TITLE:
Applications, Effectiveness, and Implementation Features of AI-Based Interventions in Early Childhood Special Education: A Systematic Review
AUTHORS:
Hibah Alharbi
KEYWORDS:
Artificial Intelligence, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Child, Preschool, Developmental Disabilities, Education, Special, Early Intervention, Robots, Augmented Reality, Computer-Assisted Instruction, Attention, Imitative Behavior, Communication
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.6,
June
2,
2026
ABSTRACT: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in preschool special education to support communication, social, and cognitive development, though evidence remains fragmented. This review synthesized child-level effects of AI interventions for young children, including preschool-aged and mixed developmental profiles. The author followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines, applied a PICOS framework, and searched six databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, IEEE Xplore) from January 2010 to January 2026. Quality was appraised using Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) for randomized controlled trials and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists for other designs. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis; therefore, narrative and thematic synthesis were used. The initial search yielded 1472 records. After removing 186 duplicates, 1286 records were screened. Following eligibility assessment, 31 studies met inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on autism spectrum disorder. The most consistent effects were improvements in joint attention and imitation during robot-mediated sessions. Social outcomes improved for emotion recognition, perspective-taking, and adaptive functioning, with maintenance demonstrated in several studies. Cognitive outcomes showed positive trends for attention and engagement but less conclusive evidence. Effective implementations commonly used 20 - 30-minute sessions delivered approximately 10 times. Risk of bias was often moderate due to small samples, short durations, and heterogeneous measures. AI supports targeted gains when aligned to specific skills and embedded within structured routines with adult scaffolding. Larger, longer, culturally responsive trials are needed to confirm durability, generalization, and equity of impact. Importantly, the synthesis distinguishes between direct child-level intervention effects and contextual or system-level applications (e.g., screening, feasibility, and validation studies), which do not constitute efficacy evidence.