Assisting people with multiple disabilities by actively keeping the head in an upright position with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller through the control of an environmental stimulation.

Two adults with multiple disabilities sat in wheelchairs. A Wii Remote taped to their head acted like a tilt sensor.

When the head stayed upright, music or lights turned on. When the head dropped, the fun stuff stopped.

Both people quickly learned to hold their head up longer. Upright time jumped as soon as the Wii link started.

When the team turned the link off, head droop came back. Turning it back on fixed the posture again.

Meuret et al. (2001) did the same trick earlier, but used a sound-activated switch for vocalizations. Ching-Hsiang swaps the sensor to a Wii and targets head control instead of sounds. The idea—client triggers own reinforcers—stays identical.

Weissman-Fogel et al. (2015) also used an ABAB reversal with severe disabilities. They used eye gaze to pick reinforcers; this paper uses head angle to earn them. Both prove the reversal design works when reinforcers are clear.

Seward et al. (2023) turned step counts into a team game. Both studies borrow game tech to make hard work fun, but one uses a $20 Wii Remote and the other a phone app.

You can tape a Wii Remote to a headrest and give instant music or lights for good posture. No pricey medical gear needed. Try it with clients who slump and love tunes or blinking lights. Start with two-minute baseline, flip the contingency, and watch the data climb.