A Systematic Review of Unplugged Pedagogy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in K-12 Education

Abstract

Unplugged pedagogy has emerged as an alternative method for teaching fundamental concepts without the use of digital devices, making it highly relevant for the education of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While unplugged pedagogy is considered beneficial in enhancing engagement and understanding, its effectiveness in the context of special needs education requires further in-depth investigation. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of unplugged pedagogy for children with ASD education from kindergarten to senior high school (K-12) using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method based on the PRISMA framework. Literature was retrieved from the Scopus database using the keywords “unplugged” AND “Autism” OR “ASD” AND “Special Needs Education.” Unplugged pedagogy is effective in improving engagement and conceptual understanding of computing among children with ASD in K-12 settings. The reviewed studies highlight the success of this approach in supporting skill generalization and increasing learning motivation, although challenges such as limited teacher training and contextual constraints remain significant barriers. These findings open opportunities for developing more adaptive pedagogical strategies for students with special needs, particularly those with ASD in K-12 education.