exclusion, 24 papers were used for the final review. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes with one common concept: variety. The results of examining the four research questions defined in the paper’s background confirm that the synergy of emerging assistive technologies and inclusive education has the potential of becoming a very effective strategy for creating an independent life for DS individuals. Many questions remain open, mainly related to a DS persons’ specific needs and capabilities. The acceptance of the proposed synergy will depend on them.