Visualising the research landscape on financial issues among special needs children: A bibliometric analysis from 1992 to 2024

A special needs family requires proper guidance as there are emotional and financial aspects involved in planning. The global concern surrounding financial planning for families with children who have special needs poses a significant risk to the well-being of these families. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on financial issues among special needs children, using data from the Scopus database. The analysis covers 32 documents published between 1992 and 2024, focusing on three main aspects: the evolution of research, major contributors, and keyword mapping. This study developed visualisations and integrated data using VOSviewer 1.6.15 and Harzing’s Publish or Perish, respectively. The results show a slow but steady growth in publications since 1992, with a dramatic increase after 2012. The United States dominates the research landscape regarding publications and citations, followed by China, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The most productive institutions and authors are identified, along with the most frequently cited papers. Keyword analysis reveals a focus on autism, economics, and children, with emerging themes such as financial well-being, coping behaviour, and mental health. The study highlights the need for more interdisciplinary and global research efforts to address the complex financial challenges faced by families with special needs children. This study is considered to be reasonably representative as it focused on papers indexed in the Scopus database. This bibliometric study can be utilised as an initial undertaking in doing systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses. The findings are expected to stimulate future research and provide direction for advancing the field of study. The findings can also inform future research directions and policy initiatives aimed at addressing the financial challenges faced by families with special needs children. Limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed.