Conversational voice user interfaces supporting individuals with Down syndrome: A literature review
Overview
This paper reviews 43 studies exploring how people with Down syndrome interact with Conversational Voice User Interfaces (CVUIs), like voice assistants. While CVUIs are designed to be intuitive for most users, anatomical and physiological differences in speech can make them difficult to use for individuals with Down syndrome. The review highlights common challenges, including small datasets for training speech-to-text systems and limited representation in design and evaluation. It also points to growing interest in involving people with Down syndrome in these processes, especially to support communication, therapy, and daily assistance. The paper calls for more inclusive, user-centered approaches to make voice technologies more accessible for neurodiverse communities.
Methods
Conducted a systematic literature review using the PRISMA methodology to identify and analyze 43 peer-reviewed studies on CVUIs for individuals with Down syndrome.
Developed query based inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure comprehensive coverage of interdisciplinary sources (ACM, IEEE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science).
Used open coding techniques with collaborative Miro boards to synthesize data and uncover thematic trends across studies.
Categorized findings based on form factors, speech-to-text technologies, design goals, and user study methodologies.
Identified design gaps and research opportunities, contributing to a framework for accessible, inclusive CVUI design for neurodivergent users.
Identified key design opportunities to make voice interfaces more accessible and user-friendly for people with Down syndrome based on the current research landscape.