Arts Education for Children with Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Research, testimonies and descriptions of successful projects and initiatives have shown the benefits of well-planned inclusive arts education for students with disabilities. The group of students with disabilities is diverse. The only thing they have in common is a disability that prevents them from taking advantage of the general curriculum without specialised support. Teaching students with disabilities is a requirement for all teachers, regardless of their subject-matter expertise. The goal of this research is to provide a thorough knowledge map of the intellectual framework of the field of study of arts education for students with disabilities. Using the PRISMA method to analyse articles published between 2012 and 2022, a systematic literature review methodology was used. An overview of the study’s articles, authors, top journals and research themes is given. The findings indicate the existence of three themes in the research of arts education for children with disabilities. In summary, this paper reviews key findings from the research analyses and suggests future research trajectories for the arts education area.