Systematic review of research on special education needs in greater China

Abstract

Purpose: This article reviews research work on special education needs in Greater China during the past 5 decades. Methods: All searches are done on online search engines to determine the (a) volume of the related research work, (b) targets of the research studies, (c) types of SENs addressed, and (d) type of research work. Results: 828 publications are identified, among which the majority are published in the Mainland China and Taiwanese contexts. The most common target groups are “children” (51.3%). The studies mostly focus on ASD with 467 articles (56.4%), and 600 articles (72.5%) are descriptive, empirical, or correlational. Conclusion: There is a shift of research target group from person of interest to caregivers; importance of collective shame in the Chinese culture; and increase in research in the Greater China context. More support for research related to SEN in Greater China and acknowledging cultural relevance are recommended.