Drama techniques for the enhancement of social-emotional development in people with special needs: review of research

A systematic review was conducted of the research into the use of drama techniques to enhance social-emotional development of people with special needs. Only eight studies that were conducted in the period 1990-2005 met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The conclusions of the review were that there are indications that the dramatic processes have the potential to be effective in enhancing social-emotional development of people with special needs. However, the authors have not provided enough evidence to substantiate their claims. Further, there were several limitations in the studies, indicating the need for further research if the full potential of drama techniques is to be realized. On the basis of this analysis, this paper presents recommendations for future systematic and rigorous research in this area.