A new standing posture detector to enable people with multiple disabilities to control environmental stimulation by changing their standing posture through a commercial Wii Balance Board.

Two adults with multiple disabilities could not press switches or speak. The team set a $20 Wii Balance Board on the floor. Custom software turned tiny body sways into on/off signals. When the person swayed far enough, music or lights came on. The study used an ABAB design: baseline, intervention, back to baseline, then intervention again.

Both people quickly learned to sway on purpose. Their body-swing responses jumped high each time the Wii program was active. When the system was removed, the moves stopped. When it came back, the moves returned. The board gave them a new way to ask for things they liked.

Shih et al. (2012) did almost the same thing but asked adults to slide objects across two Wii boards while standing. The 2010 posture study and the 2012 object-moving study both got big gains with the same cheap board and ABAB design.

Shih et al. (2012) also tried pairs. Two friends had to step on separate boards while walking side by side to earn music. That study extends the 2010 idea from solo swaying to team walking.

Robertson et al. (2013) used tiny head or hand microswitches instead of a Wii board. Both tools gave people with multiple disabilities the same prize—preferred stimulation—for small adaptive moves. The sensor changed; the principle stayed.

You can turn a thrift-store Wii board into a reliable access switch in one afternoon. No soldering, no pricey medical gear. If a client can shift weight even a little, you now have a new response form to reinforce. Start with light or music the person already likes, then chain the sway to bigger goals such as choosing snacks or greeting peers.