Augmented Reality as an Educational Tool and Assistive Technology for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Scoping Review

Abstract

Many people with intellectual disability seek opportunities to develop their self-determination, personal development, interpersonal relationships, and well-being. Emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR), present an opportunity for new approaches to supporting inclusion and personal development. AR interactively integrates digital information and the real world, and has been increasingly used as a tool for intervention, education, or as an assistive technology. However, there has been little attention to how AR applications can engage and support people with intellectual disability. This paper presents a scoping review of seventeen studies in the past decade and discusses the benefits highlighted by the authors. Most studies conducted with people with intellectual disability have shown that AR performs a positive and effective role as an instructional or assistive tool in the areas of education, daily living, or health. AR provides an opportunity to help people acquire new knowledge (e.g., foreign language and numeracy), form new habits (e.g., teeth brushing technique), and experience environments inclusively (e.g., arrive to the classroom with the support of an AR navigation app on the smartphone). Hence, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of known useful aspects of AR technology in the support and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.