Assisting people with disabilities to actively improve their collaborative physical activities with Nintendo Wii Balance Boards by controlling environmental stimulation.

The team paired two adults with developmental delays. Each stood on a Wii Balance Board.

When both boards felt weight at the same time, music or lights turned on. The boards were linked so the pair had to walk together to keep the fun stuff playing.

During the ABAB test, the duo quickly raised their joint walking whenever the boards controlled the lights and music. When the link was off, walking dropped.

Shih et al. (2012) ran almost the same Wii setup, but with one person. Both studies show the same fast jump in target moves, proving the board-plus-stimulation idea works alone or in pairs.

Shih et al. (2010) came first. They used a single board to reward small body sways. The new study keeps the sway idea but moves it to side-by-side walking, showing the tool can shape social motor skills too.

Mombarg et al. (2013) tested kids, not adults. Their six-week Wii balance class raised balance scores but did not spread to other skills. The adult study shows a quicker, single-session gain in a real walking task, hinting that contingent stimulation may beat general balance drills for fast social goals.

You can turn cheap Wii boards into instant social reinforcers. Link two boards, pick music or lights your clients love, and set the rule: both must step together to turn it on. In minutes you get more joint movement and less solitary wandering. Great for day-program groups or sibling fitness goals.