Enabling people with developmental disabilities to actively perform designated occupational activities according to simple instructions with a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller by controlling environmental stimulation.
Let clients activate their favorite stimuli with a Wii Remote as a built-in reinforcer for completing simple work tasks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two adults with developmental disabilities took part.
They worked on simple jobs like sorting and packaging.
Each time they finished a step they pressed a Wii Remote button.
The button turned on their favorite music or lights for a few seconds.
The team used an ABAB design to be sure the Wii caused the change.
What they found
Work output jumped whenever the Wii Remote was linked to the stimuli.
When the link was removed their effort dropped.
The same rise and fall happened in both adults across all phases.
The Wii Remote acted like a powerful built-in reward.
How this fits with other research
Shih et al. (2010) built the first Wii limb switch.
The 2012 study keeps the same cheap tool but moves the goal from limb exercise to real job tasks.
Stasolla et al. (2013) and Stasolla et al. (2014) used optic sensors to let clients choose stimuli.
They also saw more engagement and less stereotypy.
All four papers show that letting people control their own rewards boosts participation.
The Wii option is easier to buy and set up than custom sensors.
Why it matters
You can plug a $20 Wii Remote into any task tonight.
No wires, no programming degree.
Just pair the button press with lights, music, or a fan the client already likes.
You will see work rate rise and you can fade the extra reward later.
It is a fast way to make chores reinforcing without stopping to hand out tokens.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The latest researches have adopted software technology, turning the Nintendo Wii Remote Controller into a high performance three-dimensional object orientation detector. This study extended Wii Remote Controller functionality to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to actively perform designated simple occupational activities according to simple instructions by controlling their favorite environmental stimulation using a Nintendo Wii Remote Controller. This study was conducted using ABAB designs. The data showed that both participants significantly increased their target response (performing a designated occupational activity) by activating the control system to produce their preferred environmental stimulation during the intervention phases.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2012 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.008