Can digital assistive technology interventions foster well-being among students with disabilities? A meta-analytic review

Assistive technology (AT) is important in supporting students with disabilities. Previous reviews have summarized the effectiveness of AT interventions for enhancing academic performance and career growth of students with special needs. However, limited reviews have focused on AT's impact on well-being outcomes. This meta-analytic review summarized the effects of digital AT interventions on well-being of students with diverse types of disabilities. A total of 26 between-group studies were identified through extensive literature search, which produced 77 independent effect sizes. After removing outliers, the three-level meta-analysis yielded an overall statistically significant effect of g = 0.39 (SE = 0.18). Subgroup analyses showed that digital AT interventions were less effective for secondary school students than non-secondary school students. There was no evidence to support publication bias in this review. Findings indicate that digital AT can serve as a pathway toward cultivating well-being in children and adolescents with disabilities.