Background: Vygotsky’s groundbreaking research in the field of defectology (called special education and special psychology in today’s Russia) conducted 100 years ago is of high relevance for contemporary special educational research and practice. Vygotsky argued that children who experienced difficulties due to disability develop differently compared to their typically developing peers, and, therefore, he questioned the use of reduced curricula and slower learning pace implemented in special schools for these learners at that time (Vygotsky, 1929). However, Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory and his work in defectology have not attracted as much interest among researchers in the field of special education in Western countries as it has in other countries (Stetsenko & Selau, 2018). Yet, recent research indicates that Vygotsky’s ideas have proven to be a useful framework to understand what educational practices can be created to promote deaf students’ optimal academic achievement and well-being (Willicheva & Hall, 2023). Less is known about how the cultural-historical theory has been used in research and educational practice for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Therefore, there is a need to understand whether and how the cultural-historical theory has been used to advance the field of special educational research and educational practice to meet the needs of students with ID nationally and internationally. Research Questions: 1. What type of research problems did researchers study using the cultural-historical theory regarding special education and students with ID? 2. What methodological approaches did researchers use in special and inclusive educationalresearch regarding students with ID based on the cultural-historical theory? 3. What is the trajectory and geographic representation of the identified research? 4. What publication outlets did the researchers publish their study results? Method: We conducted a systematic literature review aimed at identifying and synthesizing available peer reviewed, cultural-historical research studies conducted with children and youth (aged 0-20) with intellectual disabilities in educational settings. Studies published either in English, Russian or Swedish were included. Four electronic databases of Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were used for systematic search of literature. In addition, we handsearched several academic journals, for example, Cultural-Historical Psychology, Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Life Span & Disability, Mind, Culture, and Activity, and Learning, Culture and Social Interaction. The search for peer-reviewed literature was conducted between June 2024 and January 2025. The initial search in the databases resulted in 1307 records; the hand-search in academic journals resulted in few records. Using the inclusion criteria, the full-text of 39 studies were jointly assessed for eligibility. Of these 39 articles, 37 were in English and two in Russian. Results: Our preliminary results demonstrate that the main topics were inclusion and participation, scaffolding and mediating tools, and compensatory aspects of education. The majority of the included studies employed qualitative research design using case study methodology, interviews, participant observations of classrooms, and formative interventions. Most case studies were conducted with few students and their teachers and special teachers. Some studies also included parents. The trajectory of the published research over time revealed that during the period between 1990s and 2024. Geographically, the identified research articles represented only a few countries. References: Lubovsky, D. V. (2024). The development of the principles of cultural-historical theory in special education and psychology. Cultural-Historical Psychology, 20(3), 126-135.http://doi.org/10.17759/chp.2024200313 Vygotsky, L. (1929). Sobranie sochineni. Tom 2. Osnovy defektologii. (Engl. transl., Fundamental problems of defectology. In The collected works, vol. 2.). Stetsenko, A. & Bento, S. (2018). Vygotsky’s approach to disability in the context of contemporary debates and challenges: Charting the next steps (Presentation for the “Special Issue – Vygotsky’s Defectology”. Educação (Porto Alegre), 41(3), 325-333. Willicheva, K. & Hall, W. C. (2023). From vicious circles to virtuous cycles: Vygotskian-inspired conclusions for biomedicine and deaf education. American Annals of the Deaf, 168(1), 162–176.